Swindled

by Mayes, June

  “Oops sorry,” a voice slurred behind them and the pressure on Beth’s back fell away. Beth turned in David’s arms and together they stood looking at a curvy blond listing in front of them. Beth raked her mind to remember who the woman was. She knew her but couldn’t for the life of her place the face. Not that the face was staying still enough to easily identify. This woman was putting new meaning into the word sway.

  “Can’t believe it. That he’s gone,” she muttered at them looking through her highly styled fringe. “It issnn’t going to be the same without him,” she slurred with a sniff. “Not going to be stuck in any closets for one. He liked his games he did,” she gave an exaggerated wink and laughed. It sounded scratchy and on the brink of complete break down. Big tears welled up in her eyes and just as Beth took a step forward a man appeared at the woman’s elbow. It was one of Brian’s senior partners. Beth frantically dragged through her mind trying to remember his name. Patrick. Yes that was it she thought relieved that it had come back to her. He gave them an uneasy smile as he handed a tissue to the blond.

  “Hello Patrick,” Beth said. “How are you keeping up?”

  “Patrick Preston,” he said nodding and reached out a hand to shake David’s hand. “I’m sorry about this,” he continued to Beth. “Tina has been hit hard by Brian’s passing. I’ll just make sure she gets a taxi home.” He steered a now crying Tina toward the front door while Beth stood back in the shelter of David’s arms watching them. She remembered who Tina was. She was the junior secretary in the company and as rumour had it Brian’s latest conquest. Tina’s attributes were more physical then mental but she did look upset. Beth wondered what she could do to make it easier for her. It wasn’t Tina’s fault after all that she had been one of Brian’s playthings, the last of a long string of them.

  “Stuck in closets?” David murmured into her ear, a question in his voice.

  Beth patted the hand he had put around her waist, “There is actually a logical explanation… or at least an explanation.” And, Beth thought, it cleared up who belonged to the bra in Brian’s closet. She would have to remember to tell the girls she thought. At least they had solved one small mystery from their adventure.

  “And?” he asked a smile in his voice.

  “Well there was this closet and a bra and Karin and I and oh it’s a long story,” she responded waving a dismissive hand. She leaned a bit more against David relishing the feel of his warm body against hers. Beth marvelled how easy it was to relax against him. It felt like she had known him for years. They fit together.

  “I’m all ears,” David said with a smile in his voice. He was obviously enjoying their closeness as much as she was as he was showing no sign of releasing her. Beth smiled. He also sounded like he was going to get the story out of her one way or another.

  “I bet you are but it’s a long story and I have to deal with all these guests,” Beth trailed off looking around. She sighed. It was time to go back to work.

  “Go do the hostess thing,” David said understanding her reluctance to head back into the foray. “I’ll pay my respects,” he added as they moved slowly apart.

  “Will I see you later?” Beth asked hating that she needed to know. She wanted to keep David close now that he was here. She wanted to tell him everything and share with him. It seemed so unfair that just as they were thrown together again, life interrupted. She had to get back to the guests. The funeral was the last thing she and Vickie could do for Brian as a family and they had promised that they would do it right. That meant there was no help for it and she would have to move on. After she had paid her dues though, well that was another story.

  “Oh yes. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we have a normal conversation,” David said with a laugh as he gently rubbed her back. She was surprised how much she enjoyed it. Far too much in fact, she could get use to this.

  “This one didn’t count?” Beth raised an eyebrow and leaning back to get a better look at him. So he was planning on sticking around was he?

  “No this one didn’t count,” he replied giving her a wink and smiling. “And I will need the details of the story about you, a closet, a bra and Karin.” Beth laughed with him drawing more frowning looks from the so called mourning guests. She rested her forehead against his chest for a moment just relishing the support. It was a moments reprieve from facing the rest of the day.

