Just Like That

by Karin Kallmaker

  “Since when?”

  Unused to him prying into her personal affairs, Toni didn’t keep her surprise out of her voice. “Since about an hour ago. Why?”

  “She called this morning, asking if I thought investing in Bookworthy was going to be worth it. I didn’t know it was a rush—”

  “It wasn’t. What did you tell her?”

  “I said I didn’t think it would pencil and you’d pass on it. She said okay and that was that.”

  She thanked Kyle absentmindedly for the information, reluctant to make any link between Mira’s conversation with Kyle and her pronouncement at dinner.

  For a short while she gazed across Central Park, watching the lights change and the traffic flow below her. She could only think of a long list of things she ought to do and feel. She ought to make plans that celebrated being single again. Take a short trip, reassure herself she liked solitude. She ought to be angry, or hurt, or crushed.

  She was saved from making a decision about her emotional state by the ringing of her home phone. Since most of her business contacts went through her cell, it was probably a telemarketer.

  “How are you, little girl?”

  “Daddy! To what do I owe this honor, your honor?”

  “We’ll get to that. First, how are you? How did that business in Georgia end up?”

  “Not well. Everyone was too stubborn. Nobody wanted to believe it was share some sacrifice or all sink together, not until the water was over their heads.”

  “That’s a pity. I know you had high hopes.”

  Fifteen hundred jobs gone overnight, Toni reflected. She’d hoped to save a third of them with the workout proposal, but sometimes things just didn’t happen. “I did, yeah. So did the rest of my team. How’s Carlyle?”

  “Getting old, like me. It’s easier on a dog, though. At least he gets to sleep most of the day. I’ve found people notice if I nod off in court.”

  “You need to perfect sleeping with your eyes open.”

  He sighed. “I’ve tried, little girl, I’ve tried.”

  “So…what’s up?” Toni relaxed into the sofa.

  “I had a call earlier from an old, old friend. A very nice fellow, a country gentleman, you might say. Met him at Oregon. His family owned a winery—guess it’s all his now.”

  “Mmm-hmm?” She kicked off her heels and rubbed her aching toes.

  “Seems you’re on your way to visit his place. Ardani Vineyard?”

  “I am?” Holding back a sigh, she stretched for her Blackberry.

  “Northern California. Receivership review.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know it was a winery. After a while, all the cases seem alike.” A business was a business, Toni thought, though you couldn’t convince any owner of that fact. The basic principles applied across every corporation. “Why did he call?”

  “He recognized your name from Christmas letters from me, I guess.”

  Toni frowned. “Did he think you’d have some influence over my work?”

  “I think he thought I somehow got you appointed on his behalf.”

  “Right. The receivership court is in Delaware.”

  “I don’t think the subtlety of that is something Anthony Ardani would appreciate.”

  “Then he’s got no business running a corporation.” Toni shrugged. “I always try to do what I can for the principals, but I’m working for the court.”

  “I know that. All I told him was that I’d give you a call, and I am. Thing is, he’s a nice guy. He introduced me to your mother.”

  “Oh.” Hell. Sentiment had no place in the kind of decisions she made.

  “His daughter is in the business with him now. She was in Europe for several years.”

  How lucky for her. Living the good life while the family business failed—how typical. Home now that the money had run out? “I’ll do what I can.”

  “We have one thing in common, that’s for sure. We both think we have the most beautiful daughter on the planet, and both of you are gay. So maybe you and his daughter will be able to work together.”

  As if Toni had any intention of getting involved with anyone anytime soon. Let alone some debutante fresh from her European tour. “There’s no secret gay language that guarantees that, Daddy.”

  “I know that. I did meet her once when she was two or three. You must have been twelve—the year you went to your mother’s retreat for the summer.”

  “I remember.”

  “They tried for years and ended up with a sweet little girl. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s grown up to be Sophia Loren. She had the eyes for it.”

  Great. Some debutante with fine eyes. “Maybe she remembers you.”

