Velvet Mafia

by Lydia L Watts

  “Good morning, Blake,” Teddy said. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “No, you didn’t wake me,” Blake said as he rolled out of bed and tried to pretend he was already up. “What can I do for you this beautiful morning?”

  “I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me tomorrow.”

  “It would be my pleasure,” he said without hesitation. “But aren’t you worried about us being seen together?”

  “Ordinarily, I would be. But, since we won’t be dining in Beaver Park, I don’t think we have to worry.”

  “I see. So where is it you will be taking me?”

  “How does Chicago sound to you?” Teddy asked.

  “Perfect! I’ll meet you at the airstrip in the morning and we can make an entire day of it.”

  “Slow down, fella, slow down!” she said, laughing at his excitement. “Once we get there, I have some business to attend to. But, after that, we can spend the day together and I can show you around.”

  “It’s a deal,” Blake said. “I’ll pick you up at the airstrip at 5:30 AM; that way we can be in Chicago by 8:00. Can you be there by then?”

  “Absolutely,” she replied. “I’ll see you then.”

  Even though she didn’t want to admit it, Teddy was just as excited about having dinner with Blake as he was about having dinner with her.

  Hey, Charlie, listen. Teddy is coming to Chicago tomorrow, and I’m going to be with her. I’ll call you before she returns to Beaver Park.

  Chapter 18

  TEDDY WAS UP early preparing for the trip to Chicago. She had all the journal evidence and formulas associated with the development and testing of the weapon’s antidote and the blood samples and the actual antidote were packed in dry ice and ready to go. To an outsider, the results of their work looked like a UPS box full of blue crab, a favorite East Coast delicacy.

  As planned, Teddy met Blake at the airstrip, and in an odd sort of way, felt excited to see her new friend. From the looks of things, Blake seemed excited to see her, too.

  “Good morning, Agent Alexander,” Blake said, greeting her with an endearing smile that said everything that had not yet been said. “It is so nice to see you first thing in the morning.”

  Ignoring the underlying intent of his salutation, Teddy answered, “Good morning, Blake. Are you ready for our date?”

  “Why, yes, I am.” Now Blake was smiling from ear to ear. “I love Chicago — I’ve got some property there — and I can’t wait to see all the magnificent architecture, and of course, share a fun-filled meal with you.”

  Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Blake had game and in her mind, he didn’t have to try too hard to show it. He was simply a wellpolished man — the type of man that, if she were interested in men, he would be the one.

  “Me, too,” she said. “I just have a couple of things I have to take care of first, and then, as promised, we’ll spend the day enjoying Chicago and then have a wonderful meal before we head home. I figure I owe you at least a good meal, especially considering all the things you’ve done for me and the others.”

  Blake was disappointed by her statement. He had hoped she had asked him to come to Chicago with her because she really wanted his company and not because she felt she owed him something. He said, firmly and precisely, “You. Do. Not. Owe. Me. Anything.”

  Teddy was quiet, then changed the subject, sensing an alteration in Blake’s disposition. “What a great day for flying.”

  “Yes, it is,” he replied. “You couldn’t have picked a better day to take an early flight to Chicago. Soon, nothing but blue skies and crisp air. In fact, with the wind behind us, we may make it to Chicago earlier than originally planned.”

  “That’s great!”

  “So, what’s on our agenda today?”

  Teddy didn’t know how to respond or how much she should share, but she knew she had to tell him something. And the only thing off the table were her meeting with Lauren and her plans for the box that sat comfortably in the back of the plane.

  “Like I told you last night,” she said, “I have some personal business to attend to when we get there, and I’m meeting with Hershel Wiley.”

  “Reverend Hershel Wiley?” Blake said, surprised.

  “Why, yes. Do you know him?”

  “Yeah, I do. He and I have worked on a few projects together.”

