Vixen Investigations: The Mayoral Affairs

by Ashley Papa

  “Hi, Paige. Sorry about that. Good to see you again,” he greeted and shook my hand.

  I still couldn’t shake the image of him and Richard Brownstein making out under the fluorescent spotlight at Lord Max’s castle.

  “Let’s take a walk,” he said, standing quickly as if he feared his office was bugged.

  I followed him out of the office and down the aging and musty-smelling hallway.

  “Have you ever been in here before?”

  “City Hall?” I asked, almost dumbfounded, as if he were just trying to make conversation.

  He didn’t answer me so he obviously didn’t care. Further down the hall he led to where a guard stood stoic in front of Walter’s office.

  “I thought I would give you the tour rather than my intern,” he said.

  “Thanks. I really appreciate all your help with everything.”

  A little ass-kissing couldn’t hurt.

  “Where is everyone? It seems rather quiet for a weekday morning. Does Walter have an event?” I prodded.

  “Lunch,” Jimmy curtly replied, like he didn’t want me to ask any more questions.

  The towering guard looked down at Jimmy and me as he opened the mayor’s office door.

  “My colleagues will be back shortly and we can go over the parameters of the interview then.”

  He whispered something to the guard, who left, leaving Walter’s trusty press secretary and me with full access to his office.

  “I can’t let you take pictures in here, because we only let media use the official stock photo provided by our staff,” he mentioned, as if it wouldn’t be a problem, “but, feel free to take notes…maybe it’ll help inspire your questions for him,” Jimmy said almost suggestively.

  I strolled around the room. I could smell the history and the corruption. There was a big oak desk, leather chair, ceiling-high bookcases, and the official portrait of the mayor, one of his family and another “Never Forget” painting, marking September 11th.

  “Very nice. I guess it is how I expected it to be,” I commented to Jimmy, who was standing in the doorway. Or so I thought. When I turned, he wasn’t there.

  “Jimmy?” I questioned louder while popping my head out the door.

  I looked left and right. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen. In fact, there wasn’t anybody in sight.

  He really just left me alone in the mayor’s office to freely roam around?

  I immediately started scouring around for clues.

  “You’ll find the answers you need in the desk.”

  I remembered the mysterious caller’s words. Not knowing how much time I’d have, I quickly got behind the desk and started opening the drawers. There was nothing inside but pens, random files, and bags of Swedish Fish. Pissed that I hadn’t found more, I slammed my fist hard on the top of the desk.

  What was that?

  Something had fallen on my foot. It appeared to have come from a concealed cubbyhole underneath. I bent down and picked up the fallen picture. Encased in the cheap silver frame was a photograph of Walter and Lucy. I snapped some pictures of the framed photo. It was obvious it was supposed to remain hidden.

  I ducked down under the desk and felt around the cubby. I pulled out an envelope which was filled with developed photos, most of which were of Walter and Lucy and their random friends. Just about at the end of the pile, there was a picture I never would’ve imagined. It was the same photograph of Walter and Steve Benson, my ex-client’s fiancé, that was posted on his mistress Caitlin’s Instagram.

  What is going on here?

  I reached back and pulled out a few more miscellaneous papers. As I carefully started to remove a letter from the opened envelope, I could hear the sound of footsteps growing louder.

  Fuck!

  I shoved everything in my tote bag to go through later, stood, and smoothed out my pants and blazer. My breath slowed down just as Jimmy returned.

  “Sorry…too much coffee and fruit this morning. Don’t tell anyone I left you, that warrants some kind of unglamorous disciplinary action,” he said but his tone wasn’t of someone who actually cared. “Come on, let’s go to the conference room and wait for the rest of the staff.”

  We spoke and negotiated the details of the interview for less than thirty minutes. The group seemed more interested in getting done for the day and starting their Memorial Day Weekend early than talking about the project. Their lackadaisical mentality ended up helping me in the end. I was pretty sure they didn’t even realize what they were agreeing to. When I mentioned a camera crew coming, they thought it was a “wonderful idea.”

