The Consequences Series Box Set

by Aleatha Romig

  “So my intuitions aren’t unwarranted?” Claire shook her head, and Courtney spoke softly. “Claire, are you all right?”

  “Courtney, I think we need to go back to your SUV. I’m uncomfortable having this conversation, and I’m definitely uncomfortable having it in a public place.”

  They stood, put on their warm coats, gathered their purses, and walked to Courtney’s SUV. The break in the conversation and fresh cool air gave Claire time to regroup. Alarms sounded in her head. If she chose to continue this discussion she’d be breaking rules: number one, do as you’re told. She’d been told on multiple occasions the importance of appearances and not divulging private information. This was her first time out alone as Mrs. Anthony Rawlings. If she wanted to be involved with the Red Cross and wanted more freedoms, breaking rules would not facilitate those goals. They walked to the car in silence.

  Sitting in the passenger seat, Claire buckled her seat belt and straightened her posture. She knew what she would say. “Courtney, thank you for your support. You’re right. I’ve been overwhelmed by the responsibility of becoming Tony’s wife. He’s been supportive and understanding and is helping me recognize the significance of and the obligations accompanying that title. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re willing to help me, too.”

  Courtney understood. Claire had just ended the conversation. “I’m glad you’re feeling better about it. Just know that sometimes women pick up on things men don’t, even very observant men. I hope it’ll help you to know I’m quite perceptive, and I’m here for you whenever you need me.”

  Claire thanked her again and asked her a question about the Red Cross. While driving, Courtney asked if Claire and Tony had special plans for Tony’s birthday, this weekend. Claire was taken aback. She didn’t know it was her husband’s birthday; however, he hadn’t known it was her birthday either.

  “I don’t believe we do. Tony seems to be very low-key about birthdays.”

  Courtney declared it was settled, they would do something together. She told Claire about a bar in Rock Island with live music, good food, and a fun atmosphere. Courtney thought it would be good for all of them. Claire promised to discuss it with Tony and let her know. They debated the best day; Tony’s birthday was on Saturday. Either Friday or Saturday would work for the Simmons. When Claire got out of the car she invited Courtney inside. Courtney declined.

  Claire leaned over and hugged her. “Thank you for everything.” She looked directly into Courtney’s caring blue eyes. “I’m looking forward to helping you and you helping me.” She grabbed her Prada handbag and the charity information.

  Catherine let her know Mr. Rawlings would be home for dinner in her suite at 7:00 PM. Suite meant casual, but Claire decided she wanted to make the night special. She wanted him to know how grateful she was for the small freedom. She also knew she’d experienced an excellent opportunity to upset him and avoided it. She wouldn’t share that information, but in her mind it gave them more reason for celebration.

  Tony was pleasantly surprised by Claire’s appreciation and enthusiasm. When she showed him the schedule of committee meetings he said it would be a week-by-week decision. Circumstances can change; however, he didn’t anticipate any glitches. She didn’t either.

  During dinner she mentioned, “I learned a secret about you today.”

  “I wasn’t aware I had any secrets from you.”

  Claire smiled. “I learned Saturday is your birthday.”

  His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched. “I thought since I missed your special day, we could miss mine.”

  “Well, Courtney thinks we should all go to the Rock Island Brew Company.”

  “I know the place. I’ve been there.”

  Claire waited for him to agree to the celebration. Finally, she asked, “I promised Courtney I’d get back to her about it. Would you like to go Friday night or Saturday night?” His agitated expression made her uncomfortable. She realized this was a subject he didn’t want to continue. “Or, would you rather I told her we’ll celebrate on our own?”

  “I will think about it and get back to Courtney.” The discussion was done, and Claire didn’t know their plans.

  The next evening Claire sat surrounded by papers when Tony entered her suite. Dressed and ready for dinner, she was completely absorbed in the financial information of the Iowa Red Cross. He looked at her mess and placed two large leather-bound photo albums on top of her papers. Claire looked at the albums and then at her husband. “Good evening. What are these?”

