"So if Bill didn't ask you to say anything to me, why are you here?"
Gary pulled a small envelope out of an inside pocket on his designer sweat suit. "I came to deliver the paternity test results. I think we both know what they say, but I wanted you to have a copy."
"Thanks," Amy said. She was blushing, and she knew Gary could see it on her face. She wanted to look at the envelope now but she slipped it in her bag. She instinctively looked around like she was doing something wrong, and she noticed Nicole standing in front of the plate glass window into the news room. Gary looked too and shot a smile at Nicole, and Amy watched her friend flutter in the window.
Amy moved to the elevator and pressed the down button. "Thank you for the visit, Gary. And thank you for watching out for Bill. I care about him, you know."
"I know you do, Amy."
"It's complicated, Gary."
The elevator dinged. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" he asked as Nicole walked toward them.
"Not today," Amy said, and Gary winked at Nicole before he got onto the elevator.
"Nothing in life is really confusing if you realize that every decision is simply a yes or a no. It's binary, Amy, it's ones and zeros. Make a choice," he told her, and the elevator doors closed.
"Who was that?" Nicole broke in.
"That's Bill's cousin, Gary."
"You have to introduce us," Nicole said. "He's gorgeous."
"He's a heartbreaker."
"He can break my heart for a night or two," Nicole said with a snap.
Amy chuckled. "I'm sure he'd be delighted. I'll give you his number."
Maybe Gary was right and everything was binary.
Chapter 16
Amy followed Nicole to her oversized cubicle and sat down.
"Nicole!" she complained when she noticed all the photos of her and Bill pinned up on the walls.
"It's called research," Nicole said. "Matt was very surprised to see some of these photos. He didn't know that you used to date Bill Ruby." Amy blushed and dropped a yellow folder on the desk.
"No wonder no one wants to hire Matt anymore. He doesn't do any research and goes in blind." Nicole shook her head.
"It's called being impartial," Amy said and then crunched her face. Why was she still defending him?
"In my world it's called being unemployed," Nicole shot back.
"Matt will come through," Amy said as confidently as she could. She had intended to bring the article she'd written today on a thumb drive and pass it off as Matt's, but part of her still hoped he would turn in the article on his own.
"And I expect Matt will have the inside scoop, since you are back together with Bill Ruby."
"I am not!" Amy yelled and then looked around to make sure no one was listening.
Nicole pointed to the newspaper photo of Amy and Bill together at the gala dinner. "A picture says a thousand words."
Nicole opened the yellow folder that Amy had dropped on her desk. She perused the prints of the photos Amy had taken of Bill Ruby, nodding her head.
"Matt hasn't sent me anything to go along with these photos yet, not even an outline. It's not a good sign, Amy. I told you he'd lost his touch. His article better be good."
"He'll get you a story."
"He'd better. He hasn't worked much this year, not since he got engaged to Charley's daughter. He must think he can just ride it out now and he'll end up with a position at the magazine, but it's competitive here, and there's no way Charley is going to play the nepotism game."
Nicole's desk phone beeped and she looked at the Caller ID before picking it up. "Speak of the devil," she said to Amy and then pulled the receiver to her ear. "Yes?" she asked. Then she nodded and looked at Amy. "Yes, sir," she said and hung up.
"Charley wants to see you before you leave."
"Well, are we done here?" Amy asked. She usually liked to spend time with Nicole, but talking about Matt and Bill in the same conversation was exhausting.
"Not until you send me Gary's phone number," Nicole teased with a smile.
"I'll text you," Amy promised. "We're good on the photos for the article?"
"Yes, these are great," Nicole said looking over the prints again. "Very natural, Amy. Did you get Bill Ruby to jump off a waterfall and climb a tree to pluck coconuts for the photo shoot, or is that how you roll on Ruby Island?"
Amy loved the photos of Bill in his natural surroundings and with her boys, but she had omitted some of the best photos because she didn't want the kids in the article. "I guess you will have to try to date Gary for more than one night and maybe you will get to find out yourself.
