Lexie picked at the beer bottle’s label. “I guess you could say moving here is being loyal to Flora.” Lexie watched as Nickolas and Flora exchanged some quiet words before wandering off to a secluded corner, ignoring the looks they were receiving from the two men at the bar. “Speaking of loyalty, what do you think about Nickolas and Flora? What’s your take on their relationship?”
Braedon thought for a moment; the silence was awkward. “It really depends. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I wish he would just figure out what he wants.”
“Nickolas is so indecisive.” Lexie glanced towards the corner. Already Nickolas had made some comment that troubled Flora. And I hate that about him!
“I think he and Flora can make it work if they want. Nickolas is having a rough time with his mom’s remarriage. I mean, how would you feel if you found out your mom and uncle had been having an affair since you were four?”
Lexie would have loved to continue the conversation, but a sudden outburst from Bryony brought Flora and Nickolas back to the bar. She exchanged a curious look with Braedon before turning her attention to the loud redhead.
“There is plenty of land for that bastard to build his lab! Cesare Garland doesn’t need to tear down the theatre! With the money he promised to give Pierre to build a new one, the stupid corporation could’ve bought half the town! He’s just doing it to be an ass!”
“If Pierre wouldn’t do so many depressing plays, I bet everything would be just fine,” Johnny Flesh said drunkenly as he stumbled off to serve another customer. “A play about the two-faced town council would be a hit.”
His laughter echoed across the bar.
“How is that even funny?” Bryony rolled her eyes. “He’s such an idiot.”
“I doubt Cesare has even been to the theatre. There’s nothing for him to be an ass about,” Nickolas argued as he tightened his grip on Flora’s arm.
“He had to get the approval of the mayor and town council members. The papers read that the decision was unanimous,” Braedon interjected.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he bought their support,” chimed in a rich baritone voice.
A burly man wearing a cowboy hat took a seat next to Nickolas. Flora’s eyes flickered to Bryony whose mouth had grown very thin. Lexie knew that the man must be Ben. The haughty gazes he and Bryony exchanged were amusing and frightening at the same time.
“I don’t think we asked—”
“Who’s on the council?” Lexie asked before Bryony could finish her insult.
“The mayor’s wife Scarlet MacDougal, the previous mayor’s daughters Bella and Donna Leer, Pastor Shrewsbury, and the attorney Harry King,” Braedon answered. “There are more, but those are the big ones.”
“It wouldn’t be hard to convince them to tear down the theatre,” Nickolas agreed. “Pastor Shrewsbury is always complaining that the theatre puts bad ideas into his daughters’ heads. Harry King is too busy having affairs, divorcing, and remarrying. I think he’s on his sixth wife or something, and the Leer sisters agree with anything the mayor’s wife says since she can blackmail them.”
“Wait. Blackmail?” Lexie accidently took a drink from Braedon’s bottle. So, Vernon Hills has dirty politics—interesting…
“You didn’t tell her?” Bryony’s voice was low. She gestured for Lexie to lean in close. “Bella Leer is the oldest daughter of the former mayor. She was always involved in the community and loved politics. She was tipped to take his place when he died from a heart attack about three years ago.”
Lexie couldn’t keep from smiling. Bryony sounded like she was reciting a murder mystery. “What, did she poison him?”
“No, she did a lot worse,” Braedon muttered.
“Bella needed more money to win the race because the MacDougals are rolling in cash and James MacDougal had a great plan for Vernon Hills. Donna, Bella’s younger sister, went to a rich banker for money. He supported Mayor MacDougal,” Bryony continued.
“Any normal person would have left the banker alone,” whispered Ben.
“Shut it, Ben,” Bryony warned. “Rumors say that Bella was so desperate that she tried to seduce the banker’s teenage son.”
Lexie struggled to swallow a sip of beer. “That...is…so…disgusting. Couldn’t she have just talked to her dad’s supporters? I bet she got zero votes after that.”
“Bella dropped out. She announced that it was because of money problems.” Bryony called for a Long Island ice tea and shots for her companions. “The public doesn’t have actual evidence, but Scarlet MacDougal has something that keeps the Leer sisters in line.”
