“Various properties?”
“Yes. For starters, the Taggston Building is owned by Taggston, not by me, but I own controlling shares of Taggston. I own this apartment, half my parents’ uptown which I’ve told you about, and a couple of buildings downtown. They’re all rented out right now and turn a good profit. I bought them when the market was slow a few years ago and they were in pretty rough shape, so I got an entire block for a song.”
“And you own all of this outright? No payments to the bank?”
“No, I try not to deal with banks when I can avoid it. My father always said the key to a successful business was to keep the debt level down and the cash flow up.”
“Makes sense.”
“Yes, it does. Too many get in too deep and then when things slow down, they can’t keep their heads above water. You have to grow slowly. If you go too fast, growing pains are bound to follow.”
She nodded her head slowly, taking it all in. “Anything else you own here in the city?”
“I’ve invested in a few business start-ups, mostly small technology firms that I thought showed promise. I have an apartment building in Brooklyn that I bought as a favor for a friend, but that’s it—here, anyway.”
“You bought it as a favor for a friend?”
“Yes, an old family friend owned the building. He hit some tough financial times and needed cash, but he didn’t have time to sell it on the open market, nor did he really want to sell it—it’s a great investment. Fully occupied, long-term renters. Anyway, he offered me a deal to sell it to me privately, without the broker’s fees, and I agreed to sell it back to him in five years if he could afford it.”
“Wow. That’s a big act of friendship.”
He shrugged. “Yes and no. I wouldn’t have done it for just anyone, no, but it was also a sound investment. It’s made me plenty of money since I bought it, so I can’t complain.”
“How many years ago was it?”
“Four. So next year I’ll find out if I get to keep it,” he said.
She nodded, absorbing all this new information. “Wow. And I thought letting Laura borrow my lucky dress was an act of friendship.”
He laughed. “If it’s really lucky…” He trailed off and stifled a yawn.
She shook her head and stood. “Well, now that I know you’re richer than Croesus, I’ll stop feeling bad about how much money you’re giving me. In fact, maybe I need a raise.” She walked towards the doorway.
He smiled and followed her down the hall, stopping outside her door to kiss her head in what was becoming a nightly habit. “Night, Lizzy.”
“Night, Will.”
12
Growing Pains
Early May
8 Days Married
Liz and William spent the long weekend at his beach house in the Hamptons. They weren’t on the road an hour before they both realized that they barely knew each other and four days in the other’s sole company could potentially be incredibly boring or even contentious. Liz mentioned how much Jenny loved the beach and Will quickly suggested they invite Andrew and Jennifer to join them.
Their guests arrived Saturday morning bright and early, as only two people as energetic and cheerful as Jennifer and Andrew could do. The newlyweds were clearly relieved and the couples quickly separated by gender.
Andrew and William spent Saturday swimming in the frigid water and kicking around a soccer ball while Liz and Jen lay on the beach reading and chatting, then shopping at the local antique stores where Liz bought a dining table that had once belonged in a Long Island farmhouse and a new wooden bed frame for her room. They returned to the beach house tired but triumphant with bags full of burgers, fries, and Cobb salad. The four spent a relaxing evening eating, drinking, and in Andrew’s case, telling funny stories of life at an English boarding school.
Sunday morning, everyone slept in and by the time Liz emerged from her room, Andrew and William were swimming in the ocean and Jennifer was reading on a blanket on the sand. Liz plopped down beside her.
“Morning.”
“Morning, little sister. Sleep well?”
“Yes, I did. You?”
“Yes, thank you. Andrew is thinking of buying a place up here.” She looked around. “It could be nice, but…”
“What’s the point if your best friend has a place right down the shore?”
“Exactly.” Jen smiled.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Liz spoke. “Have you noticed anything weird about the house?”
“This house? No, why?”
“It seems really feminine, doesn’t it? It’s decorated so softly. I’ve seen how Will decorates, or I should say doesn’t decorate. He definitely didn’t do this.”
“Maybe his sister did it or he hired a decorator.”
“Maybe. But did you notice the pictures?”
“I haven’t really looked. What about them?”
“Will is hardly in any of them. There are several of his sister, she’s plastered all over the place, and a lot of his mom, too. There’s even a painting of the two of them sitting on the beach together. But Will isn’t in it. Isn’t that odd?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Could he have been away when it was painted? He went to school in England, after all.”
“I don’t know. It’s all very confusing.”
“Oh, no. I know that look. You think you’ve just stumbled on some interesting mystery and you won’t rest until you find out what’s going on.” She looked hard at her sister. “Listen to me, Lizzy. This is William we’re talking about here. William Harper, heir of Taggston Incorporated and riches untold, fiercely private, and newly, your husband. This is not a game. It would not be wise to piss him off. Do you hear me, Elizabeth Mae Barrett?”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts!” Jennifer interrupted. “There is probably a very logical explanation for everything.”
“Like what?” Liz asked skeptically.
“Like maybe his sister did the decorating. That would explain why it feels so feminine and why there are so many pictures of her and her mother.”
“So Will’s sister is a narcissist who loves lavender?”
