Wildflower

by Kimbrough, Michele

  “I’m still going to need a place to live. The hotel is nice, but I really need a place to call my own. I was thinking about that building you showed me. Do you want to come with me to look at some places?”

  “What building?” Iris asked Preston.

  “The black one that was oddly shaped. The one by Navy Pier.”

  “Lake Point Tower?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, that one. I’m thinking about getting a place there.”

  “Um… the smallest apartment on the lowest floor is half a mil. Maybe you should consider something in Hyde Park. You’ll get the affluence without the sticker shock — at least in some parts.”

  He shook his head. “No. No. I like Lake Point Tower. It has an unobstructed view of the lake and the pier and the park. The property owns the air rights, so nothing will ever be built around it that will obstruct the view.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’ve done my homework,” he said, smiling.

  “Did you win the lottery or something? How can you afford something like that?”

  “Before I left Europe, I sold my technology company to a large digital firm in London. I thought I told you that already,’’ he said.

  She nodded.

  “I’ve also invested well through the years,” he continued.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I can take care of you, and you’d never have any worries about finances…”

  “Take care of me?” she interrupted. “Don’t you think you’re being presumptuous?”

  “Come on, Iris. I’m supposed to meet the realtor in half an hour. I want you to help me choose. Who knows, maybe it will someday be your place, too,” he said, grinning.

  “How about I meet you when you’ve narrowed it down?”

  “That will be fine, I’ll have a car pick you up so don’t catch a cab.”

  ***

  The car picked her up precisely at two o’clock, just as he’d promised. She was driven to Trump Tower in Downtown Chicago. Preston was waiting in the lobby, looking handsome as ever in his jeans and tight-fitting shirt which showcased his well-defined, chiseled chest.

  When he saw her step out of the car, he flashed his pearly white teeth. She looked particularly beautiful. Her long cascading curls floated in the breeze as she strode into the lobby. She wore a white silk shirt, her lacy bra peeping through seductively. The brooch at her neck accented the teardrop-shaped earrings that dangled from her ears. Preston eyed her toned butt, perfectly filling her casual pants, as she strode into the elevator in front of him.

  Jasmine, the realtor, showed Preston a few properties in Lake Point Tower but discouraged purchasing there. She had something better up her sleeve. Preston had told her that he wanted a condo in a high rise with east and south views. He wanted to be on one of the top floors and preferred to be near a boat slip because he planned on buying a boat. After the fireworks show on the lake, he was hooked. He wanted a yacht for himself.

  Jasmine unlocked the door to an apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower. It was fully furnished. The owners had staged it for a quick sale, and it worked. After Iris ooh’d and aah’d over the details and the panoramic views, Preston told Jasmine he’d take it. Iris did a double take.

  “Just like that, you’ll take it,” Iris said. With Peter, it took weeks of mulling it over, looking at the money over the long haul, talking to his financial managers, considering which fund the down payment would come out of, and so on. But Preston seemed more casual and said he’d take it after only seeing it once for just ten minutes — and it had only taken that long because Iris had to touch and feel and stare at every detail first.

  Jasmine whipped the papers out of her briefcase and spread them along the granite countertop. She handed Preston the pen and told him to sign wherever he saw a yellow sticky flag. He looked at Iris, whose jaw was still dropped.

  “Just like that? Are you sure this is what you want to do? Are you sure you want to spend this kind of money? I mean, do you even know how much it costs?”

  He laughed. “Of course I know how much costs. Let me ask you this,” he said as he dropped the pen on the counter and walked to her. He cupped her face in his hands and moved so close he could feel her breath. “If I bought it, would you move in with me?”

  She pulled his hands from her face and stepped back a pace.

  “Move in with you? In here?” She looked around at the lavishness — the richness. Of course, she’d had this kind of opulence with Peter, but this somehow seemed grander.

  “This is all so sudden, Preston. I mean, I’ve enjoyed you… I’m enamored with you. I even have strong feelings for you…”

  “Then let’s not waste time. We are both adults. We both know what we want. Why waste time satisfying some social standard of how long we should be together before we decide to take it to the next level? I want you. I want you in my life — forever.”

  “Forever?”

  “Yes. Forever. But I won’t push you on that. I figured we could live together while we get to know each other, and you’ll let me know when you’re ready to take the next step towards forever.”

  She inhaled deeply.

  He stepped closer to her and rubbed his hands along the length of her arms. He saw her look at the realtor who was nodding and smiling, encouraging Iris to say yes.

  “Let’s do it, Iris. Here. This will be our home — together. You don’t have to look back at Houston and remember the past that has hurt you so much. You’ll have a home. And you’ll have someone who loves and appreciates you. You can finish school and start the business you always wanted.”

  ***

  Iris walked to the window and looked out at the city. The condo had a beautiful southeastern view. The lake seemed to glisten even though the sky was overcast. What was she doing? She couldn’t believe she was actually considering moving in with a man she’d known less than two months. But he seemed safe — he was a Mayweather, a family she knew well. She knew his brothers and his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Prudence. So was he really a stranger? She was considering —seriously considering — moving in with him.

