Houseboat

by Paul Shadinger

  The phone on his desk rang, and when I realized this would be a lengthy call, I motioned that I was leaving. We waved goodbye at one another and with that finished, I walked down the hall to wait outside Silversmith’s office. Jennifer’s visit took about thirty minutes longer than I expected, but when she came out, she seemed happy with her meeting. I decided I’d wait until she was ready to tell me what had so greatly improved her attitude.

  As we rode down the elevator, she asked me if I was going to buy a lady a late lunch. I held back a smart-assed remark, and we agreed upon a restaurant. Since we were close to the waterfront, I decided we could just walk down to the wharfs and go to a rather touristy place. It serves fantastic fish and chips, along with clam chowder, which is some of the best Seattle has to offer.

  After we ordered, we found a couple of seats right at the end of the building where we could look out at the boat traffic, sea gulls, and mountains in the distance. I waited for Jennifer to talk first.

  She seemed hungry, and quickly ate her chowder, and then started in on the fish and chips. For a woman who had such a great figure, I was somewhat surprised at how much she was eating. About halfway through, she slowed down a bit and grinned at me. “Wow, I was a lot hungrier than I thought. This is really good. I’d thought English fish and chips were good, but this is great.”

  Finally, she looked around at the scenery outside. A ferry was heading off across the sound, and two tugs were escorting a large container ship. She leaned over and put her hand on mine, “This is a very interesting place! Thanks.” She poked at her food for a moment and then looked up at me. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Shoot!”

  “About my, how do I say this properly, about Bottomsley,” She stopped and frowned.

  I had to smile, she was still trying to get a handle on what to call her, “Go on.”

  “I am at a loss to completely explain my feelings about her. I feel certain that something is wrong with all of — with her. I can understand why father never mentioned her to me, but if she’s who she says she is, I can’t believe that she knew nothing about me.”

  “Why?” I had my own opinions, but I wanted to hear hers.

  “If my father’s lawyer actually spoke to that nasty lawyer, Mr. Green as often as Bottomsley claims,” Jennifer paused to collect her thoughts. I waited a moment, and then I nodded my head for her to continue. “Well, from the past few letters father wrote letting me know how much he wanted to see me…” She stopped talking, and there was an uncomfortable pause. I sensed she was still trying to accept the fact her father was dead. “Anyway, he told me that he wanted to see me and try to start to make things right between us,” there was another long pause before she continued. “Ah...I find it very difficult to believe somebody wouldn’t have mentioned me—to somebody.” A slight smile came to her lips, as she continued, “You would need to read his letters…they were very warm and nostalgic.” Her face had a wistful look as she continued, “He apologized for my childhood and all he had missed. He’d mentioned he was going to move back to his beloved Southwest. He even told me he wanted me to visit him there. I wish I had some of his letters so that you could—well—read between the lines and see what I mean. I mean, his letters seemed so open and he,” she paused again, almost embarrassed to continue. “He seemed almost proud of me, and wanted to make me part of his life.”

  I could tell she was fighting to explain her feelings. It was clear to me that she really didn’t fully understand them herself. “Anyway, if father was being truthful, and I really believe he was, I can’t believe he wouldn’t say something about me to his attorney. Matt, each letter was an outpouring of his heart. He was truly sorry what had happened. I know—well, I believe he was trying to begin some sort of relationship with me. If that’s true, then why wouldn’t he tell his only other relative?”

  “That makes sense. I wondered the same thing, but came to that idea a different way.”

  “How so?”

  “That day I spoke with Bottomsley’s lawyer he told me he and your dad’s lawyer talked all the time. If that’s true, I find it very unlikely your father’s lawyer didn’t know about you. You told me you were receiving checks from your dad— ” My voice trailed off, waiting for her input.

  “Well, that’s not entirely true. I received checks from him directly until I was eighteen. Then I started to receive money from a trust father had established. The trust’s checks have his name with ‘LLC’ after the name, but actually, I have no idea how it all works. All I know is that I received money which was directly deposited each month into my banking account.”

  “Would I be out of line if I asked you how much you get each month?”

  Jenifer sat for a moment, obviously thinking over my question. Finally, she answered, “Twenty thousand dollars, US. Why do you ask?”

  “No real reason, I just wondered if Bottomsley is also getting a check of some sort. Do you know how much your dad was worth?”

  She shook her head. “Do you?” I nodded and she asked, “How much?”

  “I don’t know the exact figure, but from what I understand, it’s in excess of eighty million bucks.”

  Her face turned white and she just sat there staring at me. Finally, she shook her head and tried to speak. It took a couple of tries before any words came out. “Are you sure?” I nodded my head. “You must be kidding. Did you say over eighty million?” I nodded my head again. “I wondered about his net worth, but it never occurred to me father was worth that kind of money. Do you think that’s why Bottomsley is saying I am not his daughter?”

