Only the Strongest Survive

by Ian Fox

  “Yes,” she said with defiance in her voice.

  *

  The next day they barely spoke. Emely only told him the essentials: “Buy a hundred lots of KMM shares at three hundred and sixty dollars, sell twenty-five lots of Royal Simp shares at one thousand two hundred and sixty dollars, immediately sell all the Mico Chips bonds,” etc. She was angry and wanted John to know it.

  He noticed that she was sulking, but he didn’t care and let her brood.

  Damn idiot. Sitting here like a security guard, she thought.

  *

  The hours dragged on as they could barely wait for trading to close for the day. When it did, John jumped up as if on springs and disappeared without a word.

  Let him go and never come back, she thought.

  John interpreted her attitude as superior and as if she were the only one in the whole world.

  *

  In the afternoon, John took a nap. When he woke up, he was full of energy and went into the woods. He walked on the dead leaves, enjoying the feeling of his feet sinking into the soft earth. His eyes rested on the green pine trees. Swallows joyfully played above the trees, twittering pleasantly. It was a truly glorious day.

  He inhaled the forest air, trying to keep it in his lungs for as long as possible. Overflowing with life, he wanted to be able to share all these pleasures with someone. He thought of Emely. In the late afternoon I could invite her for a short walk. It would do her good and Ronald definitely wouldn’t come at that time. He took another deep breath so that his nostrils made a loud whistling noise.

  No, I won’t invite her. He remembered the argument the day before. Let her rot in her room, I don’t need her.

  He decided to prolong the walk into a longer wander and went deeper into the woods. The farther he went, the less light there was. The trees were so close together that only a few rays of sunshine could reach the ground. And the farther he went, the more aware he became of just how lonely he was.

  Mushrooms grew here and there and he looked at their various colors and shapes. This is a paradise for mushroom pickers.

  Hardly anyone strayed into this part of the woods, as those not familiar with them would get lost. There were no roads along which you could drive in an ordinary car. All the tree roots and other obstacles could only be overcome by an off-road vehicle.

  We could pick mushrooms together. About half an hour’s walk from here there’s a beautiful waterfall above a small pond. We could swim there together. He jumped up in joy a few times like a child. And then we could lie together in the sun to dry off.

  Over two hours went by, when he finally decided to go back. The long walk and all the fresh air made a hole in his stomach. I’ve got to cook some dinner for us.

  *

  Emely was so annoyed after John had left that she couldn’t go to sleep for her usual afternoon nap.

  She was looking at various financial magazines, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Let him go to hell, that idiot. She felt like a hot volcano that was unable to erupt. She decided not to talk to John anymore, but to ignore him in order to indicate that he couldn’t treat her like that. Even though I’m a prisoner, I deserve a certain amount of respect. Letting me wait all day in this room really is despicable. No normal person would be able to take it.

  When it was five o’clock, she looked at her watch again. Where is he? I’ll go crazy in this hole.

  She began pacing up and down out of sheer rage and then she did a few squats. Lying down on her stomach, she did fifteen pushups without supporting herself on her knees. Next she did a headstand. While in this awkward position, she looked at the time and collapsed with anger. When she heard noises in the house, she felt like banging on the door.

  *

  The door opened an hour later. Emely was sitting on her chair, perfectly calm, and slowly looked up at him, pretending to be in the middle of some important work. But inside she was about to explode.

  “You must be hungry,” he said with a smile. “Let’s go to the dining room.”

  She looked at him from behind, observing his way of walking. Like a cowboy. What a redneck. Then she caught herself watching his behind. As usual he was wearing a pair of jeans and a simple white T-shirt.

  She jumped up and followed him down the corridor that led to the stairs, looking everywhere but at him, still brewing her anger.

  Due to carelessness she stepped awkwardly on the sixth step and lost her balance. She squealed and waved her arms, yelling, “I’m falling!”

  John turned within a split second and caught her just in time. “Got you.”

  Her face was bright-red. They were so close she could smell the soap on his body. She trembled from head to toe, then immediately straightened up, looking at the floor like a little girl. She didn’t want him to see the embarrassment on her face.

  “Will you manage or shall I carry you to the dining room?” he said jokingly.

  “Yes, I’ll manage,” she told him, still looking down. She was angry at herself for having been careless.

  When they reached the top of the stairs she went to the bathroom, feeling upset with herself. Her heartbeat had not slowed down yet and the red flush on her cheeks was still there. If no one could hear her, she would have screamed.

  In the bathroom, she sniffed all the shampoos and soaps, and finally found the shower gel that John must have used. She squeezed the bottle and inhaled the scent, then decided to use it too.

  After a hot shower she felt much better and the unpleasant tension inside her went away. It would be pointless if she continued sulking; it would spoil the pleasant atmosphere. As if nothing had happened, she sat at the table and closed her eyes in order to guess only with the help of her nose what was on the table.

  “I had a walk in the woods today,” John said.

  “Oh, yes?”