  Oh, the fun she would have decorating that space and inviting friends over. She’d definitely feel on par with Nadine, socially. ‘Come on over to my condo at the Trump,’ she imagined saying to Nadine. Girls’ night out with Pru and Jess could be at this gorgeous place — they’d kick Preston out and have their margaritas — she’d have iced tea — and play dominoes and dance around, complete with a panoramic view of the city.

  She turned towards Preston who was standing with his hands folded in front of him. Jasmine leaned against the counter. They both awaited Iris’ decision and she wanted to say yes so much. She wanted to dive into his arms and tell him that she loved him and would be honored to live with him. She wanted to do that so much. But wouldn’t that be irresponsible? Wouldn’t that be a huge risk?

  “Okay,” she said cautiously. After a moment of contemplation, letting what she had said sink in, she said, “Let’s do it,” with more enthusiasm.

  Preston scooped Iris into a hug that lifted her off her feet, then kissed her with the kind of scorching heat that left Iris wondering why it had taken her so long to say yes.

  “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”

  This was it. This was the very thing she was talking about with Camden. The ‘something big’ she wanted. It took her coming to Chicago to discover she was capable of throwing caution to the wind. Hell, why not just go all the way, then?

  “Let’s not half step. Let’s do forever,” Iris said.

  Jasmine gasped. Preston stumbled backward a little.

  “Forever?”

  “Yes, you mentioned doing the forever thing, but you wanted to go at my pace. I say, let’s go to city hall and do forever.”

  “You want to marry me, Wildflower?”

  She nodded. “Hell with the half step. Let’s go all the way. If we’re going to do it, let’s do the dang thang!�
�

  2

  Part Two

  “The eternal stars shine out as soon as it is dark enough.” – Thomas Carlyle

  26

  Three days remained until the engagement party. Iris’ feet throbbed as she and Pru visited their tenth venue. Pru wanted to be sure everything was set. Jess would’ve been the one to handle this task, but she had been whisked away by one of her campaigns and she’d asked Iris to step in. Of course, Iris was honored to do so. Besides, Pru’s stepmother, Ann, had taken over and Pru wanted at least a few elements of the party to be her own.

  She was only blocks away from Idris’ condo and relished the thought of kicking her feet up for a little while. They’d been at this for hours and Iris was worn out. She understood there were last minute details to take care of but hadn’t expected spending the entire day, non-stop, handling every minute specification. Pru seemed to be a stickler for details. Maybe all attorneys were that way — looking at the tiniest factor.

  She coaxed Pru to take a break and they retreated to the condo she shared with Idris. The view showcased downtown Chicago and Pru marveled at it. It had been so long since she had enjoyed a view like this. When Richard proposed, she had sold her Gold Coast condo to a local celebrity. She made a nice profit from the sale, but had really hated giving up her place.

  Iris whipped up a couple of salmon steaks, smothered them in Thai slaw and sweet sauce, and sandwiched them between two honey oat buns she had baked for Idris. She heated up some three-cheese macaroni and beautifully dressed it next to the sandwich. It was a bit heavy considering they hadn’t eaten all day, but Pru seemed to appreciate the delight.

  “Oh my gawd! This is so good,” Pru said with her mouth full. “Are you a chef or something?”

  Iris laughed, “No, I learned through the demands of being married to your brother-in-law.”

  “Peter was so lucky…,” Pru said, licking the stray cheesy strings from her lips.

  Iris was quiet. She bit into her sandwich, immediately losing her appetite. Just the thought of Peter made her nauseous. She remembered watching him coddle Sara as they stood in front of her dream house on Lazy Lane. The betrayal cut deep. She pushed her plate to the center of the table and sipped her iced tea.

  “You’re not hungry?”

  She shook her head. “Nah. Not anymore. I’ll wrap it up for Idris. He’ll definitely eat it later.”

  “Lucky guy.”

  “Can I share something with you?”

  Pru nodded.

  “Do you promise not to judge me?”

  Pru put down her sandwich and licked the residual sauce from her fingertips.

  “What’s going on?” Pru braced herself for what might follow.

  Staring at the picture in her hand, she said, “Preston and I got married.”

  Pru choked. “What? When? How?”

  Iris shrugged.

  “You do know Preston’s history? Particularly his history with Peter?”

  Iris nodded.

  “Well, I guess congratulations are in order.” Pru got up and hugged Iris, who seemed frozen. “Are you okay, Iris?”

  She nodded. “I just can’t believe that, for the first time in my life, I followed my heart and not my head.”

  “Sometimes that’s all it takes. So… details.”

  “Nothing to tell really. We went to the Justice of the Peace at City Hall after we got our marriage license. Preston put a down payment on a condo that will close escrow in two days. He did a short sale.”

  “Where?”

  She smiled wide trying to contain her excitement. “Trump Tower.”

  “What? Preston can afford something like that?”

  She nodded.

  “How? Last I knew, he was in the military and then did some tech work.”

  “Well, he apparently started some tech company that he later sold for millions. He said he invested well and, voila, here we are.”

  “Girl, how do you get so lucky with these men who know how to make money?”

  “What are you talking about? Your man ain’t doing too shabby, either.”