  “Jennifer, it’s a good starting reason. At the moment, there are just so many twists and turns, I just don’t know what to think.” She nodded. “I still think everyone knew. I’m positive that your father’s lawyer would have mentioned to Bottomsley’s lawyer of your existence! If Slim’s lawyer knew, I have to believe that Bottomsley knew!”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Would you mind if I asked what went on at Silversmith’s office?”

  “No. I really wish you had stayed with me. What it comes down to, is will or no will, I stand to inherit something. If there is a will and it gives away a large portion of the estate, I might have to live with that. But, if I can produce the letters from my father, showing that he was trying to begin a relationship with me, I might convince the courts to set aside the will. The way he explained the trust to me is that my father set aside a large chunk of money that funds the trust. This is a separate thing from the rest of his estate. The trust will continue to send me monthly checks. Your question about Bottomsley makes me wonder if perhaps he created some sort of similar trust for her?”

  I saw a tear forming in her eye. As it rolled down her cheek, she swiped at it with her hand. “I can’t believe that I’m crying about this. I’ve always been so angry with him for,” she paused to think about her words, “for deserting us—he left us!” The last words were almost a cry. I knew she was sharing something with me she’d kept deep inside of herself.

  “Truthfully, I have more than enough money, so I really don’t care about the inheritance. I invested some of the money. I didn’t know how long I’d continue to receive money from the trust. So every month, I always made sure I invested at least half.

  “Matt, I have worked so hard to put all of this away. I didn’t think it would matter what happened to him. Now that I have to deal with all of the memories and anger, and…damn it, I find I cared a lot more that I thought. Damn, damn, damn! Matt, what’s wrong with me?”

  “Hey, hey.” Let’s face it, when a woman cries, men don’t have a clue what to do. When I reached out and put my hand on top of hers, she quickly turned hers over, and grasped mine firmly.

  “I can’t say I understand, ‘cause I really don’t. I had a good relationship with both of my parents. Mom died from cancer when I was in my twenties, an
d dad passed away a few years later. He was a lot older than mom was, but they really seemed to love each other, and they also showered a lot of affection on me. I’m just guessing, but I’d say you were probably a lot more hurt about your dad than you care to admit.”

  Jennifer started to talk, however I squeezed her hand and continued, “Now you were in the process of getting to know your dad, and…well you know.” It sounded lame but I didn’t know how to address her father’s death. I continued, “Even though you thought you didn’t care, you have been opening doors and dealing with the process of discovery. His death has taken that away from you well before you were ready. I don’t blame you for being confused, and very sad, too.”

  With tears in her eyes, Jenifer squeezed my hand. Her voice was soft and low, “Why does it always seem that you’re helping me? I hardly know you, yet I sit here pouring out my heart! I find myself in a bit of trouble with this estate thing and you help me out. You sir, are a very nice man.”

  I was sure that I turned a bit red. I thought I needed to explain myself, so I said, “Trust me, I’m not an angel by any means. I’m not as nice as you might think. You know nothing of my past, and for that reason, you can still think highly of me. Let’s just leave it at that. As far as helping you, I guess that I’m a bit of a romantic. I just can’t ignore a beautiful lady in distress.”

  Her smile lit up her face, and she wiped the last tears from her eyes. She looked down at the rest of her food as if seeing it for the first time, and started to eat again. She must have still been hungry, as she really tore into the remainder of her lunch.

  When her plate was clean, she looked up and grinned at me rather sheepishly. “I was really hungry, I guess!”

  “It’s always nice to see someone with an appetite.”

  Jennifer’s face and neck turned a little red from embarrassment. “I guess you should take me back to the hotel. You probably have things to do.”

  “I have time. Is there anything that you need to do? Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “I really don’t have anything I need to do. Mr. Silversmith is looking at what the connection between Bottomsley and my father was. But I’d rather not have to go back to my room, that is, if you don’t mind.”

  I could see that she needed a little help, “Go on.”

  “Would I be in the way if I just tagged along?”

  “I’d like nothing better. If you’re finished?”

  When we left the restaurant, I explained how I really would like to change clothes. I jokingly told her that a suit was not my normal attire. She responded that at least I cleaned up well. When I pulled in the garage, we rode the elevator up to my place. She voiced her pleasure with the view from the elevator as it rose to my floor.

  As soon as I opened the door, BJ was there waiting for me. She was dancing on all four paws, and licking her lips. I reached down, picked her up, and kissed her forehead. When Jennifer reached out to pet her, BJ promptly licked her hand.

  I told Jennifer to grab a seat and that I’d be right back after BJ visited her favorite spot. She insisted she wanted go us. Thankfully, BJ was prompt with her little rituals, and we quickly returned to my place. I excused myself and went to my room to change. When I returned, I found Jennifer staring out my window.

  As I entered the room, she turned and remarked, “What an incredible view. This is breathtaking! Please tell me how you ever found an apartment like this!”

  “Actually it’s my building. I had this apartment building built and kept the top unit for myself. As you can see from the view, I really don’t want to move. I think the houseboat is cute and all, but I have no desire to leave this place. There have been many days that I never leave here except to take BJ for her walks.”