"Girl, now you're talking! Do you want me to take the negatives to Sam? You're not the only dinosaur around here, and you know he'll love to see actual film negatives again." Nicole smiled at Amy who shook her head.
"Just keeping it real," Amy said, and she and Nicole snapped their fingers and pointed at each other. Amy strode over to the large glass windows that surrounded Charley's office and then she stopped in her tracks.
Charley was standing and looking out the windows over New York City. His trademark black suit that was always crisp and unwrinkled even after a full day’s work was showing signs of wear. She could see that he had his arms crossed and his stillness signified someone deep in thought.
Amy looked on in dread. Everything about this scene was wrong. She shared a look with Charley's executive secretary who shrugged, giving Amy the wave to go right in.
"You rang," Amy said as she pushed Charley's office door open slowly. Charley spun around and smiled, but Amy could see the lines on his face, and she could tell that he'd lost sleep.
"Amy, how are you, my dear?"
Amy walked to the comfortable gray chair in front of Charley's desk and plopped down. "I'm fine," she said tentatively, but she didn't sound it. She tried to smile because the last thing she wanted to do was talk to Charley about her problems, and she was curious as to what what going on with him.
"Really?" he asked, sitting slowly in his chair and leaning forward.
Amy's heart sank. She could always talk to Charley, but not this time. "I'm fine. I'm really fine, Charley." She sat up straight and brushed her palms on her pants, looking into his eyes to try to guess what was bothering him. Charley was always on top of his game, but Amy could see more signs of wear in his eyes, and he had a five o’clock shadow before noon.
"So you're fine," he confirmed with a nod. "I'm so glad, because last time I saw you at the gala, you didn't look fine."
"You didn't like my dress?"
"Your dress?" Charley laughed. "Oh, it was really something, Amy. I've said before that you should be in the photos you take." Charley smiled sincerely, and in that moment, Amy missed her dad. Charley had been a friend for a long time, and his distinguished and gentlemanly demeanor always reminded her of her father.
"I was just concerned because you seemed to be arguing with Matt at the gala, and I could tell you were upset." He watched Amy for a reaction, and she almost jumped out of her chair. Charley only beat around the bush when he was playing cat to the mouse, and she didn't know what to say. There was no way Amy was going to admit the truth about Matt, not to his future father-in-law.
When Amy didn't answer, Charley leaned confidently back in his chair.
"How's your sister doing?" Charley asked, and Amy's eyes jerked from her fingernails to Charley's eyes.
"Charley, are you feeling okay? You know I'm an only child."
"That's right, that's right," he said dismissively. "I thought for a minute I was losing my mind though. When Mabel posted those photos on Facebook and said that she was with her grandsons, and how happy she was, I just about fell out of my chair."
"Mabel's on Facebook?" Amy asked incredulous. For all of her loquaciousness, her mother had abhorred the Internet revolution.
"Yes, she is. We don't keep in touch like we used to, but it's nice to catch up sometimes to see what she's up to. And would you look at tha
t?" Charley said, pointing to his computer screen. Amy looked at the floor though, and her hand covered her eyes. She sighed loudly as Charley turned his computer monitor out toward the front of his desk.
"There she is posing with three boys and it says, and I quote, 'Showing these three young men the town. They're my long lost grandsons!'"
Amy looked up and read the caption before cradling her face in her hands. She groaned and then laughed and then groaned again.
"So, if you're an only child, is there something you wanted to tell me?" Charley turned the monitor back toward his desk and sat back in his chair, ever patient.
"No?" Amy asked.
He leaned in toward his monitor and clicked his computer mouse a few times to zoom in. "Amy, the two younger boys look just like you."
"Well, we are all related to Mabel."
"And are they related to Matt?" Charley asked.
"What?" Amy squealed, clamping her hand to her mouth. She bit her lip and almost fell off the edge of her seat.
"Well, the oldest boy here looks just like a very young Matt Cole. And I saw you arguing with him the other night which was very strange. At first, I thought it was about the article, which he hasn't turned in, by the way." Charley looked at Amy and smiled.
