The Consequences Series Box Set

by Aleatha Romig

  Before they went out for their final night in Europe, Tony insisted they take some time to visit famous boutiques and shops on Rue du Rhône. Claire repeatedly told him she needed nothing. As if unable to hear or comprehend, he led her to an exclusive jewelry store. He wanted her to have something to remember their time, so he purchased a sparkling diamond watch. She wondered about a possible double meaning.

  After a nine-hour flight, they arrived home. She couldn’t remember being more tired. Their flight from Fiji was longer, yet they predominately rested in Fiji, or at least spent time horizontal. She felt like she had been literally sightseeing, walking, and hiking for the past seventeen days. Their dinner in New York seemed forever ago. Still, she knew it was not.

  Before they went to bed, Tony brought Claire a large stack of e-mails from his home office. She chose to not look at them. She’d do it tomorrow. They both collapsed into her bed. She thanked Tony repeatedly for the trip of a lifetime and the wonderful memories. She drifted into a dreamless sleep with her head resting on his shoulder, listening to his breathing.

  Though exhausted, his arm embraced the soft warm body that nestled against his side. Her steady breathing told him she was sleeping. Closing his eyes he could hear her voice thanking him for the memories. Inhaling the scent of her hair he recalled their unforgettable trip and marveled at the intense satisfaction blooming within his chest.

  Before he drifted off to sleep, Tony whispered, “I plan to go into the office tomorrow.”

  Stirring only slightly, Claire murmured, “All right, I’ll see you tomorrow evening. I plan to sleep through your alarm.”

  He smiled at her honesty as they both floated into blissful slumber.

  Chapter Forty-One

  It’s not a question of enough, pal. It’s a Zero Sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn’t lost or made, it’s simply transferred from one perception to another. Like magic.

  —Gordon Gekko, Wallstreet

  Anton stood silently outside the grand doors of his grandfather’s home office. Even though the double doors were tightly closed, he could hear the voices from the other side. His father insisted Anton be excluded from the conversation within. As far as Anton was concerned, that was ridiculous. Something big was happening, and it had to do with his name and the company he’d been told would be his. Samuel could shelter him from the discussion and knowledge of the business dealings, but Anton wasn’t ignorant. He could read a NYSE ticker. Rawls Corp. stock had plummeted from 79.8 to 56.4 at the close of trading. The news release proclaimed rumors of wrongdoings within the corporation. The four men within the office weren’t drinking beer and playing cards. This was deadly serious. It felt like everything was crashing down around them. Someone opened a dam and the water couldn’t be stopped.

  Inside the cherry-paneled, regal office, Nathaniel questioned Clawson. “You said no one would ever know. What the hell happened? Where did these allegations come from?”

  “Mr. Rawls, I don’t know. We’ve covered our tracks for almost ten years. You’ve made a bloody fortune. Maybe the feds got nervous because you were making too much profit.”

  “What the hell is that, too much profit?” Nathaniel couldn’t sit. He paced every inch of the plush carpet. “Have they investigated Trump or Gates? I’m nowhere close to those men.”

  “It doesn’t matter who else has been investigated.” Samuel tried to bring the men back to the task at hand. “What matters is that we get our ducks in a row and meet the investigation head-on.”

  Clawson gazed over to his assistant, Cole Mathews. Mathews was busy organizing stacks of paper and utilizing a shredder to reduce the paper overload. Clawson addressed both Rawls men. “Cole and I are making sure there is no evidence linking Rawls to any of the allegations.”

  “You said no one would know. Why is Mathews shredding papers? There shouldn’t be anything that needs to be shredded.” Nathaniel watched as Mathew’s green eyes briefly met his. He seemed to be working as fast as the shredder would allow.

  Samuel spoke above the grind of the shredder. “Instead of shredding, we need to be open to the investigation. Be honest, take our fines and penalties and move on.” He might as well have been talking to the walls. His father and Clawson were devising a strategy as Mathews shredded without pause.