“Lizzy!” Jenny tried no to laugh. “You haven’t even met her. Maybe she was going through a phase. She might want to change it when she comes back.”
“She can’t. It’s Will’s. She only owns half the apartment on the Upper West Side, not this place.”
“So you repaint it if you don’t like it. Ask William. He probably won’t mind. Blue would look nice.”
“Yes, it would.” Liz agreed with her sister while she planned to ask Will about the house tomorrow when Jen and Andrew were back in the city.
After a rousing game of volleyball, a freezing dip in the ocean, and Scrabble played in front of the fire on the patio, everyone was ready for an early night. Jennifer and Andrew were getting up before dawn to drive back into the city for work, but William and Liz had another day before they were due back.
They were eating strawberries and yogurt on the patio late Monday morning when Liz decided to ask Will some questions.
“So, who decorated the house?” she asked.
“My mother and sister. They redid it just before she died.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to bring up a painful topic.”
“It’s all right, it’s been twelve years now. Jackie had just turned thirteen and the two of them made it a sort of birthday project. Mother let Jackie choose most of the colors and furnishings, only stepping in if necessary. Even then, Jacqueline loved decorating.” He smiled and shook his head.
“Did your family spend a lot of time up here?”
“Mother and Jacqueline did. They would spend the entire summer here, usually. Mother loved the beach and taught Jackie to love it, too. I suppose that’s why living in the Mediterranean suits her so well now.”
Liz nodded. “Would your dad stay in the city to work? Maybe come up here on weekends?”
�
�Sometimes he came up, maybe once or twice a month. He was always busy with Taggston and one venture or another.”
“Has your family always had this house or did your parents buy it?”
“My grandfather built it in forty-nine. My father inherited it when he died and I inherited it from my father.”
Liz nodded, unsure of what to say. She had so many questions, but didn’t know how to ask them.
“Jackie still comes up here when she comes to New York,” Will continued. “She spent a weekend here just before her wedding last summer.”
“She’s twenty-five now?”
“Yes. Twenty-six in July.”
Just then, Will’s phone rang and Liz thought it was just as well. The only questions she had left were intrusive and really none of her business, but she couldn’t help herself. This way, she was forced to hold her tongue.
But she couldn’t keep her mind from wandering. Why did his mother and sister spend summers here but not William? Sure, he was in boarding school then in university, but he had summer breaks, didn’t he? Was he working with his father? Doing internships at Taggston? What about before he was old enough for that? Where were pictures of a gangly teenaged William playing on the beach with his little sister? Surely they did that. Everybody did that, didn’t they? Even rich people?
Liz tried to quiet the thoughts circling her mind while Will paced the patio, nodding and agreeing intermittently, occasionally speaking in whole sentences to whoever had called. Maybe Jacqueline didn’t like William? Was that why there so few pictures of him displayed in the house she decorated and he didn’t spend summers with his mother and sister? Was Jacqueline a spoiled brat?
“Sorry about that,” Will said as he set down the phone on the table and sat back down. “Care for a swim?”
“This water’s too cold for me. I don’t know how you do it.”
“A walk down the beach then?”
“Sounds great. Let me just put these in the sink.” Liz collected the dirty plates and glasses, deposited them in the sink, and walked barefoot to meet Will on the boardwalk.
“The pool should be open next time we come,” Will said.
“There’s a pool?”
“Yes, right over there.” He pointed to a group of trees broken by a small path with a gate at the end of it. “It’s scheduled to be opened next week. It was too short notice for this weekend.”
“What? The mighty CEO couldn’t get the pool opened with the force of his will alone?” she teased with a smile and a nudge to his arm.
Will laughed lightly. “Believe it or not, there are people more powerful than I am.” He shrugged. “And the pool company can only handle so many at once.”
She laughed a little and stooped to pick up a smooth stone and throw it into the water. “It’s very peaceful here.”
“Yes.”
They walked on in silence for another half hour, then turned back. When they reached the house, William said he wanted to swim and Liz lay on a blanket on the sand and read. The day passed quietly. William ordered pizza for dinner, and they watched a movie in the living room. Liz fell asleep forty minutes in, only to wake up when William turned off the television. She mumbled goodnight and stumbled down the hall to bed. After a simple breakfast Tuesday morning, they drove back to the city. All in all, it was a peaceful weekend.
***
Thursday, Andrew and Harper had lunch together in Andrew’s office.
“So how's it going with Liz?” Andrew asked.
“She talks a lot. It’s almost like she’s—”
“Trying to get to know you?” Jamison interrupted. Will glared. “Is it really so bad?”
Will gave a frustrated sigh. “I don't know, Jamison. She's so, she's just so... so…”
“Charming? Nice? Funny?”
“Happy!”
Andrew chuckled and Harper rolled his eyes. “And she's always singing. Did you know the other day she sang the same two lines to a song for over an hour? She just hummed the parts in between. She's ALWAYS singing!”
Andrew gave in to a full-blown laugh now.
“Every morning it's, ‘Bye Will, have a good day.’” He did a high pitch imitation of her voice. Will shook his head and let out a groan.