Nickolas’s voice was low. “I heard that Scarlet has proof of Bella trying to seduce the kid. Someone once said she has pictures and videos.”
“It sounds like this place has as much drama as Washington,” commented Lexie as she downed another tequila shot with everyone. The alcohol was beginning to fog her head. No wonder there’s a strong psych ward attached to the hospital in the next town.
Flora shrugged. “We’re not that bad. Every town has a secret, just like every person.”
“I bet Vernon Hills has more than one.”
Bryony smiled and was about to divulge another secret of Vernon Hills when boisterous voices from outside drifted into the bar.
“Where’s Theodore? I thought he’d be here tonight. He had one hell of a day—turning in his science project half finished, and then sideswiping Principal Johnson’s car in the parking lot. He really screwed up today.”
“He’s probably screwing Giulia Terrace right now,” an arrogant voice shouted with a laugh.
“Do you really have to announce that to the whole street, Mark? We know they’ve been together for months, but their families don’t! Theodore loves her! What if someone hears you?”
“And it took him, what, a day to fall in love with Giulia? He was moaning about Rosamunde at lunch the day he fell in love,” the haughty voice argued. “Love is misleading. Love is like a will-o-the-wisp. It appears as a light in this dark, cruel world, coaxing a lonely, lost soul to depart from the path of rationality. Love muddies the mind and deprives it of common sense, like a ghostly will-o-the-wisp leading an unsuspecting traveler into the suffocating depths of the marshes. The wanderer believes the luminescence will lead him to safety, but the light slowly fades until it is nothing but a glimmer in the distance. Love is the deceptive gleam of a will-o-the-wisp. Love will glow with promise, then flicker, and recede. Theodore will be caught in a quagmire of Terraces when the light of his will-o-the-wisp dies.”
Those are some deep, depressing thoughts. Lexie wondered who spoke such words. She glanced at the door and was tempted to peek outside.
“What the hell, Johnny!” Bryony shouted.
Lexie’s attention turned to the commotion beside her. Bryony’s lap was drenched in tomato juice and vodka. Bits of a shattered cocktail glass were scattered beneath Bryony’s seat. Johnny, drunkenly flushed, was staring at the mess with shocked amusement. Ben snorted, then snickered, and finally let out a long gale of laughter, earning him a hard slap from Bryony.
“And I think that puts an end to the evening,” Braedon said as he struggled to hide a smile.
Lexie agreed. “I suppose so. It was great to meet you.”
Braedon gave her a humble smile. “You too. I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Hmm…maybe you and Braedon should start hanging out regularly,” Flora whispered playfully in Lexie’s ear as the guys left the bar. “Nickolas thinks very highly of him, and you two seemed to have hit it off.”
Lexie was spared answering by Johnny pushing his way through the two women.
“Go home! I don’t serve kids here! I’ll call the police if you stand there any longer!” bellowed Johnny. “It’d please the sheriff to lock up a bunch of Rose boys!”
Lexie and Flora watched the group of laughing boys run off into the night as they left the Windsor Bar. From the smirks on the kids’ faces, Lexie could tell they w
ould be back to pester Johnny very soon.
The two friends were quiet on the way back to their apartment. Lexie reflected on all the tales she had heard that night. The town had a number of scandals. Who would have thought such a small place could have a corrupt government? Lexie had a feeling that there was much more to Vernon Hills than an old theatre and a collection of shops.
Chapter Three: Flying with Wax Wings
Nails were being drilled into her forehead. It was the only explanation Lexie’s foggy mind could stumble on as the tapping grew louder and more frantic. She squeezed her eyes tighter and pressed a pillow over her face. However, the lack of oxygen and lingering taste of beer and tequila made her nauseous, so she removed the pillow and slowly pushed herself into a sitting position.
How much did I have to drink?