  “I doubt it. Too young, and that was the year her mother died. I was there for the funeral. Anthony and I corresponded fairly regularly at that time. Then we drifted apart. He buried himself in the winery.”

  And you buried yourself in the law, Toni wanted to say, when Mom died the following year. “I’m sure he’s a very nice man.” Business was overflowing with nice people who had not a clue how to keep their enterprise running.

  “Well, I hope that whatever it is you have to do, Bill and Syrah come out of it okay.”

  “Sir-rah?”

  “His daughter.”

  “Is that Italian? Sir-ah?”

  “No, I think it derives from French—at least the grapes by that name come from France.”

  The debutante with the fine eyes was named after a grape. How quaint. “I see.”

  They chatted a little while longer about more general topics, but Toni found herself afterward feeling annoyed and agitated. How dare someone call her father for intercession in a business deal? She’d get to California and discover, like she always did, that business had been bad, money was spent on the wrong things, and nobody wanted to take the blame. Just like in Georgia, everyone would be stubborn and, in the end, everyone would lose. Nobody cared about anyone else, just their own skin. These Ardani people were just like everyone else.

  Her mood had not improved much by the morning, but she arrived at the small Midtown office they called the bullpen by nine.

  Toni pushed open the door, reflecting as always that it didn’t look much like the consulting offices of a multi-million-dollar firm, to be sure. Only the administrative staff had permanent workstations, while the rest of them worked from home offices or were on the road too much to need a base. Toni skirted a pile of luggage near the door and took note of Sanje and Mike, both gesticulating as they talked on their cell phones. Crystal and Bobby were sipping from tall coffeehouse mugs as they pecked away at their keyboards.

  “Hi, all. Who’s leaving? Or just getting back?”

  “Those are mine,” Crystal volunteered. “My flight to Fairbanks was delayed so I thought I’d stop in.”

  “Fairbanks, that’s right.” Toni gave Crystal a steady look. “You’ll be just fine if you’ve got a parka.”

  Crystal, oddly, wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Parka and boots—got them both.”

  Valerie, Barth and Tracy, the Queens of Admin, appeared from their respective cubicles waving hot sheets.

  “Be with you in a second. General announcement, everybody, just an FYI. Mira and I have decided not to see each other any longer. I know a lot of you chatted with her, so feel free to continue contact with her. I just thought you ought to know.” Toni finished her speech and was about to turn to the waiting cluster of admin staff when Crystal leapt up with a gasp.

  “It’s okay, I just spilled my coffee. Damn.” She blotted at her desk with a wad of napkins, trying to capture the runoff. Hundreds of deli napkins appeared from desk drawers. “I’m sorry about the carpet.”

  “No worry—if you let it keep dripping it’ll cover up the ink stain.” Toni waved Valerie into her office and settled into her desk chair as she rapidly reviewed the call sheet that Valerie proffered. “Tell Henry that for something at this level of urgency, he can call me direct. I’d have talked to him last night.”

/>   “He’s new. He’s still afraid of you. Thinks you’re going to fire him or something.”

  “I keep reminding him he works for himself. I’m just the fixer.”

  “He’ll get the hang of it.” Valerie pushed her glasses back up her long nose. “Sorry about Mira.”

  “Don’t be. It was overdue, really.” She ran her gaze down the list a second time, just to be sure nothing required her immediate callback. Their loose-knit group operated on a system of trust: you needed help, you asked and you got it. Consulting and finders’ fees for ailing businesses were their bread and butter. “Oh, a call from Doc Burbidge.”

  “Yeah, said he needs a word of advice.” Valerie gave a contained but obvious wiggle.

  It was the best news she’d had in the last twenty-four hours. Doc’s requests for advice almost always led to large contracts. “I’ll call him at nine-thirty. Would you let his assistant know?”

  She was about to ask Barth to bring in his list when Crystal appeared in the doorway.

  “What can I do for you?”

  Crystal closed the office door, which brought Toni’s eyebrows up. “I need a private word.”

  Puzzled, Toni waved at the chair and watched Crystal carefully perch on the edge. “What’s up?”

