chapter SEVEN
Jenny
The longer the party went on, the more intentional silence became as the senior members of the management staff who had once looked to William for a secure future now stared at the handsome stranger who stood alone. Wilson was one those senior members who had vast amounts of time into building the company from the ground up, banking on the promise of money and security. A promise that had now died with Nathaniel, leaving only tension and fear in its wake. Even William, who was usually calm and collected, seemed nervous to see the new boss standing there sipping his beer awkwardly and staring out of the window blankly.
"Has he always been this way? I mean, so distant from everything?" Wilson asked as he sipped at what seemed like his twelfth scotch.
It still amazed me just how handsome Renaud still was even after all these years. Not a wrinkle, grey hair, or age mark anywhere. I wondered what had happened to those warm eyes of his that used to scan the room, reading everyone silently. Looking at him now, they had been replaced by coldness. Not quite hatred, but they were certainly no longer warm. He hadn’t lost his looks though, and just seeing him again reminded me of the eighteen-year-old boy that had asked me out on a date in high school. I had told him that I had had a boyfriend, and not two hours later my brutish, oversized footballer boyfriend was telling me that we had drifted apart and that he wanted to see other people. His two black eyes and the memory of what we did in the back of his car told me that we hadn't really drifted apart, just that Renaud had had a little talk with him. I had finally found someone who thought I was worth fighting for, literally. It was amazing how little he had changed and even more surprising that the few ways in which he had changed made him even sexier.
"Jenny, are you listening?" Wilson's booming voice broke through my reverie. I looked up and saw a cross look on his face as he glared at me. Wilson never got angry in public, he had always saved that until we were home in private, where we would discuss our arrangement, decide if I had broken it, and thought of an acceptable punishment.
"Yes dear, I’m listening. I just can’t put my finger on what’s happened to Renaud. Whether he’s changed or is in mourning. After all, the world has changed since he was last here amongst the living and I would assume he only found out that he had lost his brother today." That wasn't a lie. Renaud looked troubled and had clearly isolated himself from the rest of the world. It seemed only natural.
"And that's exactly why he needs me," said William, butting into the conversation. With a cocky look he added, "Irene and I have it worked out with him. He needs me and the rest of us all if the company is to survive." Pointing at him, he joked "Look at him. It's like he is still in the 90's. A suit jacket and jeans with cowboy boots, really? And I bet he still listens to heavy metal and thinks smoking from a bong is what the cool kids do." I knew that under William’s suave, confident expression there was a small tremor of uncertainty and fear. He was right about two things, however. Renaud was still living in the 90's and he had always been able to fill a pair of jeans. Even from this distance, his ass looked like the complete package.
Wilson seemed to be more troubled by Renaud’s return than anybody else. As people we all had ghosts that haunted us, and his ghost had just returned. Merely the thought of him was reason enough for Wilson to become enraged, something uncharacteristic for him. For the most part he was mild-mannered. Dr. Jekyll, if you will. However, just the thought of Renaud brought about Mr. Hyde. I wasn't even allowed to walk around the city’s riverside park as he was afraid I would see the sunsets and think of him. The truth is he could forbid the location, but not something that occurred every day. It was like being jealous of the sun. I liked to think that the irony of this new situation was something that Wilson never considered would happen so many years ago. When I met Wilson, I had needed security more than love. Renaud offered love, but no security. His family were poor, working class people at the time and he was more of a wild child then an actual family man. Times had changed though, as he now held our future in the palm of his hand. Wilson cared only about money and his career. He was too old to start over again and with the tough economy and our life style, we had eaten though most of our nest egg.
I turned my attention to my phone, and all the missed calls to Mike. If there was anyone that would want to see Renaud, it was Mike. He was the human equivalent of a golden retriever, always man's best friend and loyal to the end. This wasn't the first time that he had missed my calls. Most times, within an hour or so he would respond with some kind of excuse as to why he hadn’t been able to pick up. It wasn't always like that though. There was a time when I could have called him at any time, day or night, and he would always be there. There was a time when I would smile and his whole face glowed and if I cried he cried too, but something had changed. I needed him more than ever, and now he decided to change.
I needed to alter the balance of power. William had Irene and her whole innocent schoolgirl look that she pulled off so well, but I had history with the man. Not because of a few shared DNA strands. Ours was passion, and if I approached him in the right light I could steal away William’s leadership with ease. I could help place my man in the leadership role just like I did with his brother. It wasn't overly complicated. If you offer them what they want, they’ll give you anything you want. If they didn’t know that they wanted you, it was simply a matter of making them desire you. Most people might have missed it, but I saw the way he was staring at me, his eyes following me in the reflection of the window. Time may have stolen a lot from the man, but there was still love in his eyes. Still enough lust to get me exactly what I wanted. If only Mike would answer his damn phone. Mike was like a chess piece. My white rook, so to speak. I needed him to play his part if I was going to get my checkmate.
