by Mia Ford
“So, you like her?”
“Yeah. She’s very good. So stay away from her on your visits. You know how you have the tendency to disrupt things.”
I laughed. My brother was always such a kidder.
“I’ll do my best, Marty, but I can’t promise she’ll stay away from me. We’ve been seeing each other pretty regularly and well, things are starting to get serious.”
It was amazing. My brother, for the first time in a long time stopped what he was doing and looked right at me.
“What did you say?”
“Well, you can’t tell me you didn’t know? I mean our picture has been in all the local papers on the celebrity pages. Oh, that’s right. You don’t read those. I forgot.”
I stood there smiling down at my brother, the great Marty Reid and thrust my hands in my pockets, rocking back and forth on my heels.
“Do you have anything else to tell me, Josh?”
“Looks like I told you too much.” I said laughing just a little. “But, there is one more thing. I would like to invite Natasha to the cabin in Aspen next week for our six month anniversary. Give her Monday and Tuesday off when she asks.”
My brother didn’t say a word as I left.
I didn’t go back to the board meeting. Instead I called Natasha who didn’t answer her phone. I left her a beautiful message about my feelings growing and wanting her in my arms. Then I left the building and paid that cute waitress a visit at the bar where Natasha and I had met. Once again, she helped me out.
MARTY
Ray Peppers had been a part of my life for decades. He worked for me. His official title was that of chamberlain but he was old fashioned and had no problem calling himself the butler.
“Marty, I know you pretty well. This fishing trip isn’t for relaxation, is it?”
I looked at him a bit surprised as I tilted a bottle of beer in my mouth. Shaking my head no I looked up at the sky letting the bubbly, bitter taste of the hops fill my mouth. I swallowed hard.
“No, Ray. I’ve got a problem. A big one. And I’m really stumped this time.”
“Does it have to do with Natasha?” Ray was reading my mind again. I didn’t have to answer. He was already nodding his head. They sky was overcast overhead and it made the water of my favorite fishing spot take on a cold, hard, charcoal look. The water rippled just enough to make the small motor boat we were in rock gently like we were babies in mother’s arms. Birds flew overhead and squawked amongst themselves in the trees along the shore. So far, after hanging around for over half an hour neither Ray nor I had gotten so much as a nibble in the ends of our lines.
“Can I be honest with you, Marty?”
“I’ve come to expect nothing less.” I braced myself for Ray’s words. To look at him a person might thing he was a logger or a lumberjack. He was about over six feet tall and had a huge barrel chest that was usually covered in some flannel shirt in the cool months or gray or navy blue t-shirts in the warmer months. His jeans were old and faded after seeing many hours of work outside and even though I paid him well he was happy to live simply. His quarters at my home were small upon his request and although at any time I would have bought him a new truck, he insisted on driving an old pick-up that had seen better days. Ray’s philosophy, it if ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
“You need to slap a ring on that girl and start living the life of a family man.”
“What?”
Those words were not what I had expected. And the twinkle in Ray’s blue eyes told me he was amused by my response.
“That’s right. That house has been empty long enough. She’s been over several times now and each time she gets more and more pleasant. A real lady, too.”
“But she’s been seeing my brother, too, for a while.”
“I’ve heard that. Seen it in the papers myself.” Ray said, rubbing his chin. “But, you haven’t given the girl the ultimatum. Have you told her you don’t want her to see anyone but you?”
“No. But…”
“Have you told her you think about her all the time?”
“Ray, kind of, but…”
“Have you told her anything about your brother’s history?”
I swallowed hard.
“No. I was afraid if I did that she might think I was being competitive. That she was just some kind of trophy or something and I didn’t want her to feel that way.”
“I can see that.”
We sat quietly for a few minutes. The water lapped at the sides of the boat and it was amazing how soothing it was.
“You should bring her out here with you some time.”
“I don’t know, Ray. I don’t know if she’d like fishing.”
“You are so dumb. She’d like it if she was with you, Marty.” He looked around smiling. “It’s beautiful out here. Peaceful. A nice place to propose marriage.”
“Now don’t you think you are jumping the gun a little?”
“I don’t know, boss, you tell me. If I am then what the hell did you bring me out here to talk about?”
Ray was right. I did bring him out here to ask him what he thought of Natasha and the whole situation with my brother. He had been at the main house when Natasha had told me she had been seeing my brother, too.
It had been a beautiful night. I had invited her out with me after work. We had left together via the private elevator and taken my car to one of my favorite out of the way places. When we both walked in I felt Betty Jean’s eyes on me right away.
“Well, hello stranger!” The heavy red-headed waitress called, waving wildly from behind the counter. Several of the regulars turned around and gave a quick grunt of salutation.
“We haven’t seen you in a while, Marty. How’s business?”
“It’s good, Betty Jean. How are things around here?”
“The same.” She said, rolling her eyes at the line of regular fellas who were at the other end of the counter.
“Betty Jean, this is Natasha. Natasha, this is Betty-Jean, the most beautiful waitress in eight counties. Ain’t that right, Cletus?” I yelled to an older man at the end of the counter who had bright brown eyes and hair graying at the temples.