"I just gave Nicole the photos, and I'm sure Matt will have the article to you any day now." Amy leaned forward to stand, but Charley shook his head and pointed at the chair.
"You stay right where you are, Amy. I have some questions for you," he said sternly, and Amy's face turned a deeper shade of red. She felt as though Charley's window office had turned into an aquarium and everyone outside was looking in. Her stomach churned.
"I said I'm fine, Charley. Can we leave it at that?" Amy suddenly felt like crying, but she laughed instead. "I mean, I have some things I have to take care of, but I'm fine. Really."
"I called Mabel to ask her about the boys," Charley told her.
Amy felt every cell in her body moving position, and she thought she might shed her skin right there on his office floor. "And?"
"And she said that I needed to talk to you."
Amy let out a long breath and bit her lip again.
"So, I called Bill Ruby. I wanted to thank him for taking such good care of you while you were sick on his island."
Amy nodded and covered her face with her hands. She'd seen Charley work his inquiring magic on so many others, and he'd done it to her at times. He could extract the truth from a pathological liar without them knowing he'd done it.
"I also asked Bill about you and Matt, and the three boys in the photo."
"Why would you do that?" Amy asked. "There's no proof of anything really."
"No proof. What do I need proof of?"
"So what did Bill say?" Amy caught herself and told herself to stop talking. She stared at Charley, but she needed to get out of this office if she was going to keep her secret. She wouldn't lie to her old friend, but she didn't want to tell him the truth either. Her three sons were also the three sons of the man who was engaged to Charley's daughter. It would be a lose-lose conversation.
"Bill said I would have to talk to you. So, Mabel and Bill both say I need to talk to you, and here I am doing just that."
Amy stood and walked to the window behind Charley's desk. She knew that everyone would find out sooner or later, but she thought it would be best that Matt tell Sarah first. She shook her head as all of her thoughts screamed out at one time.
"Little Dan Dougie says 'hi'," Charley said, and Amy grunted again. Little Dan Dougie worked wonders with a telephoto lens. He'd left the magazine for a life as paparazzi, and with the invention of digital magazines and TMZ, he'd made a killing taking indiscreet photos of celebrities. He also did the odd side job for Charley, under the table of course, since the magazine had a reputation to uphold.
"I don't want to see the photos," Amy said embarrassed that Little Dan might have clicked a picture of her and Matt kissing on the street. It would have been excruciating to look at that in front of Charley.
"It's so unbelievable, it's outrageous really," Amy said. "The Bermuda Triangle is the only way I can explain it. I want to talk to you, Charley, I really do, but I'm just coming to terms with it, and it's not only my story to tell."
Charley nodded and some years seemed to melt away from his face as she admitted there was some truth to be told. Amy knew that he would accept anything she told him as truth. She could tell him that aliens abducted her, and Charley would believe it because he trusted her.
Charley moved to the window and faced Amy.
“Anna Banana,” he said gently, and some of Amy’s tension fell off. “I won’t try to understand how, and you will have to explain sooner than later, but do you somehow have children with Matt?" he asked.
"You shouldn't say that about your daughter's fiancé." When she looked up at Charley, she thought he understood her without words.
"My daughter, Sarah, is smart and beautiful and completely capable of getting what she wants in this world. If that's Matt, then I'm happy for her. I'm not worried about my daughter, Amy, not ever."
"I know," Amy said. "Sarah's always been an unstoppable force."
"However, if Matt happens to have children with another woman, let's say you perhaps, then I think you owe it to yourselves to do the research on the relationship and see if there is a future there. Call me old-fashioned, but you should try for the children's sake."
Amy had been crying, and she pulled the handkerchief out of his breast pocket and dried her tears before turning back toward the large office window. No one was watching, but she knew that at least Nicole was somewhere with eyes on the situation.
Amy patted Charley on the shoulder and went back to her chair to retrieve her bag. "What do you want me to say, Charley?" she asked.