  We agreed that the interview would be done in the mayor’s office, which I thought would make for the perfect setting. I was also, and generously, allotted one hour with no breaks to do what I had to do. However, because of his “packed schedule,” I couldn’t do the actual sit-down interview until Thursday,

  July 9th.

  That gives me six weeks to be on my best behavior, so he doesn’t end up changing his mind.

  While it was over a month away, my photo shoot of Walter and Victoria’s home was only in two weeks. The four-week gap between the shoot and the interview was plenty of time for me to garner more clues for my big interrogation.

  My Memorial Day weekend plans had gone from alone time with Liam to following him and his friends down the shore, and bringing my work with me. I rounded up Taylor, April, and Adam and willingly decided to drop $1,000 on a beach house in Point Pleasant for the weekend. I needed to strategize the upcoming weeks with my crew. Since Liam and his friends were going to be down there, as well, I figured I’d be able to kill multiple birds with one stone.

  The Friday morning traffic was minimal as I expected it to build later in the day. We made the all-important stop at Wawa for coffee and breakfast before getting on the Garden State Parkway.

  “I can’t believe how this case has fallen into place for you, Paige. I mean, what were the chances you’d meet the people you did and get the opportunities you have?” Taylor observed while sitting in the backseat.

  I looked at her through the rearview mirror, catching her mid-bite of her egg, vegetarian bacon, and cheese sandwich.

  “You have cheese on your chin,” I teased, instead of responding.

  We all laughed as Taylor slapped my shoulder.

  “You know how entertaining it is for me to watch you eat and put makeup on.” April laughed in agreement with my comment. “By the way, it’s not about luck, Tay. I’ve sacrificed a lot of time, sleep, and romance for this case. It all comes down to me knowing what I’m doing and having associates like you guys,” I bragged.

  “You always taught me that success doesn’t come without some sort of sacrifice,” Adam added as to not let me forget the sacrifices he has made.

  “I’m just glad to be doing something meaningful. It sucks being out of work,” April chimed in.

  I felt like the luckiest employer having my best friends working for me.

  Point Pleasant was bustling. Ice cream parlors displayed their “Open for the Season” signs and the little seafood restaurants had their outside seating all set up. The sun’s force on my shoulders as soon as I hopped out of the Jeep felt more like 90 degrees and not the 75 predicted. We threw our stuff inside the rental house while designating our rooms and then promptly hit the beach with two large blankets and three bottles of chilled rosé.

  “Aaaah, if only work meetings could be like this all the time. Here’s to a great summer and a great outcome for you and Vixen Investigations,” Taylor declared, raising her plastic cup.

  “And, Victoria Wilcox. I wish the best for her after all of this,” I added before clapping our cups together.

  The salutation was promptly followed by simultaneous sips of wine and nibbles on cheese, crackers, and hummus. Adam, having the only cell phone signal on the beach, turned on P
andora.

  “Ha, imagine that. The first song to come on. Hall & Oates!” Adam announced.

  He couldn’t help but notice the irony, as did I. He began singing the lyrics in a voice that I never realized he had.

  “Private eyes, they’re watching you, they see your every move,” he belted out.

  “I don’t know. I always felt my theme song was, Every Breath You Take, ” I sang but didn’t sound a smidge as good as Adam.

  The wine continued to flow as the sun fell even more to the west.

  “So, Paige. We get to meet your Jersey boy this weekend?” April inquired.

  “Yes…hopefully. He’s a sweet guy and has that Jersey attitude I like. I’m just going with the flow for now,” I divulged.

  “Tell us…” Taylor moved in closer as if she wanted me to reveal the size of Liam’s penis or something. “What’s the one thing you’ve learned in your dealings with all these philandering men and women?”