“Please don’t encourage him, Marty.” Betty Jean said, pulling out her order pad and a pencil from the back of her big red hair. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sweetheart. What can I get you two?”
“Two fried chicken dinners, sweetheart. Fully loaded.” I said, holding Natasha’s hand.
“Coming right up.” Betty Jean scribbled down the order and walked quickly to the other end of the counter to slap it into the silver wheel for the cook and banged the bell. “Order!”
All the men watched her as she walked back and forth filling up their coffee cups, bending to get a bag of sugar from underneath the counter and climbed a stepstool to pull down a box of napkins. She had a full figure and that moved like the ocean. But as of yet she had not said yes to any marriage proposals. Cletus Riverton was the most persistent and I think that was because deep down Betty Jean loved him, too. For her he had quit drinking over eight years ago. Stayed away from the electric slots they had at the restaurant across town for just as long. And last I heard he was even starting to attend church on a regular basis.
I figured once Betty Jean got him trained exactly the way she wanted him then she might consider going on one date with him.
“What are we doing here?” Natasha asked, looking around a little surprised.
“Well, I told you I was taking you to get one of the best meals you’ve ever tasted. Why?”
Her eyes filled with tears and she couldn’t control herself.
“Uhm, uh, Betty Jean we’re going to take that booth over there if you don’t mind.” I said, quickly.
“Suit yourself, honey.” She said, looking concerned.
Once we sat down Natasha pulled her hands away from mine and spilled her guts.
“Please believe me that I didn’t know you guys were brothers at first. I am single an
d well, there are no rules saying I can’t go out with two guys or four guys or whoever until I find the one that I like the best, right?”
I couldn’t tell her that my heart had hit the floor. Then I remembered Denise had tried to tell me not to get too attached to Natasha.
“She does a great job, Marty. Maybe too good of a job.” But that was all she had said. She must have seen it in the papers as well. But Denise was professional to a fault. She’d never overstep that boundary and risk her job just to tell me her opinion about a secretary.
There was nothing that I could say or that she could do to alter the awkwardness we were both feeling.
“Natasha, I’m not mad.” Not at her. My brother, on the other hand I believe had had some scheme in mind all along. This was some twisted game on his part that I was caught up in.
When we were children he was the same way. Anyone he could manipulate was fair game and they often learned their lesson far too late only after Joshua had obtained some embarrassing piece of information or gotten them to humiliate themselves without realizing it until it was too late.
That was the reason he had a different last name. He wanted to hurt our parents who had done nothing but give him the same upbringing they gave me. But nope. Being a Reid was not good enough. He was embarrassed he said of the questionable labor practices, the land obtained overseas, just a lot of nonsense to make our mother cry. So he became Joshua Hewitt except on his credit cards and birth certificate and driver’s license that all still read Joshua Reid. He wasn’t forfeiting the family fortune. Just the chains that he imagined came with the name.
When I found that out I hunted him down at his apartment.
“Open the door, Josh.” I said, waving the elevator hop to get back inside and go back to the first floor. Joshua had acquired the penthouse at a nice, new building our father had bought. Staying close to the city was important to my little brother because so many of his associates lived under the rocks and in the shadows of the city.
“Well, this is a nice surprise.” He said through the door as I heard the locks click open. He answered wearing a pair of silk pajama bottoms. His muscular chest was bare.
“Hey big brother…”
I punched him square in the face.
“Do you know what you’ve done to your mother, Josh? Do you have any idea?”
“Put your hands on me again you son of a bitch and…”
Another blow to the side of the head. While he was dazed I wrapped him in a head-lock and was determined to squeeze and squeeze until the monster blacked out. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I let him go and pushed him to the floor.
“You change your name in certain circles but you keep it the same to cash Daddy’s allowance checks. Do you see how pathetic that is?”
“I’m not as pathetic as a golden boy who can’t wipe his own ass without checking with his father first! At least I’m my own man!”
I started to laugh. I think that was what infuriated him the most. He stood there gasping, his hand at his throat just trembling with rage. In his eyes I didn’t see my brother. Truth be told there never was much behind his blue eyes but now they had gone to glass. Dead. When he stared at me I’ll admit I was sure he might kill me right then. But, nope. He still had a fear of his big brother and for that I was glad.
“If you come anywhere near me again I’ll have you arrested and thrown in jail.”
“So, does that mean you quit because you’re going to see me at work every day. Yes, if I were you, Josh, I’d quit. Make it easy on mom and dad and me and yourself. There isn’t any room for Joshua Reid Hewitt at the company.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his new name.
I was twenty-four when that happened. He was twenty-two. And even that ass-whipping didn’t change him.
Well, I shouldn’t say that. It made him hate me even more. But, even though my parents never kicked him to the curb like they should have, I respected their wishes to look out for him and keep him employed with the company. But, to show me he wasn’t leaving he collected his more than ample paycheck every two weeks plus his full insurance, paid vacations and all that jazz and was almost never in the office. At least, it was like that for a while. Then, I think he woke up the realization he may need to plan for his future.