  Cole Mathews entered their inner circle about two years ago. He didn’t talk much, but was a whiz at research. Tell him a stock or a company, and bingo, he would have more insider information than one would believe humanly possible. Suddenly, Nathaniel regretted not having Clawson and Mathews sign some kind of power of attorney or non-disclosure statement, a way to distance him from them.

  These two men helped make him mega-wealthy. At this moment, if possible he would hang them both out to dry to save himself and his family. Hell, Samuel wouldn’t even meet his eyes.

  Briefly, Nathaniel thought about the recent news. The space shuttle Challenger had blown up during takeoff. That was a damn shame. Just maybe that news would overshadow the unfortunate false allegations regarding Rawls Corp.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The sudden disappointment of a hope leaves a scar which the ultimate fulfillment of that hope never entirely removes.

  —Thomas Hardy

  On the day following their return, Claire woke late, relishing the large empty bed. After Cindy brought her coffee and food, she sat on her balcony, ate breakfast, and enjoyed the summer day, truly contented to be home. August in Iowa reminded her of Indiana, and even though the temperature and humidity continued to increase, the summer’s climax was rapidly approaching. Before long, the balminess would diminish and evidence of autumn would materialize.

  Claire intended to appreciate the remaining days of summer. She took the folder of e-mails to the pool. Knowing that Tony read them before delivering them, she decided to separate the ones she felt needed responses and expedite her evening request session. Eighteen days’ worth of e-mails took quite a bit of time. She started by removing the ones she didn’t intend to answer. Next, she reread the ones from acquaintances. What did they want? Could she help in any way? If not, they went into the Patricia, please respond pile. If she believed there was something she could do, she put them in a pile to discuss with Tony.

  Next, was the pile of friends and family. It was considerably smaller. Most of them knew she and Tony were out of the country. Most of her friends wanted to know about the trip and schedule get-togethers. Courtney wanted to do lunch as soon as Claire recovered from her traveling. MaryAnn’s e-mail apparently went to both Tony and Claire. She invited them to a movie premiere party at their home in Malibu in October. Claire checked her calendar. It was the weekend after the Red Cross silent auction. She added those to the “discuss with Tony” pile. The last few pages were from Emily. She definitely preferred sitting in the sun, drinking iced tea at her pool, in her bathing suit, and reading Emily’s e-mails to doing it under Tony’s glare.

  The first one was a note about their get-together. Emily and John enjoyed seeing them and thanked them for dinner. Apparently, John spoke to the waiter about paying the bill prior to their arrival, but somehow it never came to the table. This caused Claire to smile. She hadn’t noticed. Emily wished them a good time on their trip. She anxiously waited to hear all about it. The second came a week later. It began with: “I know you are still in Europe, but I wanted to tell you…” The firm set an arbitrary date of November 1. At that time, there would be a review of the associates’ production, hours billed, and fees recovered. She was optimistic about John’s final numbers. He spent every waking hour working. But cautiously, she said if he didn’t make the cut, it wasn’t the end. He would still be an associate and considered for partnership during the next review process. She asked Claire to call when she got home. The third e-mail was dated yesterday. It began, “Are you home yet?” She asked multiple questions about their trip and talked about her impending school year. Apparently, the economic state of the country was affecting the finances
of her school as well as others everywhere. Even though she worked for a private school system there were severe budget cuts which would affect her classroom directly. It made Claire wonder if she could use some of her capital to make a donation. She decided to put these in the Tony pile. She wanted to call and perhaps pursue the donation.

  Lunch arrived at the pool. Settling into the lounge chair, with a book that made the trip to and from Europe but never opened, Claire was filled with comfort, peace, and contentment. She was home. Jet lag settled in and soon she fell into a deep sleep, sleeping through most of the afternoon. Catherine woke her at 4:00 PM and she went to her suite to prepare for Tony. At 5:00 PM, Catherine informed her that they would dine on the back patio, Her life’s routine had resumed.

  August faded into September, and before she knew it October knocked on the door. Claire and Courtney were very busy finalizing their efforts for the silent auction. The donations, facility, caterers, and wine distributors all confirmed; the guest list approved and invitations mailed. Excited about the impending event, Claire felt it was her debut to the philanthropic world. Tony not only participated in this world, he excelled. She wanted Mrs. Anthony Rawlings to be equally synonymous with charity as Mr. Anthony Rawlings. It was the first time Claire informed Tony they would be attending an event. He smiled and told her he would check their calendar.