  “Oh, really?” Teddy was now just as interested in what Blake had to say as he had been when she’d mentioned Wiley’s name. “He’s been a friend of my parents for over forty years. In fact, at times, he acts like he’s my father.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Blake said. “I’ve seen him act that way toward others, too. When he thinks you are worth the effort, he makes the investment.”

  “Is that what he did with you?” Teddy said, trying to gauge Blake’s reaction. “Did he make an investment in you?”

  “No,” Blake said, “our relationship was strictly business. I met him at one of his annual economic conventions in New York. I was on a panel talking about economic development and investment practices and he seemed to like what I had to say. After the conference, he asked my opinion on an investment opportunity. I looked it over and determined it wouldn’t yield the type of return he was looking for and in fact, would probably go bust within six months to a year.”

  “What did he say to that?”

  “He said I was extremely confident for a man my age and he was interested in knowing whether I had any stock tips.”

  “Well, did you?” Teddy asked.

  “Yeah, of course I did,” Blake said confidently as he turned to face Teddy. “That’s what I do. So I told him about Clydesdale Energy, and I informed him he would have a better chance with the Clydesdale stock if he had the staying power needed.”

  “How long ago was that?” Teddy asked.

  “It’s been about twenty-five years now and if I may say so myself, it was the best investment he ever made. I can assure you that no matter what you hear about Rev. Hershel Wiley, he is a well-to-do man, thanks to a modest investment and the willingness to invest long term.”

  “So, since you know so much, how much is he worth?” Teddy asked, as if she already knew the answer.

  “If I had to guess, today his portfolio is worth about sixty million.”

  “Really!” Teddy said. “Sixty million. And I suppose you think it’s all because of you?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s all because of me because he had to decide to make the investment. What I will say is that he trusted my advice. And if you don’t believe me, ask him yourself what he thinks about me and my advice.”

  As Teddy pondered Blake’s suggestion, they were hit with a round of strong winds, so uncontrollable that the first instances of the turbulence flung her over and over into Blake’s shoulder.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I am,” she said. “I thought you said that this would be a smooth ride!”

  “It is,” Blake said laughing. “And if I recall, you said to me at our first meeting that you wanted to learn how to fly. Well, this is flying. And unlike commercial airplanes, a Cessna feels the bumps a little sooner and a little harder.”

  “Well, should I brace myself for more? I don’t want to keep hitting you every time we go through a turbulent moment.”

  “Just relax, Agent Alexander,” Blake said. “Just relax. I’ll let you know if we’re about to run into some rough air. And about you hitting me? It’s okay. These shoulders are strong and I can handle this baby. So relax.”

  After about fifteen minutes of smooth flying and breathtaking views, Teddy found herself wondering whether she should include Blake in her conversation with Wiley. At a minimum, she would then be able to determine the depth of their relationship.

  “So, Blake, now that you know what the agenda is, what do you plan on doing?”

  “Well,” he said, “first I’m going to grab a bite to eat, check into a hotel, and then I’m going to do some si
ght-seeing with an old college buddy.”

  “Check into a hotel? But why? We’re not staying all night in Chicago.”

  “I know we’re not,” he said, responding to her tone softly. “But after I do my sight-seeing, I need to be able to go somewhere to rest and freshen up for our dinner. Is that all right with you, Agent Alexander?”

  “Yes.” Teddy realized how stupid and presumptuous she must have sounded. “And oh — by the way — stop calling me Agent Alexander. If I’m aggravating you, just say so and I will try to stop. Anyway, the only reason I asked was because I thought maybe you might want to join me when I go see Hershel. And I only asked about the hotel the way I did because I thought you had forgotten this was a day-trip and not an overnight trip.”

  “Okay, Teddy,” he said calmly. “Obviously we aren’t having fun yet, so let’s start over. I’m sorry for my sarcasm and I’ll stop calling you Agent Alexander. Now, if the offer is still open, I would love to meet with you and Hershel. It will be great to see him again. So, is the offer still on the table?”

