“Excuse me gentleman. I need to make a few calls,” Kathryn said, as she left George’s office. Niles followed her then closed the door behind her. “Pop. You can’t be serious. She looks like an exotic dancer. Who hired her?” he asked. George walked to his desk and sat. “Austin got her to leave Windell & Welsch. And we want her. That firm has exploded onto the financial district. It would be great to learn what they do. How they were able to land some of the largest accounts and continue to hold onto them despite larger firms going after their business.”
Niles paced then walked to the window. Something was unsettling. “Austin! Really! Since when is he an expert. He’s been in the business, like what…five days. He doesn’t qualify. And we don’t care what that firm is doing. Our numbers beat theirs hands down. They trail behind you on Forbes ever year. It’s not worth the risk pop,” he stressed. George smiled. He was proud of his sons vigilant and loyal fight to keep Langston from its competitors. “Austin has been here longer than five days. Why do you continue to doubt him? He has done nothing to deserve that. And yes, I am interested in what that firm is doing. Trust me son. If something’s amidst, I’ll sniff it out like a dog.”
A
nother day brought on another heated debate and Bella thought she was going crazy. They were arguing and making up daily. Tensions ran high. Bella asked him about his future plans for them. She wanted him to commit to a timeframe. A time she could log to memory and have something to look forward to. Noah again, left the subject open by telling her he wasn’t sure.
“I have two packages for you,” the delivery man said as he entered. Bella grabbed her pen and prepared to sign as the man sat the large box down and went back to his truck to retrieve her other package. Noah walked in and kept his eyes on Bella as he approached her. He hoped she had calmed down from their argument earlier that day. They had not made up since the night before and so Noah was there to try to bring peace between them. He felt bad for Bella. He was the one not living honestly with her. She was right to feel the way she felt. But Noah was unable to relent. He was unable to give her children and the fear of her leaving as a result, kept him dishonest. Bella shook her head slowly at him. Her eyes were filled with pain. “Ok ma’am. This is the last one,” the man said as he handed her the delivery slip. Bella signed it and grabbed her box cutter.
“You hungry? I came to take you to dinner,” Noah said. “No. I can’t. I have a lot to do. The sale starts tomorrow and I have to have the inventory tagged and ready,” she replied, giving the box her undivided attention. Noah could see she was harboring resentment. That she was confused and because he had no real answers for why she had to wait, she chose to be angry about it. He felt her slipping away. He was losing his grip on her heart. Bella teared up. She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes at him. She wiped her nose, and tried to wipe away the steady stream of tears as they rolled down her cheeks. “I’m not in the mood Noah. Do you. Go and do whatever it is you find more important than us. Go!”
She walked towards the back of her store. Her silent contempt was hard to take. Noah wanted to hold her. Tell her he was unable to be a father. He wanted to hug her. Make love to her. Plant his seed in her if he could and let her be the mother she so desperately wanted to be. He had no doubt she would make an awesome mother. But Bella would be devastated by the news. He needed time to come up with a way to fill the void. And she needed to cry. She needed to mourn the child she would never carry. She went to her storage room, unwilling to be comforted by him. There was only one thing she wanted more than anything. Only one thing that would fix what ailed her and in return, she would accept all else. A baby.
N
oah woke up tired. Bella got up several times through the night and he was unable to sleep worried about his wife’s state of emotion. He had an appointment to lease a space for a new office he wanted to open. He had started doing taxes and business financial sheets for struggling companies. He put his accounting skills to good use and had a growing list of clients. Several companies had hired him. And he needed a place for the CEO’s of those companies to meet with him.
The warm water felt good but did little to rinse away the troubles from the night before. His life was still unravelling. He had secrets. He was newly married and he was aware that his lack of honesty could do nothing but end badly. He could hear her walking around. She had already taken a shower and was ready to leave. Noah got out and heard the door slam shut. He dropped his head. She didn’t understand. She didn’t know he was infertile. A condition that resulted from an injury that required two surgeries, but left him unable to produce children.
She also didn’t know he was the son of a rich, power-driven and controlling drill sergeant. A man who would explode if he discovered that one of his children married without a pre-nuptial agreement. Noah had millions at his disposal. He had learned a lot from his father. Skills that had helped him turn a large profit. George gave his children up to a million a year. They had a second trust fund that would start on their thirty second birthday. It would deposit an additional five million dollars for five consecutive years, ending after the payout was twenty five million dollars.
Their sister Nicole had already reached that milestone and was getting the second installment of her inheritance. Noah and Niles had a few years left. But Noah had beat his father to those numbers. He had already amassed nearly fourteen million dollars on his own. Through diligent and smart investing since he was twenty three years old, he had a fortune. One that he was still hiding from Bella. The same as Niles did while they were dating. He figured the less she knew the better off. Exposing fourteen million dollars would pique her interest more. He feared her looking into his background and finding a way to his family. So he gave her money and kept her bills paid. He showed her some of his accounts. Gave her access to what he wanted he to have, but continued hiding the rest. He pulled a hundred thousand into an account and then gave her a card linked to the account. Bella used it, sparingly. He hoped the money would help. It didn’t.
