by Earl Watson
Do you suppose that babies come in this color in Norway?” Amanda turned away and averted her eyes. Being in the fashion business she had seen many undressed women. But this was more than just an undressed woman. To Amanda what she was looking at was an undressed life! She took a few minutes to compose herself and took a deep breath and said gently.
“Mrs. Benton, may we get to the issue at hand?”
“Sure, just give me a few minutes.” Within a few seconds the woman had pulled the gown back over her nude body and was now heading back down the darkened corridor. Amanda glanced at her watch again.
“We’ve got to get this over quickly. I’ve got to get back to his condo before he does.” She turned her head and followed the sound of quick moving feet as her host hurried back into the room. Mrs.
Benton approached Amanda holding three black boxes in her arms.
They were twenty inches square with a black lacquered finish. Even with the lack of lighting in the room Amanda could see their shine.
Planted perfectly in the center of each box was a embroidered lavender butterfly. Mrs. Benton slowly ran her hand over the embroidered 8
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress butterfly while speaking in a trance like voice.
“Is this what you came for?” Amanda took a quick sharp breath hoping that it would mask her excitement and eagerness at almost having the lavender in her hands. She looked at her watch again.
“Yes Mrs. Benton, it is.” The woman came closer and started to offer Amanda the boxes but stopped.
“Did you know that he designed all of this himself? Oh yes it’s all his idea, he even has a patent for it. Did you know that?” In all the time that Amanda had been in the house this was the first time that she felt that she had lost the upper hand and replied meekly.
“No Mrs. Benton, I did not.” The words were hardly out of her mouth when the woman answered.
“Good! I am glad that there is something about him that I knew and you didn’t! At least I will always have that.” Amanda stood up and took the boxes out of Mrs. Benton’s arms while flatly saying. “What is your price?” The woman replied in a machine gun like manner.
“I think that six thousand dollars is fair.” Amanda pulled out her checkbook and a pen and started to fill out a check. Mrs. Benton screeched in horror. “Please no checks, it’s too easy for him to trace.
You can wire it to my account.”
Amanda wrote the woman’s information onto the check and then took the three boxes into her arms and started back down the corridor. She suddenly stopped without turning around and asked the question that had been plaguing her ever since she and the woman began talking.
“Mrs. Benton, why did he leave you, I mean why did he break up with you?” The woman’s words drifted thru the air and slammed against Amanda’s ears.
“The reason that we broke up was entirely my fault. I found something else to take his place. He didn’t leave me, I left him! Amanda pressed the question.
“But why! You loved him didn’t you? You still.... love him, or am I wrong about that?” Mrs. Benton’s voice crackled with pain as she replied.
“No my dear you are not wrong about that, I still do.” Amanda now turned around to face the woman. The semi-darkness made it hard for her to see as Mrs. Benton moved back over to the window. The 9
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress woman reached up and pulled the torn curtains back allowing a rush of light to invade the entire room. A giant plume of dust lingered in the air before softly falling onto the floor. With her other hand she pulled the black tarpaulin off of a bed. It revealed a mattress that was covered with liquor bottles. A look of horror gushed over Amanda’s face as she began walking faster down the corridor. Mrs. Benton’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“There is something else that I should tell you. I don’t know why because it can’t possibly do me any good. It’s something that I think you should know.” Amanda’s ears perked up.
“Yes.” The woman’s voice was now sorrowful as if it was ashamed of what it was about to say.
“For the time that he and I were together we never used the lavender. I only implied to you that we did in order to hurt you and out of spite. I always hoped that he would put it on me but he never did.
He showed all of it to me and showed me how he planned to use it. The only thing that he never told me about was the black bottle.”
Mrs. Benton paused for a minute and her next few words were filled with even more pathos. “From the first minute that I saw the lavender I could see that it was made to fit someone else. Now that I have seen you it’s obvious that he had it made....for you.”