  She waved towards the living room and said, “The body is in there.” Regretfully they parted and David went into the front room shooting one last look over his shoulder at her. She stood for a minute in the hall ignoring the occasional comment from a passing mourner. She was fed up with it all. She was surrounded by a pack of money hungry beggars with the occasional pocket of humanity scattered between. It was exhausting. All Beth wanted to do was take the time to talk to David. Was that really too much to ask?

  Turning back toward the kitchen, Beth suddenly spotted someone she needed to talk to amongst the crowd of people. Michael Wade. Just the very man that she needed to speak to, just the man who could tell all these wonderful people just what Brian had done with their money. Perfect. She let a small contented smile escape.

  Walking quietly up behind him, she said, “Have you figured out how you’re going to get us out of the mess yet?” Michael choked on the cocktail sausage he had just shoved in his mouth and swung around.

  “Nnnnoo. Not yet,” he finally managed to stutter looking sheepish. “But I’m working on it,” he rushed to reassure her his face flushed a dark red from the choking fit and sheer embarrassment. One of the best numbers men in the business and he had stitched himself up so well that he hadn’t figured a way out yet. There was a sick and twisted irony to that Beth thought.

  “I didn’t think so,” she replied breathing an exaggerated sigh. “There is just no such thing as a knight in shining armour anymore.” She patted Michael on the arm and said, “Well do the best you can. Oh and in the meantime,” Beth added as a seeming after thought just as she turned away. “Could you explain to Mr. Brough exactly what happened to the funds he invested with Brian?” She gently tugged the sleeve of a man standing at the buffet. Short and balding he looked innocuous enough but he happened to be one of Brian’s more irate clients. He was also more then happy to express his feelings on the matter. Peter Brough had pounced on Beth within minutes of arrival, incensed that Brian had stashed Peter’s money ‘someplace’ and that Brian had not had the decency of telling anyone where. Peter Brough was not a happy man. Perfect Beth thought wickedly.

  “I believe you handled that transaction,” Beth added as she stepped back. She walked away smiling to herself. The two of them deserved each other. Poor Michael, she thought, he was going to have a lot of explaining to do. There were several other people who had overheard her comment descending on the hapless accountant in search of their missing funds. Revenge was sweet.

  Finally twenty minutes later, Beth realised that she had spoken to nearly everyone there and that she, at last, had done everything that was expected of her. The caterers were handling all food decisions, the bar was running without any glitches, the funeral parlour team were keeping a watchful eye on the mourners and generally everything was in full swing. Wine was flowing despite the early hour and there was a general buzz as people talked and ate. Mourning aside, the party was looking to be a success.

  Chapter 31

  A few minutes later Beth was walking up three flights of stairs. She had managed to find Vickie and Scott to tell them the news about the sales director. Amid a great deal of excitement she had even managed to fend off the last advances of Brian’s numerous friends and had shaken hands with the last of the crooks. Her job today was well and truly done. She had even taken the time to say one last goodbye to Brian. The funeral team would take the body after the last of the guests departed so they wouldn’t, once again, have to sleep with a dead body under their roof.

  Looking down at Brian’s body Beth realised that what remained didn’t look like Brian anymo
re. His personality had overshadowed his looks and in death he looked far more harmless then he had ever been in life. She wouldn’t miss him but she did regret that he was gone. She shook her head. She was exhausted.

  Beth was walking upstairs to give herself a chance to calm her nerves and reflect before she headed back into the crowds to find David. Beth figured she could take a shower and meet him feeling much more herself. It might even give her a second wind. Beth wanted to see David face to face again and she wanted to relish every moment of it so she needed to feel refreshed. Her blood just pounded at the thought of him. It was time to sit down and find out just what this attraction was all about.

  She reached the top of the house and heaved a relieved sigh. This floor was all hers. It was her place and quiet despite the funeral still going on downstairs. Beth had left all the day’s thoughts downstairs. Everyone there was happily stabbing one another in the back and as long as there wasn’t any actual stabbing taking place Beth was content to leave them to it. Vickie and Scott would watch out for any blood shed emergencies. Beth rubbed a hand over her eyes and headed into her sitting room. She wondered how long the people downstairs would stay.

