Transparency

by Jeanne Harrell

  The other shoe just fell…

  “In exchange for what?”

  “… If I don’t testify.”

  “I thought you had to testify.”

  “… I could plead the Fifth Amendment and not say anything because it might incriminate me.”

  Beth’s mouth dropped open. “He’s offering you a bribe for your silence?”

  “That’s one way to look at it. A Senate inquiry and subsequent legislation could finish off many investment companies like Nick’s, or make them change their ways, at least.”

  “How fast did you tell him to get lost?”

  Bryce paused and took another sip. He knew she wasn’t breathing just waiting for his response.

  “I knew you’d see this in black and white, Beth.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I wanted to think about it instead of giving him a knee-jerk decision.”

  Her eyes popped wide.

  “Knee-jerk? Like the one I just gave you? I suppose going out and getting drunk helped you to clarify the situation…”

  Beth glared at him. Bryce put down his cup and looked back at her. He rubbed his forehead hard. This was going to be tough…

  Beth tried again. “You told me recently that one of the reasons you needed me was because I saw things in terms of right and wrong. Now my advice is to be given due diligence but discarded?”

  “Now Beth…”

  “So why did you need to get drunk?”

  Bryce swallowed hard. “I’m not so sure what to do here, Beth. Nick is offering me one hell of an opportunity. It’s what I’ve been working for…”

  “You’re confused?”

  “… In a word, yes.”

  “Well, allow me to clarify it all for you…” Beth was getting wound up and Bryce braced for what was coming.

  “Ah…”

  “A financial opportunity that involves swallowing more small companies like the one in Gardnerville? Wrecking more people’s lives like in Mesquite? How can you even entertain the thought?” She shook her head. “What’s happened to you in the span of one day?”

  “I’ve never been a rich guy, Beth, but this would make me one. And it would set us up in a very fine fashion. It would…”

  “… Us? As in you and me?” She stood up shaking her head and poured her coffee out in the sink. “I’d rather be just a lowly musician doing an honest day’s job, than a financial wizard who makes money off other people’s misery.”

  She looked over at him. “Where did my beloved Bryce Barron go?”

  “…Nowhere, Beth…”

  “And you got drunk because…”

  “I knew you’d hate it, but I wanted at least to think about it before I called you.”

  “That still doesn’t really explain the drinking, Bryce.”

  “Okay, yes. I had too much to drink. I was sort of celebrating, a little…”

  Beth wasn’t sure whether to weep or be angry.

  “So if you were celebrating, that means you’re taking Nick’s offer…”

  He didn’t say no. “Beth, if you’d…”

  She blew out a huge breath right before she exploded. “I can’t believe it!” She started pacing and her hands talked with her.

  “What?” His eyes widened and he sat back in his chair. Her eyes blazed at him.

  “This is exactly what happened to us in high school.”

  Bryce just stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “You kicked me to the curb when things got tough then and you’re doing it to me again.” She lightly hit the side of her head with the palm of her hand. “Damn, I’m dumb! Apparently, when it comes to you,” she gave him a heated look, “I don’t seem to learn from past mistakes…”

  “Beth, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that you don’t have the courage to face what’s happening to you now, just like in high school.”

  She started gathering the various items she’d brought with her.

  “That’s not true.”

  “Yes, it is. Your dad died and so did you. I never saw you again… You couldn’t face what was happening to you.”

  “I just went to school, Beth.” He started following her around as she was picking up her things and repacking her suitcase. She turned to face him.

  “You disappeared, Bryce. I had to ask your mother where you went.” Beth’s eyes filled and there was suddenly a lump in her throat. “You… you broke my heart…”

  Bryce reached for her, but she dodged his grasp. “I’ve apologized a million times, Beth. What more can I do?”

  “Have the guts to face your problem now. Stand up and do the right thing – Testify…”

  “…Um…” He looked at her.

  “And have the courage to stand by me. I can already feel you becoming transparent again.”

  “No…”

  “But don’t worry about it. I’ll disappear before you do this time.”

  “Beth, please…”

  She reached for her jacket and put it on.

  “… I really thought it would be different with you this time, Bryce. We’re both big people now, but I guess I was wrong.”

  “… Don’t leave, Beth, please…”

  She headed for the door and turned around, looking deeply into his beseeching eyes.

  “Then make me want to stay…”

  He swallowed. “I… I’m just not sure what to do about the job, Beth.”

  “Then you’re not sure about me either…”

  “Honey, wait…” That made her tear up more.

  “You’ve got my number, Bryce, but don’t use it until you know what you want.”

  He put his hand on her arm, but she didn’t shake it off this time. They looked at each other – His look was pleading, hers was angry. Beth swallowed hard and her gaze softened…. She took a breath… She loved this man more than anything, but they were heading right off a cliff…

  “Where are you going?”