  Speaking of which, she’d climbed up in my favorite chair, and already had her eyes half closed. Dad was home and she was content. “There’s also a terrace on top of the roof. Would you like a drink or something, and then I can show you my little world?”

  This was somewhat different for me. It was a bold thing for me to do, since I rarely show anyone my feeble attempt at gardening. I have several plants and shrubs with a table and chairs in the middle. The table and chairs sit on a large wooden deck along with a giant chaise lounge big enough for two. I’d arranged everything so that there was a lot of privacy. Sharon saw it once while I was building it, but since I got it finished I’ve never found the time to show her.

  As Jennifer and I rode the elevator to the roof, I realized that I was feeling a little guilt. Here I was showing the finished product to someone other than Sharon first. I appeased myself with the thought that Sharon would be next.

  The sight totally blew Jennifer away. I led her down the pathway through the shrubs. The few trees provided some shade. When we reached the raised deck, she could see the complete view. She marveled that anything could be so fantastic. As we stood there, I wondered what I should do with her. I really had no plans for the rest of the day. I knew I needed to get the photograph over to Walter. However, I also knew that I’d have to write to him first and create an appointment. That would take a couple of days.

  As we sat sipping our drinks, I asked Jennifer, “How come you were in the States?”

  She laughed, “I think it was a conspiracy. Three of my friends all were getting married at the same time, and had invited me to attend the wedding. Actually, one of them even asked me to attend as her maid of honor. I figured since three of them were getting married, I should come. I had intended to leave not too long after father was—ah—”

  I interrupted, “I understand. Please go on.”

  She smiled, “Now it appears it’s a good thing I was here. I just want to get everything buttoned up and get back to, well, I guess the word is home.”

  “Do you miss the States?”

  “Not really. I started school in England when I was very young and then moved to Switzerland. I have a small business there that deals with jewelry. I focus on very high-end jewelry, both new and antique. So my life is essentially all over there.”

  “Is anybody waiting over there for your return?” I asked.

  “If you’re asking me if there’s a certain somebody in my life, a significant other,” she smiled and nodded her head, as she said, “I have a couple of friends that I care for deeply.”

  “I’m sorry if I was too forward with my questions, I was just making small talk.” I had to admit I was a bit embarrassed now.

  “Why, you’re blushing! Please don’t be embarrassed. I feel so pleased you thought enough to even ask.”

  “Well, it’s really none of my business. But, since you’re a very lovely young woman, I was just wondering if you were either engaged or were with a significant other.”

  “Matt, I have a living arrangement with two people, a man and a woman.”

  I’ve always felt that I was an open person, but this revelation sure set me back a step. Jennifer had appeared to me as being a bit fragile. But with her revelation, I now had a much different opinion of her. There was a silence between us and finally she spoke, “Have I frightened you now? You’re so still.”

  “No, not really. I guess I just admire your openness. You seem so at ease with your, how should I put it, relationship and I’m just surprised. I guess I have a ton of questions, but on the other hand, I feel I need to shut up and take you back to your hotel.”

  “I am sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I felt you would understand; you would be able to handle my situation.” She laughed as she said the last word. “Come, take me back to the hotel. I’m waiting to hear from Mr. Silversmith about the status of father’s estate. As soon as I settle that I plan to return home.”

  “I’ll be sorry to see you leave. You really are a most impressive young woman.”

  BJ rode in Jennifer’s lap back to the hotel, happy and content. When I dropped Jennifer off, I told her
I’d call her the next day to see how things were going.

  As I drove back to the apartment, I wondered about Jennifer’s living arrangement back home. She sure seemed to be very at ease and comfortable with her situation. I wondered how Slim would have taken it had he found out his daughter had two lovers, one of each sex.

  That would have been one of the proverbial conversations where one wished they had been a fly on the wall.

  Chapter 20

  AUDREY BOTTOMSLEY

  I don’t like to complain, well, actually I guess I am, however, the reason is I am in no mood to go and sit in a lawyer’s office. Even though it was Wednesday morning and it had been a couple of days since Jennifer and I had been at Silversmith’s office, here I was headed back to his office again. I felt the time span between my last visit and this one was way too short. Even though I consider Richard an excellent friend, spending time hanging around his offices isn’t my idea of a good time. In addition, I knew I’d be stuck there for at least the entire morning. But, I’d promised Jennifer I’d go with her and in a way, I felt a bit responsible, since I had recommended and introduced her to Richard Silversmith.

  From the moment Richard told Jennifer on Monday afternoon he had arranged a meeting with Bottomsley and her lawyer, Jennifer started getting terrified. And as he provided her with updates, her panic just grew all that much more. When she finally called me early Monday evening, panic stricken, to let me know Bottomsley and her lawyer were demanding the meeting as soon as possible, she didn’t even say hello. Instead, she started right in when I answered the phone, “Matt, I’m frightened. Please help. They are demanding to see me Wednesday morning. You have to help me, I don’t know what I am going to do.”