  During the auction planning her hostess duties didn’t cease. Various dinners occurred at various locations. They also attended functions and events together. Her biggest decisions involved wardrobe and hairstyle, and often those choices were made for her. That made the Red Cross function all the more important to Claire. She knew she had more to offer.

  Not long before the auction, Tony and Claire attended a forum in Chicago where Tony was the keynote speaker. He was asked to give a speech about success. The theme of the conference was “Risk versus Failure in the World of Business.” He never practiced his speeches or ran ideas by her. So, as Claire sat next to her husband at the head table and he addressed the audience, his words were new to her, too.

  When she first met him, really met him, she didn’t like the business Tony. He was the one who used to visit her suite; always professionally dressed, impersonal, methodical, detached, and other adjectives not as complimentary, but now she enjoyed watching and being beside Anthony Rawlings esteemed businessman, while he shined in his element. He radiated an aura that said: I am successful. By some, it might have been perceived as conceit. Claire probably thought of it that way at one time, but now she found it attractive. In the past, she disliked or hated his ingrained confidence and authority, but now she could look at it differently. It was sexy. Watching and listening to him, she comprehended the importance of her role.

  Many times following the dinner and speech, the organizers would schedule a question-and-answer symposium. These were informal, with various people approaching Tony and asking him questions. Many of the attendees were young entrepreneurs looking for advice. According to Shelly, Tony’s participation was essential for public relations. According to Tony, his participation was hell. Claire’s duty included politely interrupting participants, so he could move on to the next and eventually leave.

  During these Q & A sessions, multiple people approached Tony. Claire tried to appear attentive, yet unobtrusive, until it was time for her to interrupt. Honestly, she didn’t pay attention to the individuals. They blended together in her mind. During this particular conference, a question came from one of the participants which caught them both off guard. A man, younger than Tony, closer to Claire’s age, dressed in an expensive suit approached Tony.

  “Hello, Mr. Rawlings. I’m pleased to meet you. Your speech was remarkable and inspiring.” Tony shook his hand and politely thanked him, and then the blond man with big soft blue eyes continued, somewhat timidly, “I have an unusual request. May I speak with your wife for a few minutes?”

  Claire hadn’t looked at the man until that moment. She was gazing into the crowd. His words made her turn, first to Tony, seeing his surprised expression, and then to the man. Her mask momentarily shattered. She recognized him immediately and suddenly wondered why she hadn’t recognized his voice. The mayhem in her head tied her tongue until Tony’s eyes brought her back to reality. Placing her hand gently on Tony’s arm, she hesitantly spoke, trying desperately for a sturdier voice.

  “Oh my.” “Anthony.” “Simon.” Tony watched as she stuttered through introductions. “Anthony, may I introduce Simon Johnson. Simon and I were students together at Valparaiso, a million years ago.” Her speech flowed too rapidly. “Simon, may I introduce my husband, Anthony Rawlings.”

  The two men locked eyes and shook hands again. Tony was polite. Claire watched his eyes, as if a switch had been flipped from light to dark. Turning to Claire, he responded, “I believe that’s Mrs. Rawlings’ decision.”

  There were other people waiting to speak with Tony. Claire excused Simon and herself, allowing Tony to speak to the others. She and Simon walked away. As they walked, Simon absentmindedly put his hand in the small of her back. She immediately stepped away from his touch. They sat at an empty table.

  Simon spoke softly. “Claire, I apologize if I’ve put you in a difficult position. It’s just that I have wanted to speak to you for a long time.”

  “Like eight years?” Even she was surprised by her unfriendly tone.

  “This is the third event I’ve attended where you and Mr. Rawlings have been present. I finally summoned the nerve to speak to you.”

  Remembering a previous reunion, she said, “First, Simon, tell me you’re not a reporter or talking to me for a publication of any kind.”

  His blue eyes looked startled and then softened. “No, Claire, I just want to talk to you. It must be difficult not knowing who you can trust.”