“So let me get this straight. She says hello and goodbye to you and hopes you have a good day, and she's cheerful and likes to sing in the house. And this bothers you because...?” Andrew asked.
“She's just so THERE!” Will let out in one loud breath. “Studying at the kitchen counter or watching telly on the sofa. It's like I've been invaded by a perky pink smurf.”
“Smurfs are blue.”
“Whatever. I'm just not used to sharing my personal space with anyone. I want to come home, watch the telly in my boxers, and have a little peace and quiet. I didn't think she'd be there so much. She sounded so busy when we first talked.”
“Well, she was busy. She was working three jobs. She's not working now. Maybe she needs a hobby. Or you could try talking to her about it. It's only been a week.”
“Almost two weeks.”
Andrew leveled a look at his friend. “Talk to her, Harper. Liz is a reasonable person. She'll understand.”
“Yeah. I'll think of something.”
That evening when Will walked into the apartment, it was surprisingly quiet. There was no music coming from the kitchen, no humming in the living room. He went down the hall and saw no light under Liz's door. Hmmmm. Guess she's not home. He let out a sigh of relief and went to the refrigerator for a beer. He looked at the stocked contents and thought that was one good thing about having Liz around. Now there was always food in the fridge. Yogurt for breakfast, fruit for snacking on, and lots of fresh salad.
Three hours later, Will was sitting at the desk in his office when he looked at his watch. It was after eleven. Where was Liz? He knew she wasn't working, and she didn't usually stay out this late. Was she with friends?
Thirty minutes later, he heard a key in the door. Thank God! Will was surprised at his own relief. As he was wondering about the strange turn of his own thoughts, he walked toward the door and saw Liz entering with a heavy-looking messenger bag over her shoulder.
“Out studying?” he asked as he took the bag.
“Thanks. No, working actually.” He doesn't remember the semester is over?
“Working? I thought you quit tutoring.”
“I did. This is the assisting thing I told you about. My professor that's writing a book?”
“Oh, yeah. I didn't realize you'd kept that one,” he said, silently wondering why she was still doing it.
“Yeah, well, we have a good relationship and I enjoy the work. It's great experience for me and it's not easy to find the right writing assistant. It wouldn't really be fair to Mark to have to find someone else at this stage of the process. It could throw off the whole publishing schedule.” And Mark practically begged me to stay.
“Oh. I see. Are you always out this late when you're working?”
“Why? Worried?” She smiled playfully and walked into the kitchen. “No, not usually. He was out of town this last week, and when he got back he had a ton of notes to go over and straighten out before he lost the muse. Normally, I'm only there once or twice a week and am done by nine or so.”
He nodded silently, gratified that she told him her schedule without having to be asked, wondering why he cared. “Well, goodnight.” He backed away uncomfortably toward the hall.
“Night, Will.”
Liz grabbed a glass of water and headed to her room. Her new furniture had been delivered that morning and she had gleefully unpacked all of her boxes, happy to be settled and for her room to be comfortable. Her biggest splurge was the new mattress. Harper had told her that any redecorating she did would come out of the household budget, which was basically their joint account. He put money in it every month and they both had access to the funds, but it was understood that they were to be used for the home and not for personal items.
&nbs
p; After a week, she realized it had been necessary. She was spending a lot of time in her room. She usually studied in the kitchen and the only television was in the living room, but when Will was home she tried to give him space and control of the remote. Now that the semester was over, she would focus on cozying-up the rest of the apartment. She had plans to shop with Jen the next afternoon for some drapes to cover the huge windows in the living room; she’d already had it painted and put a few new pieces in there. She also had her eye on some red bedding for the guest room where the hard mattress was that used to be in her room.
Stepping into the bathroom to brush her teeth, she noticed it was time to clean it again. She sighed. I hate cleaning.
Not that anyone loved to clean bathrooms, but Liz supposed she hated it more than most. But what else could she do? On the way home from Vegas, she had realized there was a glitch in their perfect plan that no one had seemed to notice: the housekeeper.
Maria came twice a week and gave the place a thorough going-over and usually baked a loaf of bread and made a casserole or roast for Will to munch on until she came again. She was a very sweet lady and everyone liked her, but with a secret as big as this one, they couldn't afford any slip ups, and if there was anyone who would notice that two people weren't really living together, it was the housekeeper.
So they'd come up with a plan. Or rather Liz had and the men had agreed with it. They got a heavy lock for Liz's room and told Maria that it was being used to store Liz's things and not to worry about cleaning it. Liz just had to make sure it was locked up on the days Maria was due to come. She felt all the irony of having someone regularly clean the house, a longtime dream of hers, but not clean her room.
They put some of Liz's old clothes into Will's closet and placed a picture of them together on his bedside table. Of course, it was on the side he never slept on, but that was a technicality. She put a few personal products in his bathroom and told herself that every once in a while she would spritz his sheets with her perfume. Rather than Liz having to remember to take her dirty laundry into his bathroom on cleaning days, he agreed to take his to the laundry room the night before. Hopefully Maria would think his new wife was simply whipping him into shape and not suspect anything.
Green Card Page 12
