Upon arrival at the stables, the reality of the fire set in. The aftermath was noticeable. She could smell the burn. Clean up was on hold until the FBI finished their investigation. Her thoughts drifted to the loss of the two horses. She made herself a promise to make sure both would have a proper memorial built for them at the ranch.
Sandy and Renée noticed each another simultaneously.
“Renée, it’s been a while,” Sandy said extending her arms.
They gave each other a hug.
“How are you? Have you had any rest in the past couple of days?”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Renée replied. “Sleep, it’s so overrated. What about you? You must be exhausted from your flight. I’m a bit jealous that you travel to my homeland so often.”
“Well, why don’t you hop aboard sometime when I fly to France? Spend a few days with your family. I will go about my business, then pick you up on the way back, and bring you right back here.”
“Thanks Sandy, you’re so sweet. Someday I may take you up on that. When I was there a while back for my aunt’s funeral, I realized how much I miss home. If I can swing a few days off somewhere down the road that would be wonderful.”
“Don’t worry about booking time off, I have an in with your boss and my ways of persuasion.”
At that David came around the corner of the stable. He walked up to them, put one arm around Sandy and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“So what kind of trouble are you two conniving up?”
“Just girl talk and if I recall from last night, you’re definitely not a girl.”
“Really, I’m not sure what you are referring to.”
“Oh, is that right. Well if I were you I’d dig deep. If your memory doesn’t reappear within a few seconds, you won’t need it any longer, because, there won’t be any more nights worth remembering.”
“Oh you mean last night, last night,” he said while rubbing the side of his cheek with his fingers as if he was deep in thought.
“That’s my boy. You get to live another day.”
“Okay, you two. This is becoming too personal for me. I’m going to get back to work and leave you love birds alone to discuss your bedroom activities in private. David is there anything you’d like me to do?”
“Could you please check in with the FBI agent, and see if any progress is being made.”
“I will,” she began to walk away but paused as she received further instructions from her boss.
“Renée, allow him complete access to anything he wants. The quicker he determines the fire was ignited by a natural cause, the sooner we can clean up, and move on,” he paused briefly then continued. “But keep an eye on him. Don’t let him get too far out of your sight.”
She nodded then went on her way. David stared at Renée a fraction of a second longer than he should have. Sandy took notice.
“She’s hot,” Sandy proclaimed.
“Sandy!”
“Look at her butt.”
“Sandy!”
“She is hot.”
He didn’t reply this time. Taking a long breath, he lowered his head while shaking it back and forth, as if he was saying, I can’t believe this. He had gotten accustomed to his wife’s blunt comments. So this didn’t surprise him. But it didn’t ease the shock factor.
“Are you doing her?”
“Sandy!”
She gave him that little schoolgirl smile and shrugged her shoulders.
“Why would you say something like that? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Why would I want to be with anyone but you?”
She didn’t reply, continuing to look at him with that brattish smirk.
“Besides, being married to someone that possesses your sexual appetite, I couldn’t muster up enough energy to have an affair.”
This time he got a grown up smile. Impressive comeback she thought.
“I need all that time you’re away just to recuperate.”
“I’m just saying,” Sandy said, “she’s hot.”
“Enough about Renée,” trying to change the subject, noting that she was enjoying the razzing a bit too much.
“Okay, but I would sleep with her.”
She was relentless.
“You would sleep with Renée?”
“Well I might, that is, if I wasn’t married to you.”
“You would sleep with a woman?” he repeated.
“Why not, is there something wrong with that?”
He shrugged not knowing exactly how to reply.
“I thought you pro athletes were a free spirited bunch. After all, what about the stories of your partying with those groupies or what did you refer to them as, oh yea, puck bunnies.”
“That’s different, Sandy. Enough, I have to get back to work.”
“Okay, but,” she said, always being the one to have the last word, “my college roommate and I would make out every once in awhile when we were bored. It was quite an interesting experience.”
“Wow, I learn something new about you every day. Why is it I have the feeling that you will continue to surprise me with these revelations until the day I die?”
“Babe, I’ve only just begun.”
Chapter 3
After a persuasive hour or two David agreed to the quick trip. His mindset wasn’t on relaxation. It had been absorbed in the aftermath of the fire, besides, they were about to spend a weekend together in California. Only after the FBI informed him the stable would be closed for a minimum of three days did he agree, not without protest. The horses had been moved to the ranch for the time being, so there was little left he could do. Renée and Serge would be attending to the animals twenty-four seven. Sandy prevailed.
The next morning they left for New York. A couple of day’s rest, shopping, shows and so on. They were flying in her father’s jet, which she put to use more than he did. It was a Gulfstream 650 with a price tag of eighty-five million dollars. Its fuel range was seven thousand nautical miles. This worked out well for Sandy. She rarely had to fly on a commercial airline during her worldly adventures.