  “It was very nice.” He looked down, feeling awkward. “If you want, you could come with me sometime.”

  She couldn’t believe her ears. Only that morning he had been insolent and bristly, and now he was inviting her for a walk. She thought about the trees surrounding the house. She had been in that basement for a few weeks now and a thought of seeing the sun, the sky, and everything else seemed almost like a fairy tale. Until now all she had been able to do was look out the window, but even that was covered in thick net curtains.

  “It must be beautiful at this time of year,” she said.

  “It’s charming. Flowers competing in beauty, even the bushes are flowering and the treetops are at their thickest. Not far away there’s a small waterfall, which ….” He wanted to tell her about his idea of swimming, but changed his mind. If he proposed that, she’d definitely get the wrong idea of what he meant.

  “I’m sure to like it.”

  “Let’s have a drink.”

  The evening was pleasant. They had their fill of food and later talked on the terrace until nearly midnight. Emely was overjoyed to be able to stay out in the fresh air. By allowing her to be with him on the terrace, John had made her feel happier than if he had given her a diamond ring. While they were talking, they could hear the calls of nocturnal animals in the woods, observe moths flying into the light, and spot shooting stars in the clear skies. The evening seemed almost magical to Emely. Never before had she enjoyed observing nature and the night skies quite so much.

  If John had not suggested retiring, she would have never gone in. This was the first evening she went to bed in a good mood. Until now she had either cried or felt depressed. She was sure that the outside alarm would wake her in a few minutes, so she read for a while to postpone falling asleep.

  *

  John was overflowing with energy. Even though it was already after midnight, he felt like going into town and enhancing the evening even further with one of the women. He got his cell phone and put it to his ear, when he thought, I’m so tired in the morning, after a night out.

  Slowly and deep in thought he set off for his room. He did feel slightly sleepy. When h
e covered himself, his thoughts were still with Emely. He remembered how he had caught her on the stairs and held her close. She seemed so fragile and sensitive. Closing his eyes, he tried to relive those moments. It had all happened within a few seconds, but he could remember every detail. Her blue eyes, wide open from fear, her sensuous lips parted, her long hair flying all over due to the swift movement and then immediately rearranging itself into its original shape. There were many other details he could describe. The incident had lasted only a few moments, but he knew that they would always remain in slow motion in his memory.

  Chapter 11

  _______________________

  Blake Crouse came home exhausted as usual and hungry to boot. His stomach, which had recently regularly been ignored, was loudly drawing his attention to its needs. So he opened the fridge only to find that there wasn’t much in it: some old bread, butter, yogurt, and eggs. Not feeling like going out again, he decided to boil some eggs.

  After he satisfied his hunger, he lay down on his favorite couch and switched on the television. Without his being aware of it, his thoughts focused on Emely. Remembering the dance where he had seen her for the first time after she became an adult brought a smile to his face.

  *

  His eyes followed her as she twirled in her high heels like a ballet dancer. The tight dark-blue dress showed off her supple and well-toned body that floated around the dance hall, taking people’s breath away. Everyone was looking at her, even those who pretended that they weren’t.

  This was at the Garden Ball in Miami, organized every year by the businessman George Baldwin. Only the most prestigious were invited. Emely Donnovan didn’t belong among them since her company only had eight employees at the time. But she was lucky enough to have managed to persuade Baldwin’s company, LMK, to invest some of its capital in her company. Within a few months she had increased its value by over 10 percent, which made Baldwin decide to increase his investment. When he talked to Emely, he liked her confident and elegant approach so much that he couldn’t resist inviting her to the ball. Emely was overjoyed, and aware this would be an excellent opportunity to meet the most influential people.

  “You’re an excellent dancer,” her partner whispered in her ear. He was the son of the well-known industrialist Mike Gold.

  “That can’t be true. I’ve only just finished having dancing lessons.”

  “Then you must recommend your teacher to me. Everyone is looking at us. At you, to be precise.”

  It was a tango and Emely leaned back, executing a move shown to her by her dance teacher. Most of those watching were impressed.

  “You’re flattering me terribly, Mr. Gold.”

  “You can call me Michael if you want.”

  “OK, Michael,” she whispered in his ear before doing a double turn.

  “And you’re Emely, if I’m not mistaken? May I ask what you do?”

  She smiled. This was the question she had been waiting for. “I own a medium-sized company which makes investments for other companies.” She lied about the company being medium-sized. In comparison to other firms hers was minute, but that wasn’t something she could say.

  “How’s that?”

  “It’s like this. If you’ve got too much money, you can put some of your capital into a transferable securities fund that I manage. Within a year, your investment produces a much higher income than if you had put the same amount into a bank account.”

  “Very interesting.”

  The music stopped.

  “Excuse me, please,” a tall man said. “May I ask the beautiful lady for a dance?”

  Michael gave him an angry look, but said politely, “Of course.”

