by Marie Astor
After his return from Botswana, David threw himself into reaping every possible accomplishment his father expected him to achieve – not to please the old man, but to show him what David was capable of. He got straight A’s every semester in college, became the captain of the Lacrosse team, and the president of his fraternity. His classmates lauded him, and women admired him. Yet to his father, somehow it was never enough, and somewhere along the line, David switched to autopilot mode. He simply stopped feeling things. It started with his work first, but then spread into every aspect of his life. All the women, coupled with all the lavishness he could afford, left him cold. When his father started hinting at marriage, David had met Claire. What he felt for her was a far cry from love at first sight, but at least their relationship made him feel grounded. And then he met Claudia…
With sudden bitterness, David realized that he had spent the majority of his adult life terrified of disappointing his father. Now, he wondered what he had been so afraid of in the first place. His father might be fuming with indignation this very moment, but instead of being struck down by his father’s fury, David was still intact, aside from the nagging ache in his heart. Well, the last bit had been David’s own fault. Had he not been so worried about winning his father’s approval, he might have gotten his chance at happiness after all.
Chapter 22
“Hello, dear.” David’s mother greeted him on the doorstep and placed a kiss on his cheek. “So nice of you to stop by.”
“Hi, Mother.” David smiled wearily, unsure as to whether his mother had gotten wind of his transgression. Generally, his mother was the kind of woman who was not particularly good at reining in her emotions, so the absence of rebukes and tearful glances suggested that Mrs. Lawson was blissfully unaware of her son’s misconduct. Yet living with David’s father, one never knew – Allan Lawson could transform even someone as guileless as Sylvia Lawson into an actress.
“David, honey, have you had a chance to look at the wedding invitation?”
David smiled with relief. His mother’s perfect universe was intact.
“Not yet, Mother. But I promise to look it over as soon as I get home.”
“Thank you, dear. You know, it’s no small feat to plan a wedding.”
David nodded his head in forced acquiescence. For all he knew, there might be no wedding to speak of, and the worst part of it was that he felt giddy elation at the thought.
“Come in.” Allan Lawson’s voice rang with steel in response to David’s knock on the door.
David entered his father’s office, taking in the familiar surroundings – the wood-paneled walls, the mahogany desk with a leather armchair. The only “home” part of Allan Lawson’s home office was its location; otherwise, the room mirrored the executive offices in the corporate headquarters of Lawson Enterprises.
“Take a seat, son.” Allan Lawson motioned to a leather couch across from his desk.
David felt the old leather squeak under his weight. He remembered enduring countless silences on the very same couch at the end of every school semester, while his father reviewed his term report cards.
With a visible effort, Allan Lawson lifted himself from his chair and walked over to the bureau against the far wall of the room. He produced a decanter of scotch from the top drawer and poured himself two fingers of the amber-colored liquid into a glass. Then, he repeated the gesture with a second glass and placed the drink in front of David.
Slowly, Allan Lawson lowered himself on the couch and took a long swallow of his drink.
“So, what are your plans for getting out of this debacle, David?”
David sensed his father’s pale gray eyes burrowing into him, but refused to meet his father’s gaze.
“My PR agent is on top of it…”
“Well, at least it’s comforting to hear that she’s not on top of you.” David’s father raised his glass.
“Amber Bancroft is a pro at her trade. She’s been handling publicity for me for over a year,” David replied evenly, determined not to give his father the satisfaction. “Amber’s people are buying up the remaining copies of Flashlight as we speak. She’s also reached out to the owner of Flashlight to request a retraction.”
“Funny that ‘Amber’s people’ missed this copy.” Allan Lawson held up a copy of Flashlight. “Why didn’t you come to me on this from the beginning, David?”
“I can take care of my personal affairs, Dad.”
“What you do in your personal life is your own damn business, but this kind of behavior …” Allan Lawson disgustedly tossed Flashlight on the floor, “affects the company’s reputation, which in turn makes it my business.”
“I’m sorry, Father. It won’t ever happen again.”
“Well, I certainly hope not. Has this amazing PR agent of yours been able to reach Maury Wysotsky?”
David winced at the extent of his father’s knowledge. As always, the old man was two steps ahead of him.
“Not yet, but she will. Amber is the best in the business.”
“Yes, well, that very well may be when it comes to being on top of things, but I doubt she is the best when it comes to dealing with tabloid scum. Jake Wilson reached an agreement with Maury this morning, shortly after the first batch of this formidable publication has gone out.”
David held his father’s gaze. It was just like his father to play the game of cat and mouse.
“Thank you, Dad. I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome, son. Next time, and I hope to God that there won’t be a next time, don’t try to keep things from me, all right?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“There. We’re family. We’ve got to stick together.” Allan Lawson finished the last of his scotch. “Although I must say, you’ve got kinky taste, my son.” Allan Lawson threw a side glance at the tabloid on the floor. “I remember when Claudia Block’s was the face of Hollywood, but by God, she’s got to be old enough to be your mother! Oh, well, to each his own. Moving on to the important matters, how is your fiancée feeling about all of this?”
“I haven’t spoken to Claire yet.”