Not much was said during the short flight. Both were exhausted. David tired from spending the previous two days at the track, Sandy jet lagged after spending the last ten days on the other side of the world. Now she was facing a return trip. Not the same destination, but far away from her husband. On one hand she craved the action. On the other, she would find herself day dreaming about cuddling up on the couch next to David, reading a good old fashion book. Some of her best memories were the two of them being together, with no words being spoken. Just feeling the warmth of his body, the sound of his breathing made her feel safe, toasty and peaceful. In a few years, she hoped to reduce her commitments, be more of a partner. Truth be told though, she wondered if that day would ever come. Telling him about her upcoming departure would wait until they had dinner and enjoyed an off-Broadway show.
One of their favorites was a small theater, off the beaten path. It featured two shows in the same building, one upstairs that seated two hundred ninety-nine people and one downstairs, that accommodated two hundred forty-nine. David preferred the one on the lower level. It featured a thrust stage, otherwise known as an open stage. Three of its sides extended into the audience, offering a unique experience that brought a great deal of interaction between the actors and the audience.
After dinner they set out on foot for the theater. It was only a few minutes away. This was New York, walking was quicker than hailing a cab. Nothing on four wheels got you from point A to point B very quickly. They were holding hands, savoring the time together. Life seemed so busy, precious times like this were special.
During the walk Sandy decided she should break the news about her upcoming departure.
“David, I need to go overseas again,” she kind of cringed, one eye closed, easing her head away from her husband ever so slightly. Similar to what one would do when they expect the other person to react angrily. David said nothing. No reaction whatsoever
.
“David,” she said in a slightly higher pitch. Her tone was like someone gently waking someone up, not wanting to startle them, “David, did you hear me?”
“I heard.”
Just as he began to answer, two young men appeared from a doorway and stood directly in front of them.
“Give me your wallet,” the thinner of the two demanded. They were being mugged.
“Hey man look, we don’t want any trouble. We don’t carry cash, I probably have fifty bucks tops,” David put his hand in his pocket to take out the cash.
“Here,” he handed it to them. “Why don’t you guys just let us pass here and we can forget this happened.”
“That ain’t going to happen rich guy,” at this point the kid doing all the talking pulled out a knife and pointed it at David.
“I said give me your wallet,” he threatened. “Maybe we’re going to take a walk to a cash machine then you can show us how poor you are. You rich guys think people like us are stupid.”
The kid talking was standing directly in front of David, the closer of the two to Sandy. The other guy was standing to David’s right, one foot on the road and the other on the curb, as if he was ready to block anyone coming at them from the street.
From the second the two appeared Sandy’s mind kicked into analyzing the situation. Tuning out everything around her not related to the initial threat. Being conscious of what was being said, but focused on their movements, gestures, and demeanor. She was trained to do so. Within a split second, she knew they were drug addicts in need of a fix. Not high at the moment, but in desperate need of cash to score a hit. Crashing addicts are irrational, very dangerous. She determined the threat had to be resolved immediately. Both were very unsteady on their legs—nervous. They would be no match for David who being a farm boy and playing hockey most of his life, was a pretty tough guy. But she also knew David would talk to these guys all night long before he became physical. He still had a lot of faith in mankind. It was a wonderful attribute. Tonight these boys didn’t care about mankind or anything else other than getting high.
The guy with the knife was the first person who needed to be neutralized. The other kid was younger, a follower. He would probably run off as fast as he could if the mouth piece was put down. They were crashing addicts supported by weak and shaky legs. Their reaction would be much slower than a sober person. Her impassioned study in martial arts taught her to instantaneously recognize every vulnerable part of an adversary’s body. She knew how much damage any blow to this guy would cause. If the kid forced her hand, he would soon be visiting the nearest emergency department.
“Buddy, I’m not going to give you my wallet,” David was saying when she found herself tuning back into the conversation.
Nobody took notice that she had slipped out of her shoes. The importance of preparation was instilled in her. At that instant the kid with the knife made a move towards her husband.
Sandy instinctively reacted. She spun right and made a 180 degree crescent spinning hook kick, landing the back of her heal directly into the rear of the kid’s knee. He buckled backwards, forcing his upper body and knife to face skyward. Her attack flowed smoothly. All in one fluid motion, she spun back with an open fist and drove the palm of her right hand upward into the bottom of his jaw, simultaneously landing a kick to the other attacker’s face. As the knife-wielding kid was dropping to the ground she disarmed him. Within a split second the assailants were both down, both out cold—blood spewing from their faces. She inflicted enough damage to keep them off the streets for a few days. A visit to the hospital would be the smart move, but Sandy knew they were more apt to lie low until their wounds naturally mended. But nobody was dead, which might have been the outcome should this had been a life or death situation. Within seconds of their appearance Sandy knew how quickly the encounter was going to escalate into a dangerous situation. She could name the individual bones she had broken, and length of time they would take to heal. The threat nullified, executed with precision.
