Helios Renewed

by Tawa M. Witko

  “I was so angry. I don’t like getting that way.”

  “I was angry, too,” Madison said, squeezing him tighter. “We released that anger earlier, tonight we make love.”

  Andrew smiled and lifted her head up. “You got it, baby.”

  They hesitantly pulled away from each other and walked toward the formal dining room, swinging their hands between them. Andrew decided that maybe the night wouldn’t be so bad after all. In fact, it might be good. Maybe Jacqueline would see that he loved Madison and that he was worthy of her. As they stepped into the dining room, Andrew was completely blown away. Now he understood where Madison got her sense of showmanship when it came to entertaining. The table was stylishly set with fine china, crystal stemware and elegant silverware on cloth napkins. A bottle of wine was chilling in an ice bucket while a roast with all the fixings was in the center of the table.

  “That smells fantastic.”

  Jacqueline smiled. “Sit; let’s eat before it gets cold.”

  Jacqueline motioned for Andrew to carve the roast. He looked at Madison for a moment and then picked up the knife. He remembered their first Thanksgiving and how he had struggled to carve a turkey. He felt proud that this time he did it effortlessly. When he glanced at Jacqueline, she was grinning and he knew that he had done it perfectly. She nodded at him, indicating he should get his plate together.

  “Madison, how’s Grans?” Jacqueline asked as Andrew loaded up on food.

  “She’s good. Mad that the Dodgers traded someone she liked. She rambled on about it being a bad move so close to Spring Training.”

  “That sounds like mom.”

  “You should come out some time. I’m sure she’d love to see you,” Madison stated as she started getting her food.

  “Yes, I’m sure she would,” Jacqueline answered in almost a laugh.

  “She would,” Madison said as she began eating.

  “Andrew, what do you think of my mother?”

  Andrew swallowed, unsure why she would ask that. “I like Grans. She’s been very kind to me.”

  Jacqueline watched him uncomfortably for a moment, “Well, that surprises me considering how much she disliked Madison’s father.”

  “How’s work?” Madison asked, trying to change the topic.

  Jacqueline smiled. “It’s great! I actually just made a huge sale earlier today.”

  “That’s wonderful, Mom. So where are you going with the commission?”

  For as long as Madison could remember, anytime her mother got a huge commission, she would travel somewhere. She had been to many places, usually overseas as she couldn’t see why anyone would want to travel in the United States. That was common, something you could see anytime, but to travel to Europe or Asia was something special in Jacqueline’s eyes.

  “I’m not sure,” she answered, taking a sip of her wine. “I’m thinking about Greece.”

  “Really? I hear it's beautiful.”

  “That’s what I hear as well. Of course, the great thing about the sale though is not necessarily the commission,” she said coyly.

  Madison gave her a questioning look before she took another bite of her roast. When her mother didn’t elaborate, Madison looked up at her. She saw that Jacqueline was grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland so she knew that something was up.

  “Well, what then? Did you sell it to someone famous?” Madison asked curiously. Her mother had once boasted that she had sold a place to Derek Jeter before.

  “I guess you could say that.”

  Madison took a sip of her wine and rolled her eyes. “Well, now you have to spill. I know you want to because you’re acting all coy.”

  Jacqueline took another sip of wine and placed her glass down. “I almost don’t want to tell you, now that I think about it.”

  “Mom, honestly, what the hell are you talking about? Why would I care who you sold a house to in New York?”

  Jacqueline cocked her brow and shrugged before she began speaking again. “Well, it was James Bowers. You know, the senator from back home.”

  Madison nearly spit her drink out while Andrew stopped moving his fork mid-motion. Why would Senator Bowers buy a house in New York, and, more importantly, why was he in town right now? Andrew thought as a feeling of unease crept through him. Senator Bowers being around couldn’t possibly be a good thing.

  “How did that happen?” Madison asked, unconvinced this was a mere coincident.

  Jacqueline shrugged again before taking a bite of food. Madison stared at her incredulously until Jacqueline set her fork down. “It’s simple, Madison. He said he spends a great deal of time on the East Coast and wanted an investment property here. A lot of people do that.”

  Madison glared at her mother; the anger was already creeping to the surface and boiling like a pot about to spill over.

  “He specifically asked for me,” she added with a smile.

  “Why?”

  “Uhhh, because I’m good!”

  “Mom, that’s not what I meant. Don’t you find it odd that he suddenly wants a place in New York and he just so happens to come to my mother’s agency and asks for her? That’s a lot of coincidences, don’t you think?”

  “Why are you angry? There’s nothing nefarious about a man buying another home.”

  “There is when it involves THAT man!” Madison stated, incensed.

  “You’re being unreasonable, Madison.”

  “How could you even be in the same room with him after what he did to you?”

  Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. “Madison, don’t you dare bring up something you know nothing about. I told you already, he didn’t do anything.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “I’m not talking about this,” Jacqueline said and waved her hand to silence her daughter. “Besides, that’s not the point of why I brought it up.”

  Madison narrowed her eyes. “And what exactly was the point?”

  “He wanted to apologize.”

  Madison snorted. “Apologize? That man doesn’t apologize!”