“You mean she hasn’t bawled you out yet? Well, then, there might still be a chance that she hasn’t seen the damn thing. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”
David nodded, although he knew that the likelihood of Claire being in the dark was close to zero. In all the time that the two of them had been dating, Claire had never left any of his calls unanswered, and the fact that she had not returned any of David’s messages from this morning left little hope.
“And even if she does find out, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to forgive you. Just make sure to get her a nice trinket from Tiffany or Cartier. Yes, Cartier might be just the thing, considering the circumstances.” Allan Lawson winked. “We might want to advance the wedding date to make the noise blow over quickly. Shall we say October? I know the planning could be tough, but I’m sure your mother will handle it.”
“Actually, Dad, I wanted to talk to you about the wedding.”
“Yes? I don’t think eloping is an option, if that’s what you had in mind. We’ve got to put on a show.”
“I don’t think I want to marry Claire, Dad. I thought I did, but now, it simply would not be fair to her or to me.”
There was a long silence as Allan Lawson stared into his empty scotch glass.
“It wouldn’t be fair to you, huh?” The old man glanced at David sharply. “Well, enlighten me, my son, what would be fair? Would it be fair for you to go on tarnishing the company’s reputation by shacking up with a woman who’s old enough to be your mother?”
“Stop it, Dad. Leave Claudia out of this.”
“I’ve had enough of this.” Allan Lawson rose from his seat. “What planet have you been living on, David? While you’ve been busy romancing aging Hollywood vixens, our competitors have gotten us by the balls,” Allan Lawson spat with disgust. “The Fink Corporation has been tooting its horn like there’s no tomorrow, raging abou
t the restoration project for some piece of crap building in Tribeca, for which, by the way, your fiancée is the lead project architect. The Fink PR department is having a blast. They’ve just announced that if the building indeed turns out to be of historic importance, they’ll turn it into a museum.”
David stared at his father blankly. There was no denying it - he had not been on his game lately. Vaguely, David remembered Claire blabbering about development for one of Fink’s properties being halted because of a warehouse building in Tribeca that she claimed was designed by a famous architect. At the time, David had been elated at the fact that the building belonged to the Fink Corporation, but apparently Ryan Fink had managed to turn this nuisance to his advantage.
“That’s right. The late Ryan Fink’s son is a real estate philanthropist, while my son is a philanderer.” David’s father stared down at him. “It’s not just you, David, it’s the company’s future we’re talking about. These days one wrong move is all it takes to send the stock price plummeting like a rock. I understand that you may not care about my legacy or your own wealth, but think about Stephanie. Do you want to see your sister’s inheritance dwindle away because of your selfishness?”
David lowered his head.
“Pull yourself together, son.” David’s father lowered himself into his chair and turned his attention to the papers on his desk, making it clear that the audience was over.
“Would you like a cup of coffee before you go, dear?” David’s mother ambushed him in the hallway.
“Thank you, Mother. But I really have to run. There are some things at the office that I’ve got to take care of right away.”
“Your father is working you too hard.” Sylvie Lawson clicked her tongue. “I’ve got to talk to him about that.”
“Don’t.” David checked himself. “What I mean is, I can handle it, but I really have to get going now. We’ll talk about the wedding some other time, okay?”
“Sure, honey. Drive safely. Give my regards to Claire.”
Stephanie was sitting on the hood of David’s Porsche.
“How bad was it?” she asked.
David cast a sharp glance at his sister. From the look in her eyes, he knew that she knew.
“How do you think?”
“That rough, huh?”
“Well, the old man has never been known for his soft side, has he? Listen, Stephanie, I was hoping you could do me a favor…” David looked away – asking his little sister for help with his love troubles was not exactly within his comfort zone, but the alternatives were not much better. “You and Claire seemed to have hit it off really well…”
“Claire is a great girl. You’re lucky to have her.” Stephanie jumped off the hood of David’s car.
“Yes, I know. I was hoping you could put in a good word for me. I’ve got to fix this thing, or the old man will never let me live it down.”
“But what about Claudia?”
David looked away. It would have been easy to dismiss his sister’s question, but he hesitated just long enough to make it impossible.
“It wasn’t just a fling, was it?” The tone of Stephanie’s voice made the question sound like a statement.
David bit his lip. “I made a mistake, Stephanie. I messed up. Can’t you understand that?”
“Yeah. Sure, I can. I know a lot about messing up, but I’m not a liar.”
David felt his exasperation mounting into exhaustion. He had had enough lectures for one day, and he was not going to listen to one from his baby sister.
“Are you going to help me get Claire back or what?”
“I am not going to lie for you, David.” Stephanie crossed her arms on her chest. “Don’t you think it’s about time the old man stopped running your life? I’ll see you later. I’ve got to get ready for an audition.”
“Stephanie…” David waved his hand in limp protest, but then decided against it. Deep down, he knew that his little sister was right.
Chapter 23
It was ten o'clock at night when Claire finally decided to head home. The crumpled copy of Flashlight was still stuck inside her bag. Despite the sickening sensation she experienced every time she looked at the image of David kissing another woman, Claire would not throw the magazine away. She needed it as proof that she had not lost her mind, to remind her that she had not imagined the whole thing, but that her world had indeed turned upside down.