  I could tell she was looking for something extremely juicy. April moved in closer, as well, as if I were about to reveal some top-secret, highly classified information. Adam looked at me but acted like he already knew the answer.

  “The one thing I can tell you is, it all comes down to the person’s character and moral values. Every person is different. Every relationship is different. You just have to be with the right person.”

  “That’s so…not exciting,” Taylor quipped and took another sip.

  I was the first one awake the next day. Lita, the weekend housemaid, had a big, fresh pot of coffee calling my name when I walked out to the kitchen in my silk pajamas.

  “Your paper, Miss Turner,” Lita pleasantly offered and handed me a copy of The Gotham Post.

  Today’s headline: “POT HOLED: Report Reveals City Streets Still Haven’t Had Potholes Fixed Since Winter.”

  I flipped to Page Ten, hoping for all the weekend’s Hamptons gossip. As expected, there was a picture of Mayor Wilcox, Piper, and Victoria smiling and waving while walking on the beach in Amagansett.

  I guzzled down two cups of coffee and continued to scan the paper. When I got to the sports section, I tossed the paper in the trash. I never read past the horoscopes.

  Life finally started revealing itself from the depths of the hallways around 10 a.m. and then by 11:30 a.m., we were all up and ready to begin the meeting. Surrounded by glasses of orange juice and plates of fruit and bagels, I delved into the details and expectations. April’s only mission was to hang with Piper as much as possible. Adam would be my right hand, as always, as well as my photographer for the tour of Walter’s home. All I wanted Taylor to do was keep the paper at bay, so I could focus on what was left of the case.

  The discussion continued to the point where I felt like we were on a romance panel for a version of Meet the Press.

  Topic this Sunday: Philandering Bastards.

  I wrapped the strategy session by 2 p.m. with a vow that we were never to speak of the case unless we were with each other and in private, from here on out. Most importantly, we’d see it through, until the very end.

  The rest of the lazy Saturday afternoon was spent baking in the sun and was later followed by a quick catnap around 4 p.m. After some much needed primping, the four of us left to meet Liam and his work friends at Shore Bar for a few drinks before heading back to Liam’s beach rental. Everyone was getting along, including Adam, who seemed to have taken a liking to Liam. Maybe it was that Jersey Boy bond. During the night while we girls were dancing, Taylor told me that she thought Liam was “good for me.” Their approval was appreciated and crucial. When friends and family give their “okay,” it speaks volumes.

  Despite the growing distance I sensed in him, sex later that night was as safe and secure as it always was. When he worked his naked body over mine, I really felt like we were one. Still, I worried how he’d take to my profession…and to me lying about it this long.

  As I slept soundly in Liam’s arms, I could tell, and hear, that Taylor had really hit it off with one of Liam’s friends. The occasional thud against the neighbring bedroom would jolt me awake.

  SUNDAY

  Adam and April ended up taking early trains home in the morning. Taylor and I opted to stay with Liam and his friends and spent the day hanging on the beach, playing Frisbee, grilling hamburgers, and drinking Coronas. I felt like I was in a country music video where everyone was young, carefree, and running around in bikinis and trunks. I was trying to enjoy the moment even though the case occupied my mind.

  “Babe. Are you okay? You look distracted,” Liam observed as we sat on a large rock by the jetty. Every so often, the frigid water would splash my feet, giving me goose bumps.

  “Yes. Just work stuff,” I deflected.

  “You and work. Can you go a few hours and just enjoy yourself? I feel like you’re never fully here.”

  “I am just under a lot of pressure right now…it’s really not up for debate,” I snapped but instantly felt bad about my tone.

  I could feel myself getting bitchy. I turned to catch his face staring out into the Atlantic.

  “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

  “You’re right. I don’t understand. I haven’t said anything because I don’t want to pry, but I haven’t seen anything of yours published recently. It makes me think you’re lying when you tell me about work.

  Gosh, it sounds like he was reading from my manual.

  “Can we just talk about it later? I don’t want to get into it now,” I reiterated.

