Course of Action

by Gun Brooke

  “Welcome back, Ms. Black,” Mary greeted her at the door. “What can I do for you? Did you forget something above the garage?” The wiry woman studied her closely.

  “Hello, Mary, I didn’t realize you worked on Sundays.”

  “Usually I don’t, but I’ll have a week or two off and wanted to make sure everything was in order before I left.”

  Carolyn frowned. “Annelie isn’t home, by any chance?”

  The housekeeper raised her eyebrows. “She had to leave directly from Orlando to fly to New York. I thought you were aware of this, since you were there with her. She originally planned to go tomorrow or Tuesday.”

  “Something came up, I assume.” Carolyn tried to sound casual, her mind reeling. What the hell…To New York? Had Annelie run away? “I’m going back to New York myself, and I’d like to get in touch with her. Do you have her address?”

  Mary nodded her head. “Of course. Come on. I’ve started a light lunch.”

  Feeling reprieved from her increasing depression, Carolyn followed Mary into the kitchen and sat down at a small table. “There you go, Ms. Black. I’ll go find a business card and then join you.”

  As Carolyn contemplated the large salad and Melba toast in front of her, she suddenly felt nauseous. Mary’s assumption only emphasized the reality of the situation. Annelie had opted for New York without so much as a goodbye, rather than return to Miami with Carolyn.

  Her jaw tensing, she held on tight to the fork, staring down at the salad. Was facing me in the morning so incredibly embarrassing, she’d rather act this rudely? So out of character? Carolyn could only surmise that her first fear was correct. For whatever reason Annelie was forced to go to New York, the way she did it…

  Mary returned with the card, interrupting Carolyn’s train of thought. Accepting the card, Carolyn raised an eyebrow. “Annelie Peterson, Peterson & Associates. This is a law firm?” she asked. “Her own firm?”

  “Yes.” Mary said. “She employs several young lawyers, and they only do pro bono work.”

  They ate in silence while Carolyn digested this new information. Stunned, she was more than impressed with Annelie’s multiple ventures. Perhaps there was a perfectly logical reason for Annelie to return so hastily to New York. The thought was comforting, but a persistent voice within her cautioned Carolyn not to assume this was true.

  Refusing to go down the path of self-pity and anger again, Carolyn gazed down at the business card next to her plate. The idea of Annelie owning a law firm and turning out to be even more dedicated to putting her wealth to good use was not a surprise. It was the extent of Annelie’s involvement, which was impressive, far beyond anyone Carolyn knew, that was astonishing. Carolyn knew people richer than Annelie who clung to their wallets like life rafts in a storm.

  Something Mary had said earlier surfaced. If Annelie had originally meant to leave Monday or Tuesday, she must have run from Carolyn. Was she overwhelmed with regret for breaking her own rules? Knowing full well her own part in what had happened in Orlando, Carolyn wanted to bury her head in her hands and moan aloud. And that damn note…I’ll go confront her. She’s not going to get away with this. We’ll just see what she has to say for herself. Nobody treats me like a whore and gets away with it!

  After finishing what she could of her salad and thanking Mary, Carolyn called a cab and headed back to Jared’s condo. She didn’t offer much of an explanation for her hit-and-run stay, immediately reserving a flight for early the next morning. She would be in New York just after lunch Monday.

  Dodging Jared’s inquisitive looks, she locked herself in the guest bathroom, letting her clothes fall to the floor. She looked at her body in the mirror, seeing the clearly visible traces of Annelie’s passionate caresses. Carolyn let her hands