  “Well he did. He feels horrible for what happened between Jimmy and you. He hoped that I held no ill regards toward him because of it. He was also hoping that you would one day forgive his son for the mistakes he made.”

  “Mistakes!” Madison yelled. She pushed away from the table and stood. “He tried to rape me, Mom. Just like his dear old dad tried to do to you. Something you keep dismissing. What? It’s okay because he was a good looking guy? Because he came from money, he could do whatever he wanted? Because you sold him a house so he’s okay?”

  “Don’t talk to me that way, Madison.”

  Madison started to shout something else but Andrew touched her hand and she sat down again. She gazed at her food, determined not to look at her mother. At the moment, she wanted to crawl over the table and smack her mother upside the head, knock some sense into her, or maybe just knock her into next week. But she knew that Andrew would never allow her to do something like that.

  “What would you have me do, Madison? Tell one of the most powerful politicians to get lost because of something his kid did?” Madison finally looked up and eyed her. “Well, I’m sorry, but that was never going to happen.”

  “This has to be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

  “Madison,” Andrew said squeezing her hand.

  Madison closed her eyes, trying to calm down. She knew she needed to get her emotions in check but she was having a difficult time doing that. She couldn’t believe how ridiculous and dumb her mother was being. She blew out a breath, and just as she was about to apologize for yelling at her, her mother opened her mouth and spoke again.

  “As opposed to what, Madison, you agreeing to marry someone who has nothing to offer you? Personally, I think THAT’S the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

  Madison’s eyes shot open. “Don’t you ever talk about Andrew like that!”

  Both women stared at one another, neither budging. Madison w
as filled with nothing but loathing. It wasn’t possible that they were from the same genetic pool. She had sincerely thought that her mother had changed. That she was starting to accept Andrew and then she threw that comment out, ensuring that Madison knew that she hadn’t. She wanted to leave. She couldn’t stand being in the same room as her. Maybe she never would. Suddenly, she felt Andrew’s soft breath against her ear.

  “Baby, it doesn’t matter what she thinks. I love you,” he whispered intently as Madison closed her eyes. “You are everything to me. You’re my life. The only thing that matters is you and I, and we don’t let anyone dictate what we do with our lives.” Madison felt his hand moving along her back tenderly. “Only us, baby. Together...” He let the word linger as he placed a kiss on her earlobe. “Now eat so we can get the hell out of here. I want to make love to you all night.”

  Madison breathed out deeply as he smiled against her ear. The promise in his words excited her. She was still angry at her mom, and as she saw her sitting across the table, she remembered what she said. She recognized that not only did her mother not know Andrew one bit, she didn’t appear to know her daughter either.

  They ate in silence. The tension that was now in the air was thicker than the smog hovering over Los Angeles. It was so dense that it made it difficult to enjoy the meal. Andrew wanted to head out already. It was his natural instinct, but, for whatever reason, he couldn’t do it. Partly because he didn’t want to give Jacqueline the satisfaction of thinking she got to him, got to Madison, and partly because he didn’t want to be the reason Madison and her mother’s relationship was so strained.

  “I’m sorry,” Jacqueline finally said, exasperated.

  Madison couldn’t believe it. Her mother never said sorry for anything. Madison’s face softened as her shoulders relaxed. She kept hearing her Grans voice in her head telling her to give her mom a chance, to not fight with her so much. That was always difficult for Madison as her mother was just as stubborn as she was.

  “So am I,” Madison finally said.

  Madison gave her mother a small smile, which was returned. It was always so much easier to stay angry at her, to hate her for everything, but it might be time to lighten up and to have some kind of peace with her. Madison watched as Jacqueline turned to Andrew.

  “You know that I’ve had my reservations about you,” she began. Andrew sighed and nodded just slightly. “But that doesn’t warrant what I just did. You didn’t deserve that. It’s obvious that the two of you love one another. It’s just that...” Jacqueline paused.

  “Go ahead, Mrs. Ellis,” Andrew stated to the surprise of Madison.

  “I had a lot of hopes and dreams for Madison. There were a lot of things she talked about doing. And I’m not saying she can’t do those things with you, but, truthfully, one of my biggest concerns is that she’ll lose out on opportunities that may come her way. This is something that has already happened. She was, after all, forced to move out of her nice home because of you and, in turn, gave up a wonderful job that paid very well.”

  Andrew winced and Madison quickly cut in. “That was the past, Mom. He’s a free man now. He owns his own business. A business that is very successful, I might add. And he treats me better than any man I’ve ever been with. I don’t need more than anything he could offer me.” Madison raised her hand. “He drew this. Every piece is symbolic. It tells our story. You tell me what kind of man does that?”

  Jacqueline let out a soft sigh.

  “A man in love, that’s what kind, Mom. That is more than enough for me. I’ve never been happier.”

  “Okay, you’re right,” Jacqueline nodded and then took a deep and cleansing breath. “Now tell me why you’re in New York,” she asked, taking a bite of food, wanting to get off the topic of Andrew.

  “I can’t really talk about it because it’s an open investigation.”

  “What do you mean?” Jacqueline stopped eating, suddenly very concerned.