  He bent to kiss her and the tips of his lips moved upward. “They’re proofs of the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.” Quickly, forgetting the mounds of paper, she began looking through the albums. The only pictures she’d seen were the ones on New Year’s Eve. The first album began with pre-wedding poses. The estate, the men, the women, everything and everyone looked beautiful. Then ones of Claire and John prior to walking down the aisle. Tony watched as she turned each page; she was afraid to linger on the photos of John and Emily. She would look at them later. The next, were a series of Claire approaching Tony and him waiting. She had to admit she looked beautiful. Tony added adjectives: stunning, amazing, gorgeous, and striking. They both appeared to be brimming with love and adoration. There were photos from multiple directions: some very artsy.

  Their food arrived and they still had a full album to view. After dinner they spent the entire evening on the sofa in front of the fire, going over and over each photo. They talked about the people, decorations, and ceremony. There were numerous posed photos of the two of them in the grand hall and at the base of the stairs. She laughed at ones where the photographer put her up a few steps, trying to make her taller. “You know, if you’d married one of those models you dated they wouldn’t have had to do that.”

  He kissed her tenderly and gazed at her with soft brown eyes. “I didn’t want to marry any of those women. I’ve never wanted to marry anyone but you.” He could melt her heart so easily.

  The next photos were of the reception. They both agreed the guests seemed to enjoy themselves. Then pictures of them dancing. Claire remembered her overwhelming desire as Tony directed her around the floor. “I love watching your eyes sparkle as you look at these photos.” She told him how much she enjoyed their reception, especially the dancing. “Well, it won’t be the same, but we can try to relive that dancing on Saturday for my birthday.”

  Claire smiled. They were going to celebrate. “I don’t know how I can possibly choose which pictures I like best.”

  “Then don’t choose. You can have them all.” Placing one arm around her and flipping the pages back, and added, “This one of you on the stairs, with your gown all around you, I want that one. I want it enlarged over the grand fireplace in the sitting room.”

  Claire wrinkled her nose. “That’s silly. I don’t want to see me great-big every day.”

  “I don’t care. I do, and I will. Actually, I think I’ll contract an artist to paint it.” He leaned back and smiled. Claire just shook her head. Stopping him from doing something he wanted to do was beyond her ability.

  Next, she saw the family photo of her, Tony, and the Vandersols. “Tony, can we have copies of some of these made for Emily and sent to them?” She only said Emily on purpose, but the them should have been her.

  He sighed. “Yes, that can be done.”

  Claire knew she should drop the subject, but sometimes she couldn’t stop herself. “Has Emily tried to contact me anymore?”

  “Yes.”

  Claire didn’t reply. He knew what she wanted. If she persisted it would be arguing or pleading. If he changed his mind, he would let her know. Besides, they were having a nice evening with the wedding pictures. She directed the conversation back to the album. “Look at this picture of MaryAnn and Eli. They were hilarious!” The Vandersol conversation ended.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Trust not too much to appearance

  —Virgil

  The birthday was a s
uccess. Tony and Brent joked that with late-night partying they shouldn’t drive an hour home, so everyone rode together in the limousine. The Brew Company was vibrant with music resonating from multiple sections of the large warehouse style building. The main stage had a Tribute to Jazz performance. Courtney reserved a premium table and told the restaurant they were celebrating a birthday. The people at The Brew Company didn’t know his name, only that Tony was the guest of honor. Claire, Courtney, and Brent laughed as the singer acknowledged him with a rendition of Hey Big Spender and wrapped him in her feather boa. Watching Tony’s tolerance, Claire decided she could learn a lot from Courtney. He seemed to accept things from her Claire wouldn’t dare to attempt.