  “Yes,” she said. “The offer is still on the table and I apologize, too. I just have a lot on my mind right now and I guess it’s easiest to take out my frustrations on you.”

  For a brief moment Blake felt as if he were in a real relationship with Teddy, one based on an emotional connection and not a business affiliation. Just the fact that she had admitted it was easy for her to take out her frustrations out on him confirmed his suspicions: she had feelings for him, too.

  “Great,” Blake said. “And maybe after our meeting, you and I can go sight-seeing.”

  “Yeah,” she said, staring out the side window. “Maybe we can.” Landing the Cessna woke Teddy up.

  “Wow! We got here early,” she said, looking at her watch.

  “Yeah, we did,” Blake replied as he taxied the plane to the hangar. “We picked up some great tail winds after that turbulence episode, so we cut our time by about thirty minutes.”

  “Well, since we have time, what say you and me grab a bite to eat on our way into the city? The least I can do is buy you breakfast to make up for how I acted on the flight.”

  “Teddy, as I said before, you don’t owe me anything,” Blake said. “We addressed that issue in the air and now have moved on. As far as breakfast is concerned, I would love to have breakfast with you, but I’ve already made other arrangements. Let’s just stick with our plans, all right?” He’d “arranged” to find breakfast himself once he’d settled into the hotel, but she didn’t need to know that.

  Teddy felt slightly rejected. She wasn’t used to receiving too many no’s from anyone, especially a guy, but Blake just wasn’t as predictable as she had thought. “Listen Blake,” she said now gently grabbing his arm. “I know I don’t owe you anything. I just thought that, since we had arrived early, we could eat and I could bring you up to speed about my plans for the meeting with Hershel.”

  Blake had known, when he shut down Teddy’s offer of reconciliation, she would have an issue with it. “I’m sorry, Teddy,” he said. “I didn’t know you had an agenda for your meeting.”

  “Well, why would you know?” she said in her most sarcastic tone. “But, yes, I do have a reason for today’s meeting other than just looking in on him to see how he’s doing. In fact, I see him integrally involved in what we’re doing and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

  “Go on. I’m listening.”

  “So now I have your attention,” she said, still sarcastically. “I’ll bet breakfast sounds pretty good now, too.”

  “You always have my attention,” Blake said casually. “And in regard to Hershel, the excitement you heard in my voice was because I got it. Hershel would be a very powerful and persuasive ally. So, without knowing the details, my tone was a mere reflection of what I initially thought about when you told me you were interested in him working with us. Now, Agent Alexander, are we going to start enjoying this one-day trip, or are we going to spend our entire time trying to read more into each other’s words than is really there?”

  Once again, Blake had Teddy questioning her behavior. But this time, rather than try to go toe-to-toe with him and get the last word, she simply acquiesced.

  The cab ride to the city was quiet, but enjoyable. Both Teddy and Blake seemed to have gotten over their little disagreement and were looking forward to seeing each other later in the day. The cab dropped Blake off on Michigan Avenue at the downtown Hilton, and Teddy went on to meet Lauren at her own home.

  As the driver headed south on Lake Shore Drive, Teddy sat back and enjoyed the ride. It was early summer and the Drive was magnificent. She loved this city; there was none greater. Even at seven in the morning, the city’s most prized possession commanded an audience and attention. People were milling around, walking, riding their bikes, and enjoying Lake Michigan. From the Drive, Teddy could see what she enjoyed the most about the lake — the height of the waves as they bounced off the small rocks bound together in an attempt to hold back their enormous strength. As she watched the waves move effortlessly at the command of the wind, she knew who was in control.

  Being back in Chicago also reminded Teddy how much she missed the city. It was so different from DC. Chicago was a city for the people, whereas DC was a respecter of none. Chicago was her city of refuge, her safety net, and the place she could always return to if she needed to heal. After Isabella’s death, Chicago had been her sanctuary. Now, more than eight years later, Chicago would be the site where the world would learn the truth. Just as it had other major cities, AIDS had hit Chicago hard, and to expose the truth in Chicago felt right.