"I want you to tell the truth, Amy. And if not to me, then tell it to yourself. You deserve to be happy. I don't know if that means Bill Ruby or someone else, but tell yourself the truth and you'll find happiness."
"What about Sarah?" Amy asked.
"Oh, I just hope I'm there to see Matt try to explain that one," he said with a smile.
"Charley, thanks for everything," Amy said with a sigh. "Please excuse me. I've got to go get Mabel to delete her Facebook account."
Chapter 17
Amy barely kept it together on the elevator down, whipping out her phone and trying to work the app to call for a ride. She'd been stranded on an island for thirteen years and had three beautiful boys with a man who was more and more like a stranger. It wasn't her fault that man was engaged to Charley's daughter. Amy was as much a victim in this as anyone, so why did she have to feel so guilty about the whole situation?
The elevator opened and she got out before she realized she wasn't at the lobby yet. Amy huffed at herself and crammed back on the elevator. She tried to clear her head, but Charley's words followed her down to the lobby and out the front door. Amy rounded the corner to where her ride was waiting, and as she was pulling the car handle, she heard a high pitched double-beep and looked up to see Bill Ruby pull up in his car.
Bill jumped from the small green Mini Cooper that he'd intended for William. "Need a ride, sexy?" he purred to Amy, and she almost dropped her phone.
"Bill, what are you doing here?" she asked, but she already knew that Gary had told him where to find her.
"You're Bill Ruby," Amy heard her driver say.
“Oh great,” Amy whispered.
"Yes!" Bill said enthusiastically. He walked back to talk to the driver before he could get out of the car. "I'm here to give her a ride, but how about you follow us so that you don't lose the fare?"
"Sure! Can I get a photo with you first?"
"Of course," Bill said. He leaned down and took the guy's phone, turning to get himself and the driver in the shot while Amy tried not to come apart at the seams. She didn’t want to see Bill right now, but it was pointless. She knew from experience that if she got into this guy's car, he would just
question her about Bill Ruby the whole ride.
She moved up to the Mini but she waited for Bill to open her door because he was a gentleman to the hilt. It was charming on most days, except on days that Amy wanted to crawl into a dark hole.
"I'll try to keep up," Amy heard the driver say, and Bill laughed as he slid in next to her.
"Home to Mabel's?" Bill asked.
"Sure," Amy said, and in an instant he had shifted and they were rocketing down the street. Amy could see Bill looking in the mirror and she could tell that he was ready to have fun with the driver who was following. Amy knew that Bill could lose him if he tried, but he drove normally in the medium traffic of the late morning.
"Did Gary tell you that it's binary?" Amy asked sarcastically.
"No," Bill said patiently. "Were you and Gary discussing computer coding for some reason?"
Amy laughed because she wanted to cry, but she couldn't get into it with Bill right now. She needed some space alone, somewhere to think, but all she'd been doing for weeks is think and it wasn't getting her anywhere. The truth was unfolding and she couldn't stop it from happening.
"Bill, I'm pretty sure that the magazine has photos of you with the boys. I didn't give them any for the article, but they received some from a disreputable source."
Bill was silent, so Amy looked over at him as he smoothly turned the corner and shifted quickly, putting a few seconds between himself and the follow car. To her surprise, he was smiling.
"Amy, my photo was in the paper with the boys the day after the Yankees game. It's okay," he said, and he reached over and put his hand on hers. For a split second Amy felt as though she should take her hand away, but the familiar warmth of his strong hand was comforting, so she turned her palm up and held his hand until he needed it back to move the stick shift.
"Amy, I know you have a lot going on, and it's been a lot for you to adjust to, but if we’re going to be together, there are going to be photos of the boys that get out."
"That get out?" Amy chirped. "They'll be stalked!" She regretted saying it like that, but it was true. Bill Ruby was known all over the world, and although she'd joked with him about his private island in the past, she thought she might have an inkling of understanding why he needed that space.
Ruby Island Page 15