  “Back to San Francisco. I’ve obviously stayed too long…”

  Beth leaned up to kiss his lips lightly and to caress his sweet face. Tears glistened on her cheeks as she opened the door. He tried to stop her but she shrugged off his hand. “Let me go…”

  And she was gone…

  * * *

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Bryce just stood there with a confused look on his face… Which slowly became a weary look with tears springing to his eyes. He rubbed them and then hurriedly stepped out his door. Beth was getting into a cab… Running out after her netted him exactly nothing – He watched as the cab pulled away and she was definitely gone…

  Bryce sat down on the curb until he started breathing again. He’d just lost the one person in his life that he truly loved… Beth had come back to him again and loved him unconditionally… He knew that. What the hell was the matter with him?

  He walked back into his condo, into the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee. Then he spied his cell phone on the counter and called her. The call went straight to voicemail. He called continuously until her mailbox was full and wouldn’t accept any more calls. That was that…

  Walking around his living room, he saw a few pieces of clothing that she’d left. He picked up a scarf he’d seen her wear… Jesus… Catching a breath was getting harder to do. He’d lost her twice now and both times were his own damn fault. Bryce put the scarf around his neck and he collapsed in one of the living rooms chairs… He needed to think… really think and seriously for the first time in a long time.

  God… Beth…

  He heard a plaintive wail come from his own throat…

  Thinking was damn near impossible when all thoughts kept coming back to her. The feel of her in his arms, her soft lips on his… Just being together felt so good…so natural. The way she looked at him…a future without her? Unthinkable… He wanted her back, so he was going to have to figure this out. Just chasing after her wouldn’t win her back…

  Bryce went into the kitche
n and poured out his now cold coffee. He checked through the contacts of his phone and called Sheriff Ibarra. Dan would help him sort through this mess and do it truthfully.

  * * *

  Bryce and Dan had been on the phone for hours now, going through the options… And they were few.

  “Let’s go through it one more time and you need to make a decision, Bryce,” said Dan. Bryce could tell from Dan’s voice that he was getting tired of going round and round and round with him.

  “Thanks, Sheriff.”

  “Okay… If you take Nick’s offer, you’ll have a glitzy lifestyle with all the money you’ve ever wanted. The proverbial street is paved with gold, right?”

  “That sounds about right.”

  “Option two is trickier. If you decide to testify against your own company about their fraudulent investment practices, you’ll not only lose your job, but you probably won’t be able to work in the financial field again. Right?”

  “That sounds right too.”

  “As I see it, son, the first way is the easy way but it’s not very honest. Could you live with yourself if all you have is money?”

  “Um…”

  “I know it sounds fabulous maybe, but is it really? And you won’t have Beth, that’s for sure.”

  “… No…”

  “And the second option basically means you have to run a dangerous gauntlet. Not many in your field will step up to testify and it’ll kill the career you’ve worked hard to build. About right?”

  Bryce swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Bryce?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “… But it’ll make you an honest man who will have a life with Beth waiting for him. You’ll have to rebuild that life, son... But after all, is there a price tag for a clear conscience?”

  Bryce already knew the answer to that one. “No, sir… Sheriff?”

  “Yes…”

  “What do you think my dad would do?”

  “Remember your dad was one of the little guys who got smashed by the big wig financial guys like you. You’ve put yourself in your dad’s competition’s shoes. If I were a shrink, this might be an interesting case.”

  Bryce smiled but couldn’t manage a laugh. “So…”

  “It’s not important what I think or what your dad would have done. It’s what you think that counts. You’re the one who must live with your decision… And Beth…”

  Oh, God… Beth. Just thinking about what he had done to her was causing a deep pain in his chest.

  “And Bryce…”

  “Sheriff?”

  “I know it’s going to take a great deal of courage here to do the right thing.”

  The right thing… What Beth had said.

  After they’d hung up, Bryce tossed around their conversation again. He remembered what Beth said to him on her way out the door -- That they were in high school all over again and he was making the same mistake. She was right, of course. She usually was and he decided then and there that he was going to do it right this time.

  Since he couldn’t reach Beth, he called the San Francisco Philharmonic and left a message for Eva. She called him the next morning…

  “Hello?”

  “Bryce?”

  “Yes, this is he.”

  “… Eva here.”

  “Thank God, you’re speaking to me.”

  She laughed. “Yes, but my good friend Beth isn’t. Instead, she’s spouting mad one minute and sobbing the next.”

  Bryce felt that familiar lump in his throat. “Is she all right?”

  “Barely… She’s staying with me right now because I don’t trust her to be alone. She was a mess when I picked her up at the airport.”

  “It’s all my fault – again, -- Eva. I’m an incredibly unfeeling bastard who doesn’t deserve her.”

  She laughed again. “Yes, but a bastard who wants her back desperately, right?”

  He finally laughed with her. “You’ve hit the target there.”

  “… So what’s the plan?”

  “Don’t you have a fundraising benefit for the Philharmonic coming up soon?”

  “Yes, tomorrow night…”

  “Will the Quartet be playing?”

  “We will and then we’ll be off our leave of absence and be members of the Philharmonic again. It’s our last performance for a while as the Quartet.”