  *

  David headed into the front room where the body was laid out. It all looked legit he decided as he made his way over to the coffin. Stopping and chatting to the occasional guest on his way through the crowds, David was relived to finally reach the dearly deceased. Glancing over his shoulder he reached into the coffin. While checking for a pulse on a dead man may not be the most logical thing to do somehow in this case it was justified.

  “You’re the fifth person to do that today,” said a youngish sounding voice to his left. David glanced over. The guy who had spoken was about twenty and had a name badge pinned to the top pocket of his dark suit. One of the funeral staff. The expression on the guy’s face was incredulous. He must think it was some sort of family tradition for the dead to be checked for any signs of life.

  “He was one of the best crooks in the business,” David explained patiently. The kid had the right to know. “We just need to make sure he is really dead and gone.” He gave the guy a grin and watched as recognition flittered across that young face. He loved it when this happened. For some reason once they knew who he was, no-one ever seemed to question what he was doing. He could have taken a stake and driven it through Brian’s dead heart and this kid would probably help clean up any spilt blood. Come to think of it maybe staking Brian would be the prudent thing to do. David looked down at the body again and raised a speculative eyebrow.

  “Whatever you say S.. s… sir,” the lad stuttered back making David look his way again. He looked ready to faint and nervously plucked at the sleeves of his jacket. Before he could work up the nerve to ask for an autograph and before David gave in to the urge to turn vampire slayer, David turned and surveyed the room.

  He felt a smile break over his face as he spotted what had to be Beth’s friends. They, like Beth, were wearing revealing satin numbers which ensured that no man within a ten foot radius would remember his own name. David glanced around. Where there were two there were bound to be a third. Ah yes. Standing with her back pressed against the wall and a polite sweet expression on her face was a lovely Asian woman. She was watching the hand gestures of the man speaking to her and every now and then wincing slightly as one of his larger then life explanations caused spit to rain into her drink. David headed over.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said not sorry at all as he broke through the man’s focused explanation to Bee’s breasts just why she should think of investing in over-priced real estate. “But this lady is needed elsewhere.” David offered Bee a way around the fellow and together they moved away after Bee murmured a quiet apology.

  “Hello David. You are my hero today,” she said with a smile of recognition. “Unlike some I could mention,” she continued as they walked toward Charlotte and Karin. He laughed. He felt like he would have recognised Beth’s friend’s even if they had been passing strangers on a street. They were almost as unique as Beth herself. Bee introduced him to Karin and Charlotte who had the silliest grins on their faces. Turning to her friend, Charlotte handed Karin a ten pound note. David raised an eyebrow at them.

  “I didn’t think you would find her for at least another week,” Charlotte said with a shrug. The tilt of her shoulders literally stopped the waiter who was passing by in his tracks. He seemed mesmerised by the tiny glint of bronze reflecting off Charlotte’s halter top. She, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the attention, as were her two friends. They watched David with beaming smiles. No man stands a chance with these women around, he thought.

  “And you figured I would find her sooner?” David asked Karin raising an eyebrow.

  “Nothing steps in the way of Fate,” Karin sniggered, nodding in agreement. “There was no way in the world the two of you were going to be kept apart.” The three friends all laughed as David rolled his eyes. He didn’t dare say anything. Fate, if there was such a thing, definitely had him in the good books. Not only had it thrust Beth into his arms the first time he met her, fate had managed somehow to bring them face together again, believe it or not.

  David didn’t get a chance to chat with Beth’s friends for long. The surrounding men who had been waiting for a bit of attention finally lost patience. They were moving from the passive to the more active attack. David smiled, pitying the poor misguided fools. These three women could more then handle what came their way he decided as he extracted himself. He liked them he realised and looked forward to getting to know them better. First however it was time to find Beth and get to know her a bit better. Just as he turned away, Karin caught his arm.