He had the wool pulled over most of the employee’s eyes, hence Mrs. Ogawa getting Natasha placed as quickly as she did. He had lunches and Friday afternoon cocktails sent to the departments a couple times of the year. He never mingled with them but free beer got a guy a long way among the staff.
Joshua did manage to weave his way in with a good number of shareholders who would never vote him out. They had escorts sent to their hotel rooms whenever they were in town, drunk driving citations swept under the rug. My brother loved to have people owe him for something and now he had Natasha. What did she owe him I had to wonder?
I remember thinking of all these things in a matter of seconds when Natasha told me how she and my brother had met and what he had done for her.
“I wouldn’t be working at all. I wouldn’t have met you. I’m so confused, Marty. But please believe me when I tell you the last thing I ever wanted to do was cause a problem in your family.” She wiped her eyes with the paper napkin. “Oh my gosh, your mother would think I was a big slut. She’d never allow me in your house. I’m so embarrassed.”
I took a deep breath. Sure my heart was broken. But I couldn’t help but feel that Natasha was telling me this not because she had to but because she wanted to.
“You’re right, Natasha. You aren’t married to me or my brother or anyone else. You do have every right to go out with whoever you want whenever you want.
But…”
“But what, Marty?” she looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, pushing her long blonde hair away from her face. Her mascara had run just a little bit in the corner of her eyes and I thought she had probably never been this vulnerable in her whole life. The next words I chose to say could save her from herself or blow her apart like the dry leaves out on the parking lot surface outside the window we were sitting next to.
“But I hope you come to a decision soon. And if you believe it is what is best for you then I’ll be happy. Whatever you choose.”
Snapping out of my daydream I looked at Ray who was scratching his head.
“Marty, I gotta tell you that that is the dumbest thing you could have said. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Miss Natasha Morgan more than once and she is waiting for you…not Joshua...you to tell her you love her. You want her and only her. You can see it in her eyes? Have you been working so hard for so long you don’t know that look in a woman’s eyes anymore? Because if that is the case, my friend, you need a lot more than a pep talk from me.”
I shook my head. Ray was right.
“You know if she chooses your brother that isn’t going to end well either. He had Molly in his life for a good long while. I don’t think I was the only one who thought that maybe, just maybe she was going to be the one to settle him down.”
“Yeah, I thought that, too. She seemed nice enough and was very comfortable with the cameras and tabloids and all that nonsense that feeds my brother’s engine.”
“Yeah, but what does he do? He intentionally has a fling with some woman in front of the cameras and Molly says see you sucker and heads back to Canada. Now, he’s back to being our problem.”
“Yeah, curse that Holly.” I said sarcastically as if any of it was really her fault. She didn’t know who she was dealing with.
“But, if he did that to a woman who fit in with his weird and attention hungry lifestyle, what will he do to Natasha? She’s just as happy to go with you to Betty-Jean’s diner as she is to any $3000 plate fundraiser. Sitting in your office to talk after hours? And has she ever once said ‘Marty, take me out somewhere!’ No. She hasn’t.”
Ray reached into the cooler and pulled out another beer for himself.
“What kind of sandwiches we got?” he asked, kicking the other
cooler my chef had prepared for us.
“Well, I knew it was just going to be me and you, Ray, so I requested your favorite.”
“No. Liverwurst on rye. A slice of raw onion? Yes.” His eyes rolled in the back of his head. “You really pulled out all the stops.” He said, unwrapping the thick sandwich from the paper wrapping.
“You do realize, Ray, if I confront my brother on this it may get ugly. He doesn’t like being told what to do.”
Ray wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his flannel shirt and swallowed the monstrous bite of food he had been chewing.
“All you do is say the word, boss. I’ve been wanting to kick his ass for over a decade. The way he treated your parents who were nothing but decent to him was a sin against humanity. They should have taken a strap to him years ago. But better late than never I always say.”
“I mean it, Ray. My brother is unhinged. Anything contrary to what he expects and the whole door may just come flying off. Are you ready for that?”
“You sound like you are getting ready for a war, Marty.”
I finished the last two gulps of beer in the bottle I had been holding. Swallowing I nodded my head.
“I am. I’ll talk to Natasha tonight. I think there are a few things she needs to know. And then…”
“And then what?”
“And then I’ll talk with my brother.”
“Tell me you aren’t going to do it alone. I don’t trust him, Marty. I never have.”
I didn’t say anything. Just then, the fishing rod I had been holding loosely in my lap was almost jerked clear into the water.
“Whoa! Got a bite!”
Marty tossed over his sandwich and dove for the net behind me.
“It’s a big one!” I hollered.
“It’s going to put up a fight, Marty! Just get it closer!”
He leaned over the boat waiting to catch a glimpse of the big beast that was putting up such a fight. Sweat trickled down my forehead and my heart was pounding. There was never such an exciting feeling as seeing your patience pay off in a big way.