  Emely could see in Michael’s eyes that he wanted to hit the man. She used a moment when there was a lot of commotion around them to surreptitiously slip her business card into Michael’s hand. He took it gratefully, pretending nothing had happened.

  “See you soon,” he said.

  “Bye.”

  The man she had not met before put his arms around her as the orchestra began playing the next song. “You must forgive me for interrupting your dance with your partner, but the desire to dance with you was overwhelming.”

  Emely leaned back slightly and assessed his appearance. He was an attractive guy, about forty-five. Although he wore glasses, they didn’t mar his good looks. “No, not at all. He’s not my partner, I met him here.”

  “I see. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Dr. Grodny, Bill Grodny. I’m a heart surgeon.”

  “Is that so? I just hope my heart doesn’t stop on account of your right arm squeezing me so tight,” she said jokingly.

  “Oh, please forgive me, I really am a klutz. In fact I rarely attend this kind of event and don’t have as much dancing experience as you do. You look like a professional.”

  “Oh, come on, I was only joking. Let me introduce myself too. My name is Emely Donnovan and I own a company …” She went on to tell him what she did.

  “You must be a very bright woman,” he said.

  She thanked him with a flirtatious look. They chatted for a while until a third man appeared in front of her and bowed politely. “Miss Donnovan, allow me to dance with you like no one ever has.”

  She looked at him questioningly. “I’m sorry, but I can’t quite place you. Do we know each other?”

  “You don’t know me but I know you, thanks to Mr. Baldwin, who’s singing your praises to everyone. You obviously created a good impression on him. He told me you’re a real expert in securities.”

  “Oh, come on, Mr. Baldwin is exaggerating.” She decided she must thank him later for inviting her to the wonderful event.

  “He’s not exaggerating at all. I’m sure what he says is true. Shall we go for a drink instead?”

  Emely remembered her previous dancer was still waiting. She thanked him for the dance and skillfully put her business card into his hand. He looked at her in gratitude and winked. She was aware she was using the fact that she was a woman, but her desire for success was greater than any embarrassment she may have felt at this. It’s not as if I intend to sleep with them, she thought, knowing that many rather unpleasant rejections lay ahead.

  “I’d love to have a drink, my throat is very dry. But I don’t know you at all.”

  “Erick Estwick is my name.”

  She could only hope to remember all those names. He took her hand and they walked to the bar.

  Her eyes were transfixed for a few moments. She admired the numerous chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the long hall. She took a good look at all the people and their elegant, expensive clothes. The gleaming jewelry some women were wearing took her breath away.

  Her eyes caught someone who seemed familiar. He was by far the most attractive and elegant in the whole crowd. He was well over six feet tall and his wide shoulders gave him an athletic appearance. He had a slightly elongated face and short hair with black sideburns. What she liked most were his thick eyebrows that were as black as coal. She stared at him for a second or two and felt a pleasant flush on her face.

  “I suggest we step outside. I’m sure no one has shown you the beautiful view from out there,” Erick said.

  Emely ambled to the balcony. She saw a huge garden of various trees and bushes: on the left were tropical palms and on the right, other vegetation. Slightly farther away, pine trees fronted beautiful silver spruces. The trees were tastefully grouped together, a sign that a team of gardeners had spent years working on this masterpiece. All around, beautiful flowers in every color imaginable made her wonder what plants these were that she had never seen. They resembled what she imagined grew only in a jungle. She stood on her toes and inhaled the scented air.

  “It’s truly wonderful,” he said.

  “You’re right, Miami is beautiful.”

  He said, “You are beautiful. The beauty of this garden is nothing compared to you.” He came closer and put his hand on hers.

  She didn’t know what to
do and quickly pulled her hand away. Does my behavior really indicate I’m that accessible? she asked herself. I’ve known this man only a few minutes and he’s already coming on to me.

  He put the fingers of his right hand on her bare back and she could feel their coldness.

  “Listen, Mr. Estwick, move your hand away immediately.” She said this in a calm and decisive voice even though she was bristling with anger and fear inside.

  He moved his hand, but stayed close to her.

  That very moment she noticed a pair of penetrating eyes under thick eyebrows as black as darkness itself.

  “Allow me to introduce myself,” the man said. “My name is Blake Crouse.” He gave Erick Estwick such a grim look that Erick quickly moved away, muttering a few parting words as he left.

  Emely sighed in gratitude. She had been in a difficult situation with no way out and if this man had not turned up, God knows what might have happened. She said, “I don’t know how to thank you for stepping in like that. How did you know that …?”

  “I happen to have very good eyesight. I could see immediately that you were in trouble.”

  Emely blushed, not knowing what to say and feeling embarrassed.

  As if he could read her thoughts he said into her ear, “Don’t reproach yourself. Even high society is full of bullies like him. Forgive me, but I also noticed that this is your first time in such company.”

  She looked at him with surprise.

  “I expressed myself clumsily. You’re acting naturally and genuinely. You’re not one of those stuck-up girls who walk around like peacocks and look down on everyone.”