  Liam let out a deep sigh.

  “Fine. I just hope…I just hope you’re not wasting my time.”

  He slowly stood and kissed me on the top of the head before going back to join his friends.

  I’m not wasting your time.

  JUNE

  The infidelity case against Mayor Wilcox was thickening. April had succeeded in becoming best friends with Piper, which was evident from Piper’s social media posts. Over the past two weeks, it seemed like every day and night, Piper and her girl squad were doing something scandalous. Her erratic behavior was bad press for Walter and Victoria as she was always in Page Ten. Meanwhile, I had made it my mission to make the mayor my pal ahead of the interview. I became a regular amongst the political press pool and always made sure to sex it up. My strategy seemed to be working. Walter had taken such a liking to me that he’d always call on me first at press conferences. I ditched the tough questions in exchange for softballs.

  With Wilcox’s home photo shoot a couple of days away, Walter and Victoria had invited me over for dinner the night before as a way to say “thank you.” It would be the first chance I’d get to have complete alone time with him and the family. I had to hand it to Jimmy, while he still maintained that strung out disposition, he had gotten a lot more lenient with me over the last few weeks. It was almost as if we were buddies. He started confiding in me about his sexuality and how hard it was for him to meet men in the city. Of course, I understood where he was coming from. I was still in a relationship funk with Liam. I tried to see him as much as possible while keeping work as nine-to-five as I could.

  “April, over here!”

  Summer was officially here and every day was scorching hot. I started doing more of my work on my building’s roof, which had a pool. I hadn’t seen April in a week and invited her over to go for a swim. As she neared me laid out in my lounger chair, I couldn’t help but notice how skinny she was getting.

  “You look like you lost weight,” I observed as she plopped down next to me.

  “That’s because I am out all night with that party animal. None of them eat. Did you know that? They starve themselves so they get drunk faster and on less alcohol,” she exhaustedly stated.

  I put my laptop aside and turned towards her and her protruding hipbones.

  “Okay, you getting sickly was not part of the plan. Here,” I sa
id pushing my cooler towards here, “eat some hummus and crackers. There are some sushi rolls in there from Whole Foods. Want me to order a pizza or something?”

  I watched her inhale the crackers and hummus as if she hadn’t seen real food in a month. She didn’t say anything.

  “So, anything to brief me on besides your weight loss?”

  She sat up and pushed her sunglasses down to the edge of her nose to look at me.

  “Piper hates her dad. I have no doubt about that.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “The girl pays for everything. She just puts it on her dad’s credit card. Every time a bill comes she says something along the lines of, You can thank my dad for this, or, my dad owes me a lot more than this bill. And, she is so unappreciative.”

  “Well, she is acting out.”

  “It’s more than acting out. There is like a sense of resentment,” April said before lying back down onto the chair with her face towards the sun.

  “Has she questioned anything about your background?” I asked.

  “Nope. She still thinks I am a freelance fashion journalist.”

  “Ha…good.”

  I let April doze off as I got back to organizing some notes on my MacBook. As she slept, I watched her phone light up with back-to-back phone calls and texts messages from Piper. It was getting so annoying. After call number four, I grabbed the phone. April has had more Red Bull vodkas and dancing in high-heel club nights in two weeks than I’ve had in the past decade. Piper would have to party without her.

  WEDNESDAY

  The night before the photo shoot. I didn’t even have an appetite but I’d have to fake one for dinner with Victoria, Walter, and Piper. I couldn’t wait to see how they acted in front of me as a family.

  Standing outside the mayor’s building in my beige, used Louboutins and sunburst yellow DVF wrap dress, I checked myself out in the glass windows one last time. I texted Liam to remind him that I’d be over later tonight and made sure to let him know how excited I was to see him. Since Memorial Day weekend, I was trying hard to not be so shady. It was up to me to salvage whatever was remaining of the relationship. I didn’t want to lose him.