  “It’s about Mira. She called me last night.”

  “Did she?” Toni knew that Mira and Crystal occasionally went out for drinks but had presumed it was innocent since Crystal was married. “What was the call about?”

  “She, uh—I feel like a fool, except she’s been…I mean…Robert and I were having problems, and slowly breaking up, and she listened.”

  “I didn’t realize you and Robert were separating. I’m sorry.” Toni kicked herself for not noticing the new fine lines around Crystal’s eyes.

  Crystal swallowed hard, then rushed on. “It’s okay. Almost old news, now. I should have told you. Anyway, she said she couldn’t get a hold of you and had to go home to settle a business deal right away, and she needed cash. She knew I’d just gotten the payout from Bronson.”

  “She didn’t say we’d broken up?” Toni wanted to ask how much money Mira had asked for, but Crystal obviously had more to tell.

  “No. And, well, she said…”

  “Yes?”

  “She said you’d covered her before and knew about this but had forgotten to leave a check and she couldn’t locate you and her flight was going out at midnight.”

  Toni felt as if her heart had stilled. “She said I’d pay you back, is that it?”

  Crystal nodded. “It was a lie, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And I was supposed to be gone this morning but my flight was delayed. She counted on my not being able to talk to you.” Crystal blinked rapidly, her eyes glistening with tears. “I can’t believe she lied to me. I feel like…such an idiot.”

  “I’ll cover it and believe me, I’ll get it back from her.” So much for wondering about her emotional state—Toni could feel anger starting to pulse in her fingertips.

  Crystal wiped away a tear. “I thought it was too good to be true. Someone like her. I mean, she’s rich and titled, and British, and when I said I thought maybe I liked women, too, she listened. And didn’t act like I was sick.”

  You could have talked to me, Toni thought. Then she had to ask herself if that was really true. She’d mentored Crystal through the years, giving her all the benefit of her experience. But what if Crystal had hinted of personal problems? She didn’t have time to play therapist. “Mira is a good listener.”

  “So last night I met her at this place in the Village and gave her a check. And…”

  Uh-oh, Toni thought. Oh, please no.

  “And we…she had to leave for the airport and said she wouldn’t be back for several weeks and she’d miss me. And she didn’t expect to feel so sad. And…”

  Toni closed her eyes. Mira must have gone to Crystal after the restaurant. If I’d stayed, she might have asked me for the money. But instead, she used Crystal. Then, in a hurt rush, Toni remembered the first time she’d been with Mira. How irresistible, how heady, how sexy and forbidden it had been. “Were you by any chance in the ladies’ room when she said that?”

  “Yes, we were alone. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have, and I couldn’t think.”

  Quick and fast, hard kisses and a steady, sure hand. Toni felt slightly ill.

  More tears trickled down Crystal’s cheeks. “I’d had a drink and my head was pounding, and I’m not excusing myself. I said yes. I felt terrible after, because of you. I didn’t sleep at all, and thought I’d be on a plane, then I realized I’d have to face you.”

  “That’s what Mira thought, too. That by the time we were face-to-face, you wouldn’t feel…conflicted.”

  “I’m so sorry, Toni. You don’t have to cover the money. I’ve been a fool.” Crystal rose shakily and hurried toward the door.

  Toni quickly cut her off, back against the heavy oak. “Crystal, please. Mira—I don’t know what her game was with you. But not all women are like that. And I’ll cover the money.” She took Crystal’s hands. “You know how we say take emotion out of the deal and then what to do with the money becomes clear? I think in this case if we take money out of the deal for you, what to do with the emotions will be more obvious to you.”

  Crystal gave a little sob and Toni had to put her arms around her. She was like a little hurt bird. Toni thought again that if she hadn’t walked out on Mira, none of this would have happened.

  Crystal mumbled, “It’s thirty thousand dollars, Toni. How could I have just handed it over like that?”

  “Because she had all the right moves.” It was chump change to Mira. Mira didn’t care that Crystal had worked herself to a frazzle on the Bronson merger and was still paying off her Harvard loans. “It’s okay. I’ll have Kyle transfer the money and you can do some serious thinking about who you are and what you want in your future while you’re in Alaska.”