  A week later, Tony invited Claire to Chicago for two nights. Even though she needed to cancel a committee meeting, she wanted to go. It was even her idea to go to the spa and lighten her dark roots. Brent and David Field, whom Claire met what seemed like a lifetime ago on her first trip to New York, were with them as they flew to Chicago. Claire sat on the sofa while the three men discussed their impending meetings. To pass the time, she looked through her purse and was pleased to have her new ID and credit card. Claire didn’t care about their money, but shopping was one of the few pass times Tony granted without hesitation.

  Her old driver’s license was a Georgia issued ID. She thought it was interesting to see the difference in different states licenses. She soon realized the variances didn’t stop with the issuing state. The new one contained her name: Claire Rawlings, and printed at the top was VALID IDENTIFICATION. Her Georgia ID had said VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE. She hadn’t noticed it before. It wasn’t something she should bring up with Brent and David present but decided it was worth discussing when they were alone.

  Claire spent the afternoon at the spa lightening her hair and receiving a manicure and pedicure. When she arrived back at the apartment, Charles informed Mrs. Rawlings, Mr. Rawlings would be detained until after 9:00 PM. He could happily serve her dinner at a more appropriate hour. She declined. “Thank you, Charles. I’ll wait for Mr. Rawlings.”

  While dining, Claire sensed Tony multitasking. He was eating and conversing with her, but his mind was elsewhere with Brent and David on some big deal. He talked about the next evening. Hopefully, they would be able to go out to dinner and perhaps to a show. It all depended on his meetings. Claire said it sounded great, but she understood if his work went late. She planned to spend the entire day shopping and knew they were scheduled to go home on Thursday.

  As Claire contemplated the best way to bring up her question, Tony did it for her. “You’re going shopping tomorrow? Did you see your new ID and credit card? They should be in your wallet.”

  “I did, and I was wondering why my new ID isn’t a driver’s license?”

  Tony momentarily stopped eating and looked at Claire as if she’d asked why is the sky blue or why do birds fly? It seemed as though the only word missing from his next sentence was Duh. “Because you don’t drive.” His tone wasn’t cruel, perhaps cold.

  She thought carefully about her response. “I haven’t driven since I’ve been with you, but I used to drive and enjoyed it.”

  “You now have access to a driver. You didn’t before. Correct?”

  “Correct. However, you have a driver and you still drive. The Simmons’ have a driver and Courtney drives.”

  Tony’s annoyance with this conversation came through loud and clear, his words were flat with restraint. “Claire, this is a ridiculous conversation. You have a driver or you’re with me. You have no need to drive.”

  “Tony, you are obviously busy with work. We can discuss this later.”

  Throughout the past year there were numerous instances when Tony purposely baited Claire. He liked to observe her reactions. Initially, it was done maliciously. It intrigued him to see how far he could push. Lately, it had become a private game. He found her self-control and resilience incredibly sexy. The restraint she demonstrated to refrain from arguing, when clearly her body language screamed fight, was stimulating.

  This evening Tony was not playing a game. His mind was set. Claire would not be driving. The fact they were even discussing the subject seemed absurd. “Let me help you. It has been a long day and this discussion is over. It does not need to be revisited.”

  She thought about saying, “Fine, I’m going to bed.”

  Before she could, he continued, “I would offer you the opportunity to decide on your own if it is worth continuing, but I have decided not to take that risk. It isn’t.”

  Her chest expanded and contracted as she released a sigh. Looking at her husband, she kept her lips together and remained silent. He watched her neck stiffen and eyes flash. He waited. After a prolonged silence, confident of her compliance, he continued, “Now, tell me about your day at the spa.”

  Claire did her best to feign enthusiasm and replied, “It was very nice. They always do a great job and make me feel special.” Thinking: as opposed to how I’m feeling right now.

  A wall of glass extended from ceiling to floor behind Tony. Through the night sky, Claire saw the head and tail lights of vehicles moving around the windy city. Somewhere deep in her soul she wondered will I ever drive, again?