  “Turner and Crawford are being investigated and it relates to a client I very briefly worked with so my name is attached as well.”

  “Have you talked to an attorney?”

  “Yes, in California, but not one out here. He gave me the names of three attorneys that he wants me to call.”

  Jacqueline stared at her for a long moment, weighing her words carefully. “Madison, did you do anything illegal?”

  “NO! Of course not. Jesus, Mom.”

  “I didn’t think so but I had to ask.”

  “It’s a huge misunderstanding that I’m sure will be straightened out before I have to appear before the Grand Jury.”

  “Madison! What on earth are they accusing you of?”

  Madison shook her head and looked at her food. Andrew watched her and then looked over at her mother.

  “Someone in Madison’s old office did something illegal and they are doing their best to make it look like Madison was a part of it as well.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “I don’t have the answer to that but I aim to find out,” he answered determinedly.

  “Andrew,” Madison started to say but was cut off.

  “No, Madison. I won’t stand by and let them railroad you.”

  “Madison, you cannot stick your head in the sand. I expect you to contact all three of the attorneys tomorrow.” She turned to Andrew. “You make sure of it.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Andrew replied in shock that Madison’s mom was actually on his side.

  She turned back to her daughter and changed the subject abruptly. “Now, tell me about California. What’s your home like? How’s your new job?”

  Madison smiled, glad for the change of topic and the normalcy of the current conversation. They spent the next hour talking about everything under the sun, everything except Turner and Crawford, Senators Martine and Bowers, and Grand Juries. The tales were full of laughter and fun, and, for the first time, Madison felt as if her mother was a part of her life versus dictating it. A heaviness she didn’t realize she was carrying was being lifted off. She was thankful that Andrew had prevented her from storming off like she typically would have because if she had she would not have had the opportunity to experience what she was right now.

  “Call me after you meet with the lawyers,” Jacqueline said at the door. “I will do some checking tonight and line up a few more in case one of those three doesn’t work out.”

  “Okay, Mom,” Madison said with an eye roll before hugging her.

  Jacqueline eyed Andrew and mouthed the words ‘watch her’, to which he nodded. Soon they were off, heading back to the Paramount Hotel.

  14 At Ease

  “I don’t think my mom and I have talked longer than fifteen minutes in a really long time.”

  Andrew touched her face. “She laughs like you.”

  “That’s not true,” Madison laughed.

  “She does,” he smiled and wrapped his arm over her shoulder.

  “Does not,” Madison replied, reaching up to hold his hand.

  “My feisty New Yorker,” he said, kissing her temple.

  Madison beamed and leaned against him as they continued their drive from Queens to Manhattan. The traffic extended the drive by an extra fifteen minutes but, in truth, neither Madison nor Andrew were focused on that. Madison was thinking about the wonderful night she had just had, replaying it over in her mind, subtracting the negative pieces, of course. While Andrew was feeling very confident having been given Jacqueline’s approval, something he didn’t think he would ever get.

  “Paramount Hotel. That’ll be forty six dollars.”

  Andrew paid him and took Madison’s hand, leading her leisurely inside the hotel lobby. He stood behind her as they waited for the elevator, his arms draped over her shoulders. There wasn’t that sense of urgency that they had earlier in the day. Both felt content as they stepped into the elevator and rode to their floor.

  “I’m gonna try to call Mr. Bennett again,” Madison said as she stepped inside their room.
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  “Good idea.”

  Madison dialed the number as she watched Andrew begin to disrobe before her. Feeling she was watching him, he smirked as he dropped his slacks. Madison was only vaguely aware of a sound coming from her phone that somehow wasn’t in her hand anymore. Andrew strutted to her in his boxers. When he got to her, she immediately reached out to touch him while he snatched the phone from the bed.

  “Hello?” he heard.

  “Mr. Bennett. We’re here. Sorry. Madison dropped the phone.”

  “Oh, is everything alright?”

  Andrew laughed. “Yes.”

  “What happened today?”

  “They kicked me out so Madison will have to tell you. Hold on, I’m going to put you on speaker.”

  “What do you mean they kicked you out?”

  “They told me that I couldn’t be in there because they were talking about confidential client information that I wasn’t allowed to hear.”

  “Elias, they are investigating Senator Martine,” Madison interjected quickly as she took a seat on the bed. “They are trying to say I’m under investigation because I was his personal accountant but I swear I wasn’t. I helped him consolidate his accounts before his divorce and then I handed it over to Kurtis.”

  “Have you spoken to any of the attorneys I gave you?”

  “Not yet,” Madison said with a slight frown. “I plan on calling tomorrow.”

  There was silence on the other end and Madison wondered what that was about. She was not completely happy about the prospect of having someone other than Mr. Bennett represent her but she was aware of the necessity of it. When the silence continued, she looked at Andrew. He shrugged in a confused like fashion before Madison scrolled over her phone to see if they were still connected. It showed they were still on the phone with Mr. Bennett, there was simply no answer.

  “Hello?” she finally called out.

  “Madison, it’s likely that my case will go to jury within the next couple of days. I could be done in three to four. If you would still like me to represent you I...”

  “YES!” Madison practically screamed, cutting him off.