William was staring at Wilson with a troubled look on his face. Wilson was shifted his gaze from me to Renaud, deep in concentration and devising a plan. He always called it a power play look because like most truly powerful men he would use any means possible to grab just a little more power. I was one of those tools. A common saying is that behind every powerful man is an even more powerful woman. What nobody tells you is usually she is lying on her back or on her knees acquiring that power.
"Let's get another drink before there isn't any left."William said as he headed toward the bar for another round of drinks. He guided our small group like a shepherd guiding his flock to the slaughter.
As the small talk continued between them, Wilson stepped closer and ran his fingers down my back, kissing my neck. His eyes were still glued to Renaud, an eagle watching his prey from the sky. I’m not sure what he saw in him as he kissed me, but it was enough to make him smile. It was also enough to make Irene's usually warm eyes grow cold. That in itself made me smile, even if nobody truly understood the meaning, I did. The power was shifting, and it wasn't changing slowly like lines in the sand, it was an avalanche and I was going to be the earthquake.
"I think that you should talk to your old friend," Wilson whispered. "Try and repair the bridges that were burned. I think you and our new boss need to catch up and talk about those past times between you." Wilson had said so much in that little statement, and I did love to talk about those happy moments in my past. To reminisce about those dreams and passions that burned like roaring fire.
Slowly, I made my way towards my prey trying not to make it so obvious. It was hard, though, because there were few people remaining and Irene kept her eyes on me like one of those rent a cops from the mall watching a shop lifter. Whether it was Renaud's heart or her fiancé’s career, what she was truly concerned about I will never know. She might play warm and fuzzy like a schoolgirl, but I had always suspected that there's a cougar inside her waiting for just the right moment to let her claws out. Luckily, my claws werea lot bigger and experience had taught me to keep them sharpened at all times. As I made my way toward him, he was poking at his reflection in the glass like the reflection belonged to a stranger. I pulled a penny fro
m my purse and flicked itin the air as I moved in close.
"A penny for your thoughts?" I asked forcing myself to use the same innocent girl voice that he adored so much when we were in love.
He snatched it from the air with such quick reflexes that I barely saw his hands move. Around the edges of his shirt sleeve I could see ink from a tattoo. It had a sort of modern tribal look to it, at least from what I could see. Examining the penny closely, he started rolling it across his knuckles.
“1981," he said, smiling.
“It was stamped on my birthday,” I said playfully as I touched his arm. “Still shines, too.” I was shocked by the contact with his skin. His tattoos weren't just ink, but actually carved into his skin like some primitive test of manhood. As my hand traveled up his arm, I wondered how long it must have taken to carve these grooves into his flesh and the pain he must have endured. I was curious to see just how much of his body they covered, and the thought excited me a great deal.
"March, right?" He mumbled as he kept staring down at the penny rolling across his knuckles.
"May," I responded, coolly. I couldn't believe that he had forgotten my birthday. A man that could read a book and recall every detail from memory or could see a movie once and repeat the dialogue word for wordhad forgotten the greatest love of his life's birthday? Was he playing hard to get? I couldn't read him like I used to. His face was stone cold and I felt like I was staring into the eyes of a statue. I certainly couldn't manipulate him in the ways that I used when we were dating. Saying you don't really love me wouldn't make him crumble like it used to or snuggling into him and whispering poppa bear I love you wouldn't get me my own way.
"Sorry, I guess there's a lot of things about you that I’ve forgotten," he said shyly as he tossed the penny at me. Regret was written in his face as returned to gazing out of the window again. Had time really wiped away the memories and emotional attachment he had for me? I certainly loved a challenge, and Renaud was going to be a great one.
"You should read your book. Every detail about how wonderful I am is delicately written in the pages."
He didn't even smile as he muttered, "And I am sure that you have a copy displayed on your mantel for the world to see. A testament to just how amazing you truly are." He was still staring at his reflection in the window shifting his weight from side to side like he was solving one of life's great mysteries.
"I have the one you sent. As your letter stated, one of five that you autographed and the only one with a personal message in it. If I remember correctly, you said I was love of your life and it was the last love letter you'd ever write." I wished Wilson had let me keep it. Not for any sentimental value, but the dollar value. Mike's copy only had “Renaud B.” etched across the acknowledgements and it was worth three thousand dollars. Mind you, that was mainly because the world thought the author had died, but Wilson destroyed it like burning those pages would wipe away my past history. In many ways, he did it because after enough time had passed the image of his face faded, but not the look in his eyes the day that I broke his heart. Even I was not immune to the sadness in his expression. Despite the millions he had made, I couldn’t face him. It wasn't until this very moment that I realized why I had pushed him from my memory. I had to so thatI could look in the mirror and not see a monster in my reflection.