“How about we spend today shopping and hanging out,” Noah suggested. Bella stood in front of the washing machine folding clothes and placing another load in. “Ok. That sounds good. We haven’t really made time for each other,” she replied. Noah wanted a chance to start over. They were headed down a dark path. He could feel her pulling away. Their three month marriage unravelling. “I’m done with what I had to do. Let’s get going. You can do that later,” he said. Bella turned the knob to start the next load then walked away to get dressed. Noah walked towards the kitchen. Bella looked back. The fact that he never grabbed her for a kiss or playfully attacked her the way he used to, bothered her. But he was trying. Taking her out for a day of shopping, dinner and other self-indulgent activities was a start.
Bella pulled one of her favorite shirts from her drawer. She looked at herself in the mirror. She felt she was playing a role. Faking it to get through the day. If there was nothing more, then she wasn’t sure what would become of them. She stared at the woman in the mirror. Something wasn’t right with her husband. And she was not in love any longer. Bella blamed her original feelings on lust. And she believed lust never lasted. What were you thinking? Were you that desperate? Now look at you. This is fucked up. And if you end it, everyone will say told you so, she thought, as she turned from the mirror. The self-criticism too harsh to deal with. “Bella. You ready?” Noah shouted. “Yeah. Coming.”
Bella walked beside Noah as he talked to a client on the phone. She held onto her clutch. Not that he noticed. He didn’t once try holding her hand. Bella was somewhere else. Her attention wasn’t on the upscale boutiques and designer shops that he encouraged her to go in. Noah looked over at Bella then pointed at a boutique with fancy women’s clothing in the window. Soon he was laughing and making plans to meet with the gentleman to go over investment options. Bella walked faster, going into the shop. She looked around as Noah stood outside. She could see him through the glass window.
“May
I help you?” the sales associate asked. Bella stared at Noah not responding to the woman. She noticed things in his laugh. His way. She wondered why he tried so hard at first. Why lead her on. Was it to land her. Marry her. The person on the phone was getting more than she had been getting from him. Am I just hard to please. Why am I not happy. He doesn’t really do anything wrong. Why am I so frustrated with him. With us. What do I want, she thought, as she continued watching him.
“Can I show you something?” the associate said. “Huh,” Bella responded. “Oh sorry. Um. I want these in a size ten,” she said. “Those pants are twelve hundred dollars,” the woman said. Bella looked fiercely at the woman. Her arrogance and assumptions because of jeans and a tee shirt on a woman with no jewelry and only a wedding band were asinine. “I didn’t ask about price. Give me these in a size ten. The beige pair and the black pair please,” she huffed.
Bella wasn’t the type to treat people harshly. But the woman had just pissed her off. Judgments made from a glance and two seconds of approach, would have anyone incensed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that. Just wanted to let you know,” the woman replied. Bella followed her up to the cash register. She pulled the card her husband had given her and paid for the items, adding on a shirt and a make-up bag to her purchase. She hoped he was ready to go. It was time to eat. The day would soon be night. And he would want to make love. And Bella would again, go through the motions because what they did at night felt nothing like love making. It was sex. A fuck. Not at all how they were. Not even close.
“Mr. Langston. Your son is on line one,” his secretary announced. “Thanks Faye. Send him through.” George checked over the bottom line, of one of their largest clients then flicked his pen. “Hello,” Noah said. “Son. How are you?” George said. He was beginning to worry about him. Noah hadn’t call in over a month. “I’m fine dad. Just calling to say hi. I just called mom,” he said. “And what…She told you to call me. You can’t call me on your own,” he said.
Noah sighed. He refused to comment. It was just like George to hurl an insult even after not speaking to a person for thirty days. “No dad. She didn’t mention it. I’m calling on my own. I told her what I am about to tell you. I am going to open a small office. My own company. It will be called Principle Investments. Pi for short. My logo will be a variation of the pi symbol. I just wanted to let you know,” he said. George sat back. Noah held the phone. He knew the announcement would
“Your own company? Versus running a multi-million dollar company?” he said. Noah shook his head. He felt like hanging up. But the call was part of his plan to open a dialog with his father. Bella wanted to meet his family. And so he needed to start the dialog. Announcing his own company, although a controversial move, was a way to get talks flowing between him and George.
“Yes dad. My own company. I need this. I know you don’t understand but this is what I want.” George wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He was secretly proud, but Langston Financial needed Noah. He was the most mathematically gifted of his children. He could run the company better than even George could. He was smarter. He breathed numbers. He followed Wall Street, studying their every move. He was a whiz and George needed him.
“Running a company is hard son. It’s hard to build a name. A following. To have the respect of your peers. I have done all the leg work. How about you open another satellite location for our company and run it. I am open to do it your way. Just don’t do something totally different. You don’t need the money. Why do this? Is it to spite me? You hate me that much?” George replied. Noah was not surprised. George was known for using tactics that bordered on playing victim, in order to get what he wanted. “Pop. No. I got this. I want to do it on my own. Like you did. Who knows… Maybe I’ll make my own mark. The point is, it will be mine.”