  “I’m going to fly to San Francisco, Eva. Could you get me a key to her condo by the Marina?”

  “Okay, but Bryce…”

  “… Yeah…”

  “You’re not staying in Las Vegas, then?”

  “No,” he laughed. “I’ve run my course with this city and this business, and I’m coming to get her.”

  Eva smiled from ear to ear. “Just what I wanted to hear. I’ll patch her up to play the fundraiser and you take it from there. All right?”

  “Sounds great. Thanks, Eva.”

  Bryce packed a bag, called a travel agent that he knew and caught the first plane to San Francisco. He called his mother on the plane to fill her in on everything that had happened so far. Carol was mad at him for screwing things up with Beth, but proud he was going to stand up and do what was right in regards to his business.

  Arriving in San Francisco, he took a cab from the airport to Beth’s scenic condo out in the Marina district. She had a place with a nice view of the San Francisco Bay with moonlight reflecting off the water. Finding the key Eva had hidden for him, Bryce hung up his suits and put away his other clothing. He felt at home immediately and went out on her pretty patio to breathe in the moist air. After living in a desert for several years, his skin gratefully soaked up the moisture offered it. He breathed in peaceful feelings as well. Now all he needed was the woman he loved – Beth… Would she even speak to him?

  * * *

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The performance for the Philharmonic fundraiser that evening was formal with a lovely reception to follow. All the musicians were milling around backstage in black evening attire, straightening bow ties and long, shimmering dresses. Eva and Beth had on their gorgeous black chiffon dresses with beaded belts. And Eva kept fussing with Beth’s hair and makeup.

  “What’s the matter with you? I don’t need any help, Eva.”

  “Quit being so grouchy. I just want you to look beautiful tonight, as usual.”

  Beth rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know that’s your goal every performance.”

  “Ha. Sarcasm noted but overlooked… You’re not yourself tonight.”

  “… I haven’t been myself since I got back, have I?” Her eyes slid to Eva’s in the mirror where they were combing their hair.

  Eva shook her head. “Nope…”

  Beth swallowed as her eyes filled up. “I miss him, Eva…”

  She handed her a tissue. “I know it, sweetie. Don’t cry… I’m sure it’ll all work out.”

  “… Sure can’t see how…”

  ‘Places, please’ was called out on the intercom to all the musicians backstage. They walked out behind the closed velvet curtain to sit in the arranged chairs facing the front of the stage. The beautiful auditorium was decorated with satin and silk banners to highlight the Philharmonic’s fiftieth year of operation. The reception in the outer room was already flowing with caterers bringing in champagne and caviar. It would prove to be a night to remember.

  Mozart…

  Brahms…

  Mendelssohn…

  Tchaikovsky…

  The evening was dedicated to the world’s most beautiful music. People could argue all they wanted about whether a composer had been left off the list or not, but the pieces and movements chosen were, indeed, quite beautiful. And the elegant group of people listening attentively appreciated the fine craftsmanship of the musicians of the San Francisco Philharmonic.

  Near the end of the concert, Beth, Eva, William and James, the Quartet, rose to move to chairs and a piano set up on one side. Theirs would be the final two pieces of tonight’s fine performance. Bryce hadn�
��t been able to manage a ticket, the performance was sold-out, but Eva smuggled him backstage and out of sight so he could still enjoy the concert.

  After their first piece, a lovely sonata by Mozart, the Quartet acknowledged applause from the audience and then looked in the direction of the piano. Beth had been given the honor of closing tonight’s performance with her beautiful rendition of ‘Joy’ by Johann Sebastian Bach – once again… The whole Quartet knew how difficult it would be for her to play it, seemingly since she’d broken up with Bryce. Everyone knew it had become Beth and Bryce’s favorite song.

  From the first bright notes to the last, Beth’s skilled fingers skimmed over the piece obviously pouring her anguish into it. Eva’s face became pink and teary, while William and James took turns visibly swallowing. It cost them all to sit and listen to the heartbreaking version Beth spun of the beautiful Bach movement. Bryce’s composure backstage wavered as the music hit him hard.

  Soon he was looking for a tissue in his jacket before she’d even finished playing.

  As for Beth herself, she played with such heartfelt emotion and splendor, yet with her tears falling right onto the keys. The other musicians were all becoming affected and by the time she finished the piece, the audience was on its feet applauding. It was a beautiful, poignant closing for the concert. The Quartet received two encores and the whole Philharmonic received four encores.

  Backstage after the performance, the musicians all happily stowed their instruments and made their ways to the outer reception. Flowers beautifully decorated the hallways along the route to the reception, filling the air with jasmine, alyssum, roses and gardenias. Bright, varied colors of pink, red, white and yellow created a feast of visual delight for all those participating in the lovely reception. Tables boasted elegant china and crystal glasses, Wedgwood vases and linen tablecloths. Soon people were laughing and smiling, talking and snacking… Enjoying themselves and the closure of a classically stunning performance.