He pulled a smart phone from his pocket and looked down blankly at it.
"New technology confusing you?" I asked. I had to admit, he looked cute when he was confused. He always did. It was the same when we traveled together and he saw anything that fascinated him. He possessed a child-like enthusiasm that took over like he was trying to take everything in before it faded away and was lost forever.
"I’ve been trying to figure out if the damn thing works. I have been calling Mike all night and he hasn’t answered. Is it broken?” He shook it and looked at me helplessly.
Grabbing it from his hand, I saw six missed calls. "He must be busy, since he hasn't answered my calls either." I sent myself a text from his phone and heard the familiar ding as the message was received. “And now I have your number," I said as I passed the phone back to him. “Just in case you need to text me, seeing that very few of our old crowd still live here."
"What exactly is texting?"
Before I even had a chance to respond, William interrupted us.
“Have a cold brewski," William offered as he handed Renaud a beer. It was rather amusing to see the all power, self-proclaimed king trying to grovel and get down to his new boss’s level.
Renaud returned the phone to his pocket and took the beer as one of the hired help quickly took the empty bottle from his hand. He muttered his thanks and began sipping on it.
"You’ll likely want to sit in on the managers’ meeting on Monday morning to see how things work," William suggested as he took a sip of his wine. Irene was standing beside him, glaring at me. The little minx thought that she was putting her horse at the front of the race track and was now just realizing that my stallion was running a close second or at least he soon would be. "You know boss, I would love to show you the ropes."
Irene burst in, "Until you know the ins and outs of the business of course."
Renaud looked like he was ready to make a run for it as he listened to his options. He wasn't quite the business type, and I was certain that if I could convince Mike to back Wilson we could easily win the race.
"Has anyone seen Murlin?" he asked as he searched the room for her like she was his guardian angel.
William said, "I think she hooked up with a couple of the accountants. You know, given her personality…" Renaud was too busy scanning to room for her to understand that William was calling his best friend a whore. He was never exactly the understanding type. At least lot like the broken man standing in front of me.
Wilson stood by the elevator impatiently waiting and making small talk with one of the program managers. By the look of him, I was certain that he either thought his hopes for the future was a dead avenue to take or that I had left enough breadcrumbs to make Renaud chase me. It was always my next move that clinched the deal and made men follow those bread crumbs all the way home.
Renaud was still searching for Murlin. I could tell that he saw her as his constant in an ever-changing world. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, letting my body slowly rub against his, trying to bring a memory back to life. The feel of my body against his should have been enough to grab his attention. Should have, but I felt like a hunter that had missed the perfect shot. I inhaled the smell of him like he was rose growing in a pile of manure.
"It was nice seeing you again. Don't be a stranger, ok darling?" Normally, I would have run my fingers along his to leave a lasting impression, but this time I didn't. This time it seemed like I would need to work a little harder to build up the sexual tension and bring his passion for me back to life.
I watched him through the doorway as the doors closed and the opening grew smaller. It seemed to me that Renaud had more of an effect on me then I had on him and that would certainly not do. I couldn't let this shift in power occur if we were going to live the life we wanted. I had done more for a lot less in my lifetime, but never have I walked away feeling so ordinary.
"Did you enjoy your time with your old flame?” Wilson asked. It was always his tone that made me feel dirty. It was well enough that I used my female lures to push him up the corporate ladder, but being treated like a common streetwalker always seemed wrong. After all, he was the one that suggested it early on. When his suggestions weren't acted on he commanded it and even now after all this time he looked down on me for doing it.
"It seems that the flame died out over time," I said as I started putting on more lipstick. "I’m not saying that it's not worth the effort, just that it's not going to be as easy as it has been in the past." I wasn't sure if Wilson was doubting my ability to seduce him or whether he was worried about him seducing me. He was well aware how I loved things that were unattainable.
"Just get him to see me in the same light as his brother did. I haven't worked this hard to let a little piss-ant like William swoop in and steal everything. "
I never quite knew all of Wilson’s plans. It was always on a need-to-know basis, as he liked to think that the fact he controlled me and was always plotting made him a force to be reckoned with. I always let him see himself that way as the more power and money he earned meant the more I would inherit when he passed away, which I honestly thought would have occurred by now.
"I will get you what you want as I always do, darling." I leaned over and whispered, "Remember Baby, you own my body…"
Staring at me, he snapped. "Yes, and he owns your heart! Don't deny it." Grabbing my arm and squeezing, he muttered, "Don't you forget that what happened to one brother can quite easily happen to the other."