Claire had studied the photograph so obsessively that now its image was burned inside her mind. It was heartbreaking to know that David had been making a fool of her all this time, but even more devastating than the discovery of the affair was the passion captured in the photograph. Claire could not remember the last time David had kissed her with the same fervor as he was kissing the woman on the cover. Claudia Block — to the world she was a Hollywood legend, but to Claire she was the woman who stole her fiancé. But then, of course, things were not that simple... Claire knew what she was getting into when she started seeing David. After all, he had not exactly been a monk before he met her, and given his good looks and prominent social status, the potential for a broken heart was high. But he had courted her with such persuasiveness, lavishing her with such attention that Claire believed that she had indeed captured the elusive David Lawson's heart. Well, now the joke was on her.
Wearily, Claire began to climb up the front stoop of her building. It was only four stairs, but it felt like an entire flight.
“Claire?”
At the sound of the familiar voice, Claire's hand froze over the door handle. A day before, the sight of David standing by her doorstep would have sent her heart jumping, but now, her heart was plummeting. She raked her mind for an appropriate greeting: cheating bastard, lying snake, or a laconic, but highly effective, snake. In her mind, she had called David all of these names, wondering what she had done to drive David to kiss another woman.
“Claire...” David's eyes darted over Claire's shoulder, avoiding her direct gaze. “I've been trying to reach you all day... Please, let me explain.”
“I'm listening.” Claire willed her face into a neutral expression. There was no way she was going to make this easy for David.
“Couldn't I come up?” David moved halfway up the stoop, so that now he was only a few inches away from Claire.
From where she stood, Claire could sense the smell of his cologne. Another step, and the distance between them would be breached. How tempting it was to allow herself to be convinced.
“I think you nixed that opportunity when you decided to play tongue hockey with Claudia Block.”
“Please, Claire. If you would only let me explain...” David took another tentative step up the stairs. “I made a mistake. I am not going to try and defend myself. But I love you, Claire. I can’t stop thinking about you...” David reached for Claire's hand. The touch of his fingers, so welcome before, made her shiver.
Claire's eyes narrowed. “Tell me, David. Did you think of me when you were kissing that woman?”
David looked away, and Claire turned to open the lobby door.
“Wait!” David fumbled inside his jacket pocket and produced a velvet jewelry box. “I got you this...” David hurriedly opened the box, revealing a dazzling ensemble of an emerald choker and matching earrings.
Claire glanced at the pristine jewels, glistening in the dim lobby light. Under a different set of circumstances, she would have delighted at the magnanimous gift; but now, she was sickened by it. Did David really think that he could buy his way out of infidelity?
“I'm afraid it's too late for this, David. But hey, maybe Claudia likes emeralds.”
Before David could break her resolve, Claire hurried through the lobby door and shut it behind her. She raced for the elevator and was relieved to find it idling on the first floor. Quickly, she got inside and pressed her floor.
Her shaky hands fumbled with her door lock for what felt like an eternity, but finally, she managed to get the door opened and slammed it shut behind her, pressing her
back against the door, as if for reinforcement. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.
A few moments later, Claire remembered that she and David had never exchanged keys. There was no danger of him coming up uninvited.
Bemused, Alec walked away from the window. He now felt ashamed for his unpremeditated eavesdropping, but at the time, his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He had been drawn to the window by the sight of an unusually large moon and was about to open the window to get a better view when two figures standing in front of the building lobby had caught his attention. Normally, Alec would not have given the matter a second thought, but in the female figure he recognized his abrupt neighbor – “the tango police,” as he had nicknamed Claire.
What Alec witnessed next would have delighted a man of lower nature, but it made Alec shake his head with indignation on behalf of his neighbor. Alec was no moralist when it came to women. He'd certainly had his fair share of girlfriends, but he had one unbreakable rule: no cheating. Now, as an unexpected witness to the scene, Alec found himself forgiving Claire's previous infractions. With a jerk like that for a boyfriend, any woman was entitled to a few outbursts.
Of course, Claire's newly single status presented Alec with an excellent opportunity to make his move, but he resolved to do no such thing. Not because he was not interested. He was as keen as ever, and he was fairly certain that if he played his cards right, Claire would more than welcome his advances, but Alec was not interested in being anyone's rebound. Still, that did not mean that he could not be a good neighbor and offer Claire a cup of coffee should he run into her, or a friendly shoulder to cry on, should she need one. It would be nothing more than a friendly gesture, Alec mused, almost managing to convince himself.
Claudia Block sat in the giant kitchen of her penthouse, her trembling hands clutching a now cold cup of herbal tea. A copy of a movie script lay on the table in front of her, but Claudia ignored it as she continued to listlessly stare into space. What a nightmarish day it had been, and now a sleepless night awaited her. Not that she could afford a sleepless night, not at her age, but presently, for the first time in a number of years that Claudia did not wish to admit, beauty had no place in her thoughts. Her entire being shook as she recalled the events of the day.