There were no nails or drills in sight. Someone was knocking at the apartment door, and sharp jolts went through Lexie’s head each time the person’s fist made contact with it. Judging by the force of the knocking, whoever it was had been there for a few minutes. Lexie thought the responsibility of answering the door belonged to Flora. No one in Vernon Hills would have any reason to visit her, especially since it was only—
Lexie had to do a double take at the clock. It was 11:00. Half the day had been wasted. Was Flora even home? Flora went to work at noon on Saturdays, and Lexie doubted a hangover would be a decent excuse to ask off.
Being a loyal friend, as Braedon had put it, Lexie dragged herself out of bed and down the hallway. She bumped into her apartment mate at the front door. Despite her sleepy eyes and weak smile, her friend looked like she had been up for a few hours and was prepared to leave for D.C. Flora unbolted the door.
The gloomy man from the café was waiting on the threshold. He looked, if possible, even more miserable than before. He spoke before Flora could say a word.
“It’s all over! The ownership papers are being signed today! The theatre will be torn down tomorrow! I got a call from Cesare Garland this morning. We never stood a chance at keeping it! Why I ever thought I could convince that man to use another location for his lab is a mystery. I’m not a hopeful person, so why was I so hopeful this time? And why so ambitious? I was Icarus soaring too high with wax wings not sturdy enough for such an aspiration.”
Flora gestured for him to enter. They went to the living room where the man collapsed in a chair and shook his head bitterly. “The deal will be signed!”
Flora’s mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She ran a hand through her hair, gripping the blond locks at the back of her head. She paced for a few moments before halting in front of him.
“The papers can’t be signed, Pierre,” Flora said finally. “Cesare Garland agreed to meet with you and the employed actors before anything was done. You said the meeting is tomorrow.”
“Things changed after some comments were made at the bar last night,” Pierre replied. “One of the wretched Leer women overheard someone repeating the old rumor about her sister trying to seduce that teenager. She also heard Johnny Flesh suggest having a play about the town council. Then the fool concocted some ribald song about Bella planning to slip into bed with Cesare.”
“Oh, God,” Flora murmured, pressing her palm against her forehead.
“That was all it took for him to change his mind. Appearance is everything to people. You should know that as an actress. Cesare felt that the comments were indirectly threatening him. He said he thought it would be best to do things quickly with as few people as possible.”
“But he made a deal to meet with the actors. He can’t just break that off.”
Pierre shook his head. “Alas, it was not a written and signed deal. He just made it in passing. Without written proof, there is no such deal. I don’t think there is anything I can do.”
Flora’s eyes shifted between Pierre and Lexie several times. “Don’t give up just yet. We might be able to do something if Lexie will agree to it.”
Lexie knew where this was going. “Did you forget our conversation yesterday!”
“No,” Flora answered, “and that’s why I think you visiting Cesare might work. He’ll be shocked to see you, and he owes you something after all he put you through senior year. I hate to use you like a bargaining chip, but I really think you can help the theatre.”
“Well, I don’t! I know Cesare. He won’t even agree to see me. He’s a billionaire with a million secretaries. They won’t let me through to see him. Flora, you told me I was just a footnote to Cesare, and that is the truth. I might make things worse!”
“If you can help us in even the slightest bit, we will appreciate it,” Pierre said softly, his eyes self-effacing. “The theatre is all I know, and I do not know what I will become without it. Please, will you help?”
Pierre looked so heartbroken. Before Lexie could process his request, her head was nodding.
Pierre left in slightly higher spirits after a private word with Flora. To avoid an argument about Cesare, Flora quickly explained that she immediately had to leave for work and suggested having dinner at the Rail View Restaurant. Lexie was left standing in the living room wondering what on earth she had done. Visiting Cesare Garland was a bad idea. She didn’t care what Flora and Pierre thought. Nothing good would come from it, and she would have an hour long drive to Benton Junction brood.
She took a long shower in an attempt to wash the doubt from her mind. It was still there when she was drying her hair and fixing her makeup. As she dug through her luggage for a decent outfit, Lexie admitted that the feeling of unease was not going anywhere soon. She was going to have to face Cesare with little hope of success.