  Crystal nodded and gratefully accepted the tissue Toni snagged from her desk drawer. “Part of me, after she left, part of me felt like I finally made sense. But right now, I’m so confused.”

  “Take your time. You’re gone a week, right? Just take your time.” Toni didn’t know what to do with her own emotions at the moment. She knew she was angry, but it felt far away. Too hot to touch. She tried for a comforting smile. “But stay out of ladies’ rooms.”

  Crystal made an attempt at a laugh. “Who knew?”

  I did, Toni wanted to say. She could have told her Mira liked to pounce in semi-public places. But she never talked with Crystal about that kind of thing. “I certainly didn’t know Mira was capable of this.”

  Crystal gave her nose one last wipe and Toni let her leave. She would find Mira and somehow…it wasn’t the money. Crystal had been lied to and her trust abused.

  The intercom chirped and Barth announced it was time for her nine-thirty call to Doc Burbidge. She picked up the line and heard it click through. Moments later she was focused on what Doc wanted, but a part of her was trying to figure out what to do about Mira.

  The call ended well, with a request for a proposal to analyze the validity of a merger in which Doc had a majority shareholder’s interest. She wrote the particulars down automatically, sent them off to Valerie to record and post. She had come to no conclusion about Mira, however, which rankled. Mira had told both of them she was going home, but that, too, could have been a lie.

  The intercom chirped again and Barth said, “Sorry, boss, it’s Rafi. Something about a car and not knowing what to do about Mira. I didn’t know what to tell him.”

  Toni’s stomach did a strange twisting swirl. “Sorry you’re in the middle of that. I’ll take it.” She snatched up the handset. “Rafi, what’s the problem?”

  “Well, Kyle he call this morning and said, uh, Miss Wickham no more car. But she call and insist and say it a mistake. I don’t want you mad.”

  “Sorry, Rafi. Did she say where to pick her up?”
>
  “Omni, Central Park. She want to go JFK.”

  “Tell her you’ll be there promptly. But pick me up first.”

  Chapter 3

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Syrah said, infusing every word with as much sincerity as she could.

  If Missy Bingley was having to try as hard to be courteous, it didn’t show. Her broad smile was all too engaging and Syrah felt her intention to dislike the woman slip a little. “And you, too. I’ve not been in the area for very long, but everyone told me I had to get to Ardani. I think this is where I confess I know nothing about wine and throw myself on your mercy.”

  Syrah gestured at the tasting counter. “Step right up.”

  “Now, what is it that makes this a tasting room and not a wine bar?”

  “Do you want the boring legalities while you sip our two-year-old Chardonnay? It’s a good place to start. Light, fruity. There was late rain that year so you might get a hint of sweet molds after the mild acidity.”

  “I will never get the hang of all the wine lingo. And yes, bore me with legalities.” Missy set her handbag, as petite and trim as the rest of her, on the old oak bar.

  “The lingo of wine is easier once you’ve tasted a lot of variety. We’re not selling you a full glass of wine, just a taste, that’s one legality. And you’ve already noticed there’s no place to sit. The assumption is you’re here to taste and will move on fairly quickly. We’re also not licensed to sell food. Just to let you taste our wine and shop in our little store.”

  The couple at the end of the bar, a picnic hamper between them, gestured. “We’ll take the ’oh-three Cabernet and the ’oh-two reserve. It’s wonderful.”

  Syrah nodded. “Be right with.” She watched Missy taste the Chardonnay and recognized a few signs that Missy knew a little more about wine than she let on. “There is a small fee for the tasting, but we’ll only charge that if you don’t buy a bottle of wine.”

  “This is delicious,” Missy said. “A little bite on the end, but it eases off on the way down.”

  “That’s the late rain talking.” Syrah went around the bar to the store that shared the rest of the tasting room’s space, picking out the two bottles the couple had requested. “Do you need me to wrap these for you?”