  Chicago was uneventful. She shopped without accidentally providing an interview. They dined at a steak house not far from the Tower and went to the Cadillac Palace Theater for Les Miserables. Claire saw the same musical many years ago from the nosebleed section. It was one of her favorite live shows, a winner of seven Tony Awards, she didn’t mind seeing it again. It amazed her they could get such exceptional seats. The night before Tony didn’t know if they would be attending a show. Les Miserables had been sold out for months, yet they were seated in a premium box enjoying the outstanding performance.

  Apparently, Tony’s dealings were successful because they and Brent were able to go back to Iowa as planned. David stayed behind to finalize some contracts. Reading her book, Claire observed Tony with Brent, sensing a difference from the accustomed friendly casual interaction. Watching and listening to them discuss business issues reminded her of Courtney’s comment: he can drive Brent crazy sometimes. She hadn’t seen it before, but understood it now.

  Tony’s repertoire of personalities included an overpowering domineering force which apparently was reserved for those closest to him. Claire had plenty of personal experience with this personality, but she’d never had the opportunity to observe it directed at someone else. Today she witnessed Tony’s manipulative rule being unleashed on Brent. It wasn’t pretty. She understood how Brent could relay things to Courtney, because that’s what real couples did, and Courtney could hate and love Tony at the same time. Pretending to be absorbed in her book, Claire didn’t want to be included in the conversation, or for her presence to make Brent uncomfortable. It obviously wasn’t affecting Tony.

  The last week of February, Claire and Tony prepared for an interview with Vanity Fair Magazine. Shelly, Tony’s publicist, made a point to come to their house and explain to Claire that this interview was important to Mr. Rawlings’s public relations. There were many speculations in the media about the two of them, their fast wedding, and lack of prenuptial agreement. This would be their way to shape and control the information. Claire thought it was a nice gesture. Truthfully, if Tony told her to do the interview, she would do it. What surprised Claire was the extent of planning and preparation which went into it.

  Shelly agreed to Vanity Fair because of their willingness to work openly. They gave her a list of questions. She deleted, added, and tweaked them until both parties were satisfied. Then Tony and Claire were given the questions and time to work on their spontaneous answers. Next, with Shelly’s assistance, they practiced and modified their answers. She arranged for cosmetologists, beauticians, and clothing designers to assist them before the photo shoot. Shelly promised to be present throughout the entire interview and photo session. She would step in and stop any unapproved questions. This was better than Mr. or Mrs. R
awlings refusing to answer a question or appearing unaccommodating. The article would then be reviewed and approved prior to publication.

  Claire thought the whole thing was hilarious. Did all people go through this before an interview? There was a time in her life when she read a celebrity interview and assumed it was as it appeared. Being Mrs. Rawlings continued to teach her so much.

  The day of the interview finally arrived. The people who came to make Claire and Tony beautiful arrived early, before 7:30 AM. By the time Shelly arrived they both looked like models. Just another day sitting around the house! Claire thought as she looked in the mirror at her professional make-up and styled hair.

  Catherine assumed the challenge of the house. It sparkled. Even the weather received the perfection memo. Not realizing it was late February, the sun shone through a sapphire blue sky, and a fresh layer of snow blanketed the gray dingy ground, adding luster to the outdoors.

  Anne Robinson, the reporter from Vanity Fair, arrived promptly at 9:00 AM accompanied by a photography crew. The Rawlings were only introduced to the lead photographer, Shaun Stivert. The plan commenced with photos first, while Claire and Tony looked fresh and beautiful. Then they progressed to the interview. The whole process was more work than Claire imagined.

  Shelly was true to her word and omnipresent. She didn’t hesitate to say, “No, I think this would be better,” or, “We went over this. You know that won’t be discussed today.” Claire studied her lines well, knowing what to say and how to say it. Tony practiced too. Claire thought they both sounded sincere and spontaneous. The Vanity Fair crew finally left after 1:00 PM with Shelly not far behind. Before she left, she said, “I think that went very well. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an approved copy.”