Amanda laid back in the limo and reveled in the cool air feeling like she had just hit the lottery. She was proud of herself for having turned over every rock until she found the lavender. For weeks she had searched and searched for it everywhere. Ever since he had left for Rome it was all that she could think about. She had tried every up scale shop in New York City, as well as Rodeo Drive, Aspen, Palm Beach, and every other place where the rich get their tailoring done. But none of the fashion outlets that she asked had the faintest idea what she was talking about or how to make what she needed. The only person that did know was Frantz. Mrs. Benton was right when she guessed that he wouldn’t make it for her.
Amanda could still hear his words ringing in her ears as she left his shop. “I’m sorry Mandy but I can’t go back on a promise to a friend.”
Amanda was at her wits end when she remembered something that her lover had mentioned to her after a night of passionate sex. He had casually mentioned that he had left a few boxes of the laven-10
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress der at an old girlfriend’s house by the name of Harriet Benton. It was the only thing that he had ever told her about any of his past romances. He explained to her that. “Any man who would share a woman’s bed and then gossip about it was a fool! Worse than that he was a traitor. A traitor that betrayed a sacred gift that was meant to be known by only the two people involved.”
As soon as Manny got back into the city’s limits he reminded Amanda. “Don’t forget to call Carney boss.” Amanda dialed her friend’s number but it went straight to voice mail so she left a message.
“I got it, call you later.” She tapped Manny on the shoulder to thank him but he didn’t even feel it. His mind was locked onto getting her to her destination on time.
To Manny, Amanda was more than just a boss, she was like family. After he had gotten married he and his wife began to get hassled because of their immigration status. They had over stayed their visas and were in jeopardy of getting deported. As soon as Amanda found out about the problem she took action. She called in a few favors from some of her rich and connected political clients.
As well as hiring one of the top immigration firms in New York City.
Within eight months Manny and his wife were taking their tests for citizenship and passing with flying colors. Amanda paid him at least three times more than what the job called for. He and his wife now had three children and were doing very well. Every Limo and taxi driver knew that when Manny flashed his lights it meant for them to move out of the way. Any one who failed to heed this warning ran the risk of having to deal with his six foot four inch, two hundred and seventy pound body. To the other drivers he was known as
“The Crazy Dominican” and not to be played with. Once when an old boyfriend of Amanda’s refused to leave her alone. Manny and a few of his cousins (Who were just as big) went to talk to the man.
Word reached Manny a few days after that saying that the man had abruptly moved to Kansas.
As Manny sped down the FDR Drive, he was sure that Amanda would meet her deadline. Within minutes they were rolling thru the heart of Central Park. He had dropped Amanda off many times at the condo, but had been inside only once for diner. He 11
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress strolled around the place in absolute awe. After taking a dip in the pool he remained in the living room lookin
g out of the giant picture window. As his wife was still trying to get her mind around how anyone could have such an out of this world kitchen. Manny pulled up to the building and rushed around to Amanda’s door.
“I told you that I would get you here on time, even if I had to carry you myself.” Amanda gave him an approving wink as he reached into the back seat and handed her the three boxes.
“Boss, if you need me call me at home.” Amanda walked up to the front door and was met by the Doorman.
“It’s so nice to see you again Miss. Amanda. We are all very happy about how things turned out for him today. May I take those boxes?”
“No they are not heavy, just open the door.” Amanda walked thru the lobby and toward the elevator and waited. Milton Stone walked out of the stairwell. He was a well heeled lawyer who catered to the rich and corrupted and he lived in the building. He tipped his hat to Amanda.
“I’ve always said Miss. Wilcox, that your man has the luck of ten Irishman.” She pretended not to hear him as she stared at the doors.
As soon as the doors opened she stepped inside and prayed that she didn’t run into anyone else that knew her. But that may have been asking for too much.
The trial had been the talk of the city for months. The ordi-nary working man or woman followed it when they could. The rich also followed it when they could. If they couldn’t they would have their maids, nannies, or other help follow the proceedings for them.