  “Beth lives in a flat at the top of the house,” she said with a gentle smile. ‘It would probably be easier to talk to her there rather then amongst the morbid.” David thanked her quietly as her attention was pulled away again. He walked away feeling cheerful. He was going to see Beth again.

  The base of the stairs had a wide black ribbon tied across to stop people from wandering into the upstairs of the house. David was just about to step over it when he glanced up to see Beth heading down the hallway. His heart sped up for a moment then just as quickly his heart slowed down again. It wasn’t Beth. He watched the woman steer her way closer through the crowd. Following her was a tall blond man with an open face and ready smile. This had to be Beth’s sister David realised. Beth had mentioned her twin, Vickie and husband Scott but he hadn’t realised they were identical. It had never even occurred to him that they might be.

  Just then as the crowd shifted David saw that Vickie was heavily pregnant, hence her slow progress toward the kitchen and past where he stood. David felt a kick in his gut. In a flash he could see Beth pregnant with his child. He wanted that. Everything around him stopped. He couldn’t hear the sounds of conversation, the shuffle as people wandered past. It was as if time had stopped. When had it gotten that serious he thought? He had fallen for her hook line and sinker he realised a split second later. They may have only have just met but all he wanted was her in his life. It felt right. He just needed to convince Beth of that.

  David blinked allowing sound and sight to come back. Vickie had just made it the base of the stairs and was smiling up at him with a heart-wrenchingly familiar smile.

  “You must be David,” she said as her husband gazed fondly down at his wife. He was a man clearly besotted David decided. He wondered if he watched Beth with the same look in his eye. He probably did David admitted.

  “That’s me,” David replied smiling helplessly back at Vickie and Scott. These two were incredibly important in Beth’s life. If he was going to convince her that they were meant to be together then surely these were the two that he needed on his side. The problem was that David couldn’t get his nerves calm enough to function. At the thought of Beth pregnant his entire body sparked to life and felt out of his control. He felt light and couldn’t get himself to concentrate. He wanted to
see Beth, hold her, talk to her. He wanted to see her now.

  David managed to get through the introductions with Scott and exchange a few pleasantries but he was distracted. He kept glancing around to see if he could find Beth. He was aware of the faint amusement in both Vickie and Scott’s faces but he could bring himself to care. At another time or in anther place he knew they would be friends. He registered that they were good people but at this moment his mind was consumed by Beth. He was acting like a love sick puppy. David watched as Scott gently prodded his wife toward the kitchen again as if from a great distance. As they departed Scott slapped David on the back and gave a low chuckle.

  “You’ve got her in your blood haven’t you?” Scott shook his head. “Once these Grants have you there is nothing to do but surrender and enjoy.” Still chuckling softly at David’s expression Scott wandered away with his wife as she gave David a wink. They were amazing women, David had to agree. He watched Vickie walk away and couldn’t help wondering if this be what Beth looked like when she was pregnant with his child?

  *

  One minute Beth was heading toward her couch and the next minute she was flying through the air with the wind whistled past her ears. Okay it wasn’t whistling but she was definitely flying Beth thought for the brief seconds after launch. Then she was landing face first on her couch. How elegant she thought, lifting her head up. She looked over her shoulder and spotted a brown worn leather carrier bag by the end of the coffee table. A soft chuckling filled the room. That warm deep sound was very familiar and melted ever bone in Beth’s body. Across from her, sitting in the big easy chair was David looking insanely handsome and illegally sexy.

  “You really are the clumsiest woman I’ve ever seen,” David said shaking his head in mock despair.

  “How can you say that?” Beth asked trying desperately to pull her flailing limbs together and heave herself out of the soft feather cushions to a semi upright position. She brushed a loose hair from her face and looked across at David.