  She breathed easier. “It is. I’ve made a few mistakes I don’t plan to repeat.”

  “It’s a mistake I made that I want to talk to you about, too.”

  She looked at him. He hadn’t changed since their freshman year of college, but alas he had. He was older, more mature, and more confident. His blond hair still needed trimming and his gleaming eyes were still as bright. She couldn’t forget the passion she’d witnessed in those eyes.

  “I’ve seen your picture so many places recently. I felt that I needed to talk to you at least once and explain what happened during the summer of ‘03.”

  They met at Valparaiso their freshman year. Simon’s major was computer programming while Claire’s was meteorology. Living in the same dorm, they ran into one another often. Their mutual attraction blossomed into young infatuation and rapidly into romance. They were each other’s first love. The new, unfamiliar emotions overwhelmed them both. Simon proposed to Claire daily. She had other plans for her life, plans of a career and national success which didn’t include marriage. During the summer they visited each other’s hometowns, met the families, and did all the things young lovers do. Claire’s mother commented how plans can always be modified. She liked Simon. Their sophomore year was to include Greek life, parties, studying, and time together, but somewhere between meeting the family and classes resuming, Simon disappeared. He called a few times, wrote a few letters, and vanished. Claire knew college had been a financial strain on his family. That was why when out of the blue, during the summer, Simon had received an offer for a dream internship and he had, had to accept. An opportunity like that was unheard of for a sophomore. His computer talents exceeded many of the older students. The internship was in California, and he couldn’t miss the opportunity. It was supposed to be just one semester. She waited for him to return. He didn’t. Their correspondences became less frequent and then nonexistent.

  She moved on. Forgetting him wasn’t possible, but successfully compartmentalizing him was. Over the years, life’s challenges and routines filled her consciousness. Only sometimes in unconsciousness did he return.

  “That isn’t necessary. We have both moved on with our lives.” Claire
began to rise. “It was nice to see you.”

  He touched her hand gently. “Please, Claire, I need to tell you.” She sat timidly. “Do you remember that I went to California?” She nodded. “At first, it was an internship, but then they offered me a job. I’m not sure you remember, but college was difficult for my parents to afford, and the offer was too good to pass. I wanted to go back and finish my degree, but there I was, twenty years old, being offered my dream job.”

  Claire remembered the letter she received saying he wouldn’t be returning from California. It broke her heart. She wanted to join him, but he didn’t ask. “I’m glad it worked for you. Are you still living in California?”

  “Yes, I am, and the company I went to work for interestingly is a subsidiary of Rawlings Industries.”

  Claire’s heart started to race. If Tony knew, Simon would lose his job. She saw the darkness, she wanted to protect him. “Are you still there?”

  “No.” She sighed with relief. “I was with them for over five years, but I left long before you met your husband. I read the article in Vanity Fair.” She smiled. “I have my own company now.”

  “That’s great. I hope you’re happy.”

  “With business, I am. I should thank Mr. Rawlings. The start I received from his company made a big impact. Today I create some of the games people play on their phones. I’m doing well.”

  “I’m truly happy for you.” She glanced nervously back at Tony. “I do need to get back to Tony.”

  “My mother has been keeping up on you, relaying information to me. She liked you a lot.”

  “I liked your mom, too. Please, tell her I said hello and to not believe everything she reads.” Claire’s eyes saddened with memories.

  “Before you go, I wanted to let you know, even now with my success, I regret not coming back for you.” Claire didn’t speak, she couldn’t. “I thought about it constantly, but the job required a lot of travel. I was in China when your parents died. If I had been stateside, I would have been there for you. I just had to tell you, I didn’t leave you because of anything you did or said. Claire, you have remained perfect in my memories. I wish things had been different.” She felt a rush of sadness at what may have been; nonetheless, Simon continued, “I even followed your career. I knew you were in Albany and then in Atlanta. I remembered you wanted a career. I thought maybe after you achieved success we could try again.” Claire looked at the table. This was making her uneasy. She needed to go back to Tony. “But I want you to know I’m happy for you, and I’m happy you’re happily married.”