I’m being honest, not pessimistic. Lexie told herself as she adjusted the sleeves of her burgundy shirt. When she was satisfied, Lexie grabbed her purse and left the apartment.
“Well, I’m sorry I ruined your plans to humiliate yourself and the family in front of the Roses!” A sarcastic voice and the pungent scent of coffee greeted Lexie as she descended into the Piazza Café.
A squat, plump woman, who Lexie recognized as Mrs. Terrace, was blocking the entrance to the café and glowering at her teenage daughter, Giulia. The girl had thick ringlets of black hair which were highlighted with a deep plum color.
“It was just a movie! How can watching a movie be humiliating?” shouted the girl. “Whatever is going on between the adults of our family and Theodore’s family has nothing to do with us! Does anyone even remember what the start of the stupid Terrace-Rose feud was about?”
Mrs. Terrace gave an angry chuckle. “You watched a movie until four in the morning, Giulia? The movie theatre closes at midnight.”
“You are impossible!” Giulia snapped softly. Her gaze shifted to the window. “Theo and I love each other.”
Her mother didn’t seem to hear her. “I’m sick of the lies. One day you’ll show up and say you didn’t have sex but you’re pregnant. Or will you be adult enough then to admit you’ve got a Rose bastard in there?”
Talk about family issues. Lexie cleared her throat and approached the counter. Mrs. Terrace and Giulia looked embarrassed.
“Can I have a tall iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso, please?” Lexie smiled at Giulia.
Mrs. Terrace took over the cash register as Giulia prepared her drink, chucking ice angrily into the plastic cup. “So, you like extra caffeine too. Flora always wants two or three shots. I don’t know how that girl functions in an office when she’s drugged up on so much caffeine. Are you enjoying Vernon Hills?”
Lexie nodded. “Flora took me to the Windsor Bar to meet her friends. I think I’ll like it here.”
“Perhaps you can give Giulia an account of what happened with the Rose boys last night,” Mrs. Terrace said loudly.
“Rose boys?” Lexie remembered the boys discussing a friend named Theodore last night.
“Yes,” she said. “Apparently, a group of them tried to sneak into the bar. Johnny Flesh was smart enough for once to call the police.
They’re all underage. When they got caught, they ran. Sheriff Cato—he’s my nephew—managed to catch up to one. The boy my daughter is in love with is a cousin of his.”
Giulia returned with the macchiato and a haughty expression. “Theo was not with them.”
“Of course not; he was with you.”
Lexie handed over the money, thanked Mrs. Terrace and Giulia, and hurried out. Another argument was starting. Lexie made a mental note to ask Flora what the Terrace-Rose feud was about. It was another interesting secret of Vernon Hills.
The sky was the color of a bruise. Rain drizzled down over Vernon Hills, and the dark clouds in the east threatened an approaching storm. Lexie hated driving in the rain and regretted leaving her umbrella boxed up in her room. Her car was parked in a small lot reserved for the residents who lived on Avon Road and Sutton Street.
People were hurrying inside, looking at the sky and muttering. The forecast had promised a nice day, but the weather changed its mind, ruining any outdoor plans. As Lexie thought about the task at hand, she decided a rainy day suited the mood better than a sunny one. Perhaps the rain would dampen Cesare’s arrogance.
Lexie came to a halt when she caught sight of the parking lot. The sheriff’s car, lights flashing, was blocking the entrance. A lanky boy with a buzz cut was arguing loudly with the sheriff. She recognized his voice as the one who had compared love to a will-o-the-wisp.
“Mark Cue, you should be happy that all you’re getting is a speeding ticket,” Sheriff Cato smirked. “I heard you were one of the kids trying to sneak into the bar last night.”
“Yeah, and how many people did you actually manage to arrest?” Mark snipped brazenly. “You never would have caught me today if my car hadn’t run out of gas. You and your cops are worthless pieces of—”
“Oh, stop the cussing! You’re big buddies with Theodore Rose. I’m sure his parents will give you money for the court costs. I don’t see why they let their son hang around you. Although, that family has always made stupid decisions. I guess money doesn’t correlate with intelligence.”
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