Most of those that followed the trial cared very little about the legal matters that were taking place. All they wanted to know was how the verdict would affect the relationship between the defendant and Amanda Wilcox. They had been crowned the prince and princess of New York’s fashion scene. The papers had paid special attention to what the defendant had worn to court on every day of the trial.
His style of dress had become such a smash with the city’s women that every paper with a page six devoted a special column to it. A recent poll showed that many women bought the papers just for that section of the paper alone. The rich discussed the trial over cocktails at their exclusive clubs during lunch. When it came time for 12
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress dinner they would meet at one of their white glove restaurants and talk about the trial while sipping champagne. The papers were also playing up an angle about one of the women on the jury. She was referred to as “Juror number six.” The reporters couldn’t help but notice that this juror couldn’t take her eyes off of the defendant. She was a good looking woman in her mid-thirties. When the trial first started she dressed like a matronly school teacher. But as the trial progressed everyone noticed that on each day her skirts got shorter, her blouses tighter, her cleavage bolder and her hair styles sexier. The Judge even had to instruct the Court Officer to tell “Juror number six” not to lean forward when evidence was passed around. This was just another side show of the trial that was covered by the papers to make money, and it worked. New Yorkers couldn’t get enough of what was going on behind those courtroom doors.
But there was another reason why the populace was so drawn to the trial. It wasn’t juror number six that interested them, it was another woman. It was the woman who was always sitting behind the man on trial. She always appeared to be nervous and afraid, not for herself but for the defendant. Whenever the lawyers for the prosecu-tion would make a point that might stick. She would close her eyes and silently pray that the Judge wouldn’t allow it. It was common knowledge to everyone who followed the trial. That the defendant had not had any contact with her since he had left for Rome. It was also known to everyone that the accused had also asked her to move out of his condo. This was not the kind of thing that a future husband would subject his future wife to. This was the burning question that everyone wanted the answer to. Was there going to be a wedding or not? But, if there wasn’t going to be a wedding. How was it possible that such a beloved couple, this “Prince and Princess” of the city, could be finished in the blink of an eye?
Amanda took the elevator up to the Penthouse floor. She stepped into the hallway and hung on tight to the three black boxes.
The door to his condo was about thirty feet away. She quickly looked around and began to tiptoe toward the door. She felt like a cat thief as her feet sunk into the deep plush blue carpet. She reached out to touch the wall to steady herself and get her emotions under control.
“Relax, don’t chicken out now!” She reached for the door and placed 13
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress the boxes on the carpet as she fumbled for the key in her purse. It was an old key that sometimes wouldn’t work. But the Gods were on her side tonight and it worked like a charm. As the door cracked open she turned and looked back down the hallway. To see if anyone had seen her. “Stop acting like you are breaking into the place.
You have a key!” She picked up the three boxes and stepped inside.
Amanda felt along the wall and found the light switch. The lights in the hallway lit up along with those in the pool area. For a second her breath was taken away. Everything was just as she had remembered. She was standing outside the living room and looking down the hallway into the pool area. The underwater lights had been left on and they reflected thru the turquoise water through out the rear of the condo. She could hear the rhythmic hum of the pool’s filter as it echoed down the hall. She saw the playroom and kitchen that were to her left and also the three bedrooms on her left. As Amanda further moved along the hall she saw the living room, a bathroom, the library, and the den that lead directly into the winery. After that there was a small alcove that lead to his special bedroom. He had allowed her to give this room a name and she had decided to call it “Our Coliseum.” She was now standing in front of the coliseum doors. She leaned the boxes against the wall and reached for the handles. Even though she had not been in the condo for awhile. She still remembered how the handles to the doors had to be positioned so that the doors would unlock. It was a secret that only the two of them knew about. She positioned the handles properly and pulled.