  The last time Teddy had been at her Chicago home was when she had turned her life over to God. It seemed like years ago. She was so pleased she had welcomed God back into her life and since then, her relationship with Him had only flourished. She was convinced that had she not surrendered and turned her life over, she would not have been able to do what God had planned for her to do. She had found her purpose and had been given the task to warn the world that a group of elite and well-to-do monsters had deliberately created a plan and unleashed a weapon of mass destruction, a weapon that had destroyed lives, ruined families, and increased the rate of disease and death worldwide. Since it was God’s plan for her, she no longer worried. Instead of fear, she now felt determination.

  Teddy arrived at her house just as Lauren was pulling up.

  “Hey, you!” Lauren picked Teddy up and kissed her. “I’m so glad to see you. You look great!”

  “You, too, Lauren,” Teddy said as she stroked her friend’s blonde curly dreads as they fell around her face. “Are you excited about your gig tonight?”

  “Absolutely!” Lauren said. “But I would be even more geeked if I knew you were going to be there. I know this is a business trip for you, but everybody needs a little play in their life. Especially you, Teddy.”

  Teddy wanted to be there but she couldn’t. Since she wasn’t traveling alone, she would have to bring Blake with her, and she just didn’t want to give him the wrong idea by introducing him to her social network.

  “I know, Lauren,” she said. “If I could be there, I would. But this trip won’t allow me to stay that long. I hope you understand?”

  “I understand,” Lauren said, still disappointed. “Anyway, since it’s being broadcast, I’ll make sure you get a copy. The Peas are such a local favorite, they plan on airing the entire concert and that means us, too.”

  “Great, and thanks for understanding, Lauren. I wouldn’t be surprised if you stole the show.”

  “And you know it!” Lauren said, finally showing her swagger. “Just make sure you find time to watch it.”

  One thing for sure, Lauren didn’t lack confidence. She knew music and it was in her. She understood that this was the long-awaited opportunity she had been praying for: her official “I Have Arrived” coming out party.

  “I will,” Teddy said. “I promise.”

  “So, what is it you want to ta
lk about?” Lauren asked. “Let me guess: this has to do with that conspiracy stuff you’ve been working on, right?”

  “Yes, Lauren, it does. And the reason I’m involving you is because you’re the only person I can trust. Believe it or not, Lauren, this journey is finally coming to an end and I have everything I need to expose the conspiracy — and an antidote that can neutralize the weapon.”

  “What weapon?” Lauren asked, confused. “And why are we still standing in the driveway talking?”

  “The weapon is why I want to talk to you,” Teddy said as she carefully picked up the box with the antidote. “What I have to share will affect you, too. Come on; let’s get some tea and go sit in the garden.”

  Once in the backyard garden, Lauren said, “Okay, Teddy, what gives? You are starting to worry me and it’s not good for me to be worried this close to my gig.”

  Once Lauren spoke, it dawned on Teddy that what she had to tell Lauren could have an impact on her musical debut. She just hadn’t thought about it like that. She was on a mission. Seeing Lauren had been important for two reasons. She wanted her to know where the antidote and formula would be kept, and to make sure they got to Blake should something happen to her, but she also wanted to let her know about the phenomenal results the antidote had produced. Teddy knew she had the formula that cured people who were infected and she wanted Lauren to take the antidote.

  But now, she had to switch her plans.

  “Oh, Lauren, honey, I’m sorry,” Teddy said as she reached out for Lauren’s face and stroked it gently. “It was selfish of me to impose on you, especially when you’re getting ready to make your national debut. What I want to share with you can wait. Instead, I’ll fill you in on everything tomorrow. Today is your day and you need to stay focused on tonight’s gig.”