  “Yeah, I know. This calls for a toast.”

  27

  He was chubby and sweaty. He smelled terrible, too. He wiped his filthy hands on his even filthier trousers, then handed Iris a pen to sign the delivery receipt. He kept winking and smiling at her with disgusting teeth that looked as if he had chewed tobacco for a lifetime. She nodded and gave a courteous smile, then thanked him and his partners for doing what they do — deliveries.

  She looked at her wedding picture. She and Preston stood in the middle, flanked by Idris on the left next to Preston and Nadine on the right next to Iris. She placed the two-tone mahogany frame with the four-by-six opening in an exquisite white matte on the mantel.

  That was it. It was all finished for now. Tonight, she and Preston would christen their new furniture. In the meantime, she’d plan a celebratory meal for when Preston returned home. He’d gone to see the yacht he would soon call the WILDFLOWER. Someone needed to stay home to accept the furniture deliveries.

  Home. She was finally home — her home. A home with her name on the title, too.

  They’d both started over from scratch. Nothing remained from their old lives but the scars they brought with them. Chicago was their ground zero. Their foundation for starting something new. Together. Something of their own that they could build. Together. A place where they could start new friendships and enjoy each other’s company. Together.

  The concierge called. Iris had a visitor. It felt so good for her to say, “Send her up.” She felt so sophisticated. She could quickly get used to this lifestyle again. Except this time, instead of her being the chef, the planner, the chauffeur, the hostess, she’d hire people. She had learned that much from her marriage to Peter.

  She opened the door and a petite Nadine entered the condo. She was impressed. It wasn’t easy to impress Nadine, but she found the space to be quite elegant. Of course, she could fit their condo into a single room of her penthouse, but for what it was, she was impressed.

  Iris offered iced tea but Nadine had something better in mind.

  “Put on something decent. I want to take you somewhere. We need to go shopping.”

  “For what?”

  “First, you need some accessories for your new home. I also need to get you a wedding present. And you, my dear, need some clothes.”

  Iris smiled.

  “Besides, I’m feeling a little bit like I need a drink. Shopping always does the trick.”

  “Why, what’s going on?”

  “Nothing new. Just more of the same. I won’t bore you with the details. Go change. We’re going to New York.”

  “New York? I can’t go to New York.”

  “Yes, you can. It’ll be a day trip. We’ll fly up there, do a little shopping, and then fly right back. I’ve already gotten the plane. The flight plan has been cleared. Let’s go. We could go and be back before your husband gets home. James took him all the way to Wisconsin to look at that boat.”

  “Okay then.”

  28

  When Iris and Nadine returned, Preston and James were sitting by the window admiring the nighttime skyline, smoking cigars, and talking about whatever men talk about when women aren’t around. Nadine kissed her husband and tried to hurry him, but he ignored her. Iris winked at Preston, then grabbed Nadine and took her into the kitchen.

  “You need a cook,” Nadine suggested.

  “I’m a cook. I like to cook.”

  “You’re too domesticated. We’ll have to work on that.”

  Iris laughed.

  “There’s so much I have to teach you. Oh, by the way, did you meet with Vanzant about your settlement agreement with Peter?”

  “I did, and he said he’d draw up the modifications to the agreement. I haven’t heard from him, so I’m assuming he hasn’t gotten around to it.”

  “I’ll nudge him. Now that you’re remarried, it might be problematic, but I�
�m sure Vanzant can work through it.”

  “Truthfully, Nadine, I’m over it. I’m remarried now. I’m happy. My husband has more than enough financial security to take care of us. I don’t need anything from Peter.”

  “Have you stopped the alimony?”

  She shook her head. “I actually forgot about that.”

  “Have Vanzant take care of that, too. You shouldn’t deal directly with Peter, anyway.”

  James, who was tall as a basketball player, came into the kitchen and got Nadine.

  “Time to go, Nadine. It was nice seeing you, Iris.”

  James had a way of looking at Iris that made her feel like she’d just been stripped naked. She hated it. But, it wasn’t often that she had to deal with James, so she endured it.

  After they left, Preston and Iris had a little quality time. He was exhausted from the trip. He’d found a nice yacht that would be perfect for him and Iris, but he wanted Iris to see it before he committed to it. She agreed to go see it.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a text message from Richard.

  Richard: Mom and Dad are here. Come over.

  “My parents are in town,” he said to Iris.

  “Why don’t you sound happy about that?”

  “I’m not ready to see them. I thought I was. But after that whole incident with Peter, I don’t think I can deal with them.”

  “It might be different with them.”

  “It might be. But, I’m happy right now. I want to stay that way.”

  Preston sent a text to Richard: Thanks. Not coming tonight.

  Richard: Why

  Preston: Not ready to see them yet.

  Richard didn’t respond.

  ***

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah, but you’ve had a long day, too. Let’s order something. How about a pizza?”

  “Sure. I’ll call,” Iris said.

  When the pizza arrived, Preston told Iris to grab twenty dollars from his wallet. When she did, a photo fell out. She picked it up and stared at it. It was a picture of a woman — a quite attractive woman.