The lock clicked and the doors opened. As soon as she closed the doors behind her a set of seven circular lights came on that were shaped like the flame to the Olympics. Underneath each flame was a carved face depicting a Roman Caesar. One fourth of the room was also circular with the other three fourths being square. Amanda pressed a button that was recessed into the wall. She looked up to see a giant red chandelier starting to descend. The lower that it got the more that the room became bathed in it’s red glow. The chandelier stopped moving about twelve feet from the floor. It was now positioned over a circular bed that was in the center of the room.
Amanda lowered her eyes onto the bed that was twelve feet across. A smile came to her face as she noticed that he had changed the quilt 14
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress from the all white satin to the red and black satin. She remembered the vivid softness of the handmade sheets that felt as soft as clouds.
But to her it was always the massive quilt that put everything over the top. It was circular like the bed and was seventeen feet across and weighed over fifty pounds. One half was red and the other half was black. On top of the quilt at the head of the bed were six satin pillows, three red and three black. They were each three feet long and filled with the softest down that could be located. She placed one of the boxes on top of the quilt and pushed the other two under the bed. As she walked thru the soft red glow she was still taken by how beautiful and sensual everything still looked. She was now at the entrance to the bathroom and stepped inside. As soon as she crossed the doorway a sensor was triggered and the lights blinked on. This was the largest of all the four bathrooms. Besides a toilet it had a over sized sunken tub, a Jacuzzi, and a separate enclosed shower that could also be used as a steam room. Along the back wall ran a fifteen foot long vanity with a matching mirror. On her side of the vanity sat a white leather stool for her to do her makeup. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was made out of white marble.
Amanda quickly stripp
ed off her clothes and dropped them into a hamper. Then pulled back the shower door, stepped in and turned on the water. The water seemed like a cascade from heaven as she stood directly under it. It seemed to be washing away all of the pain and worry of the last few months. All that she could think about now was that it was over! She grabbed a bar of soap and began to lather up a washcloth. Her mind flashed back to the many times that the two of them would wash each other up as a form of foreplay that always lead to something more exciting. After a few more minutes she got out of the shower and grabbed a fluffy white towel and dried off. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom the sensor caused the light to go off. Once again she was bathed in the room’s red glow. She slowly approached the bed and reached for the black box.
She sat down and began to remove the lid. As soon as she reached for the black tissue paper a surge of excitement ran thru her body.
It caused her to freeze for a minute. She was totally overcome with at finally having the lavender actually in her possession. In one fell swoop she pulled the black tissue paper back to reveal the contents 15
Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress inside. Everything was arranged exactly as she remembered. On top was the bra, then the panties, and at the bottom was the bed coat.
The last item was a four ounce black bottle that was held in place by a special holder. Amanda took the bottle from the holder and walked around to his side of the bed. She placed it on top of one of the red pillows. Then walked back to her side of the bed and sat down next to the box. She removed each piece in the box with a sense of reverence and arranged them directly below her pillow like he used to. She first laid out the bed coat, then the bra, then the panties. As soon as she picked up the panties a bolt of lighting flashed thru the window followed by an ear shattering clap of thunder. Causing the entire building to tremble to it’s core. In an instant a torrential sheet of rain hurled itself against the window. With the panties still in her hand she moved over to the window with the intention of closing the curtains but decided against it. In the distance she could see that the storm was coming toward her. Another crackle of lighting bounced off of the horizon. She held up the panties to the lighting and marveled at her ability to see clearly thru them. They were made out of a special kind of silk that was found in the far east of Asia, and felt as light as air. On her way back to the bed she pressed the button on the wall and heard the roar of the motor of the red chandelier as it returned to it’s resting place above. For a few minutes the lightening stopped and the room was pitch black. Amanda returned to her side of the bed and placed the panties below the bra. The changing weather outside had caused the room to cool. The coolness felt good against her naked skin and helped to further calm her down. There was nothing to do now but wait.