David stood in silence as his wife casually dropped the knife into the city drain, then put her shoes back on and readjusted her clothing. He understood she excelled in self-defense, karate and all that stuff. Her father insisted she learn how to defend herself. So martial arts training instead of dance classes was never a choice. She had lightheartedly demonstrated a few moves on him, but this was the first time he’d seen the damage his wife could wreak on a human being. It was a chilling experience.
With that girlish smile and wink she said, “We should be getting ourselves to the show,” putting her arm around his, directing him away from the scene.
David was concerned that people would have taken notice of what had just transpired. He visualized police cruisers racing to the scene. Both of them being cuffed and spending the night behind bars. Sandy knew better. This was New York City. No one was calling the cops. No one probably witnessed the ordeal. If they did, they would have thought it was a drug deal gone wrong.
“Well,” David said as he was being whisked away from the scene, “you really know how to make a guy feel inferior.”
“David, I know you had the situation under control. I was just a bit anxious to get to the theater. I’m aware you’re a rough and tough jock. But you Canadians are a bit too polite.”
“Somehow, I don’t think I’m quite as tough as you. I wish I would have met you earlier in life. I would have taught you how to skate. You’d have made a great defense partner on a few of my hockey teams.”
“EH,” She blurted out making fun of his Canadian accent.
***
After the evening’s entertainment, they settled in back at the hotel lounge for a nightcap. There had been no further mention about the confrontation. Both thoroughly enjoyed the night at the theater and the conversations that took place were in reference to the production. There were other things on their minds, which they wanted to discuss. David was first to initiate a change in topics. “Sandy, I need to get serious for a minute.”
She wasn’t comfortable with these weighty discussions and replied, “Do we have to David. We’re here to have some fun and relaxation.”
“Yes. We need to have this talk. I love you more than I thought it was humanly possible to love someone. I’m so lucky to have met you. There is nobody I’d rather be with. That is the reason you need to hear me out.”
“Did you do something you shouldn’t have?”
“No Sandy, I didn’t. I’m serious here. I’m worried about your traveling. I know you do wonderful things with your money, and I appreciate the compassion you apply to that part of your life. I can deal with you not being around all the time. I do completely trust you.”
“Then why the urgency?” Looking directly in his blue eyes she added, “I’m not expecting to go at this pace for the rest of my life. But for now, that part of my life is important to me. It is who I am. You’ve known this since we met.”
“I know, it’s just,” he hesitated, “I understand there’s more to your travel than meets the eye. You have always been up front about that. Maybe it’s me being paranoid, or jealous. But it does worry me. It can be a dangerous world.”
“David, when a company such as ours spreads as much money as we do around the world, it takes on a life of its own. Everyone wants you to attend or speak at their function. So many people want a piece of you. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving that in someone else’s hands. Am I micromanaging, possibly? Being selfish, of course I am. That’s who I am. I need to be at the helm of this. At least for the time being,” she paused, raised her glass and took a sip of the drink.
David remained silent knowing she hadn’t finished. He was a good listener. A trait he practiced after something she explained to him early in their relationship. She was having a stressful day and venting. He had automatically thought she wanted him to come up with a solution or console her. When he started to reply, she stopped him dead in his tracks, her eyes almost burning a hole in him. She told hi
m, ‘I don’t want you to fix this. I want you to listen. I just want you to listen, that’s all, nothing more, nothing less.’ He got the picture. From that day forward, if she had to get something off her chest, David was the best listener in the world. He wouldn’t say a word. He was cool with that.
Sandy continued, “We do find ourselves in remote places one may not see as the norm for a philanthropist's work. Our network has no prejudice. It touches every part of the world, wherever we can make a difference.”
“Listen, I get it and I’m okay with it. What happened tonight brings my concerns back to the forefront. The way you handled yourself startled me. It felt more like a military attack, rather than someone utilizing a defensive martial arts discipline. The look on your face scared me, Sandy.”
“It was a serious situation. He was about to stab you. I did what was necessary to defuse the situation, no more. Do we have to discuss this tonight? There are only a few hours left before we leave.”
“Okay, I’ll drop it for now, but I would like to sit down with you soon and talk about our future. We need to start making plans to start our own family. Life with you is so full of surprises. But I trust you, I love you, so enough said, for now.”
“Thank you.”
It felt as if she had more to say but nothing was forthcoming.
“Well,” he paused, “what?”
She smiled, “Come with me I’ll show you.”
She grabbed his arm leading him to the stairwell. The door of their suite wasn’t even closed and her clothes were decorating the floor. The learning trend continued. She surprised him with moves he hadn’t realized a couple could physically achieve. He did luck out when he met this woman.
Breakfast in bed was served up by way of room service. She had to revisit the explanation about her leaving. Before she could bring the topic up David started.
“You know we should be heading home soon. I have quite a bit of prep work to do for the race this weekend. The horse is being flown out to California tomorrow night. I’ve booked our flights. Maybe we should continue this in the California sun.”
Love Lonely Page 3