George twirled his Mont Blanc Anniversary Special as he looked out the window of the tenth floor building her owned. This conversation was not over. George was lost as to what made his son tick. He had no interest in being famous. No real interest in money. He could care less about being known in the financial world. So he wondered if it weren’t all a way to get back at him. A personal attack. A way to punish his overbearing ways.
“Why don’t you come here. We’ll talk. If you want me to back off, I will. But I built this company for you, your brother and your sister. They can’t run it alone. You are the best with numbers. They can’t do it without you. You understand that, right? Niles is not there. Not yet. One day he will be. But if something was to happen to me tomorrow, he would not be able to handle this alone. Are you prepared for that? Can you promise me that you will help him keep it out of the hands of investors and outsiders looking to buy you out?” Noah paused. “I’ll help him. If he asks. But I don’t want any of it. Leave it all to them.”
“Hi,” a voice said from behind. Niles turned around. “Hi,” he said, as he turned back around and poured a cup of coffee. He hadn’t been to the firm in days. Kathryn smiled as she waited her turn to pour a cup of coffee. She held her mug as she looked at his side profile. He was everything the women in the office said he was. Brilliant yet sophisticated and sexy eye candy. She knew Niles didn’t care for her. But she also knew he wasn’t the main decision maker and she planned to make her mark. She wanted in at Langston for a long time. And she wanted him. But his efforts at keeping himself from her charms were enough to keep her back until he warmed to her. “You waiting for coffee?” he said, before placing it back on the burner. “Yes,” she said. Niles picked the pot up and turned to her. He poured slowly. He glanced at her.
“Listen. Just so we’re clear. I approve all hires. My father wants you here even though we have enough sales people and had no openings. But you’re here now and everyone seems to like you. So welcome aboard. I do have one request though. Something you’ll need to fix if you plan on continuing here,” he said looking at her as he held the pot. “Yes. Ok. What is it?” she said, curious and hoping he wasn’t going to insult her. “I need you to dress more professionally.” Kathryn scoffed. “Excuse me. There is nothing wrong with…” she said, before being interrupted. “It’s not a request,” he said, as he sat the pot back on the burner and walked away. Kathryn shook her head. But she had no plans on her wardrobe causing any issues with her new job. The pay exceeded her expectations and she looked forward to the bonuses the company was known for.
Niles walked out the kitchen, bending the corner. Austin was on his way into the kitchen and the two almost bumped into one another. “What’s up,” Niles said. “What’s up. You went on vacay or what? You got time this morning? Need to go over something with you,” he asked. Niles walked around him. “Yeah,” he said, as he continued to his office. Austin could tell his brother in law had something on his mind.
“Good morning,” Austin said, as he entered the kitchen. Kathryn took a sip of her coffee. “He doesn’t like me. He hates me actually. He’s going to get me fired. I can feel it,” she said. Austin grabbed a mug. “Niles is protective of Langston Financial. He’s a different guy if you meet him outside of here. In here, he is a beast. Out in the world, nicest guy you’ll ever meet. What did he say?” he asked, as he poured his coffee. “Dress more professionally,” she said. Austin chuckled. “Can you blame him. You have the whole office talking. Not that I care,” he said, as he looked at her from head to toe. Kathryn smiled. Austin walked closer. “Just do as he says and you’ll be fine. He’s not the firing type. Unless he suspects you have some ulterior motive. Button all the buttons, on your top. Wear your skirts longer. And look less sexual,” he said, as he looked around to ensure they were alone. “He probably wants to fuck you knowing him. You make him nervous. Do what I said. You’ll be fine.”
N
iles walked to his boat with two drinks in his hand. He struggled to keep Bella off his mind. But it was a daily battle that he was losing. He had rekindled his relationship with Cheyenne. But it had been only two weeks and he already tired of her. She wanted much more from h
im than sex and trips. Niles liked her company. But she did little to mend his broken heart. He still persevered. He was determined to move past the Vegas trip. The bane of his existence.
Cheyenne sat on the deck with her girlfriend Melanie. He boarded his thirty five foot cruiser and handed Cheyenne and her friend their drinks. “Where’s your brother?” Melanie asked. Cheyenne chuckled. Melanie always wanted to know where Noah was. She was enamored with him but he never showed any interest. They all knew one another from black tie affairs and the art scene. Cheyenne initially liked Noah and had inquired about him.
But he was in a long term relationship. Later she met Niles and never looked back. Cheyenne was from a family of surgeons and her father was wealthy in his own right. He produced mechanical parts for knees, hands, legs and hearts and patented them all. His state-of-the-art, technologically advanced robotics were purchased by several pharmaceutical companies and he was an instant millionaire. George was hoping Niles would marry her. She fit with what he wanted in a daughter in law. And although there was no direct financial boost that the Langston’s could benefit from, there was peace of mind. For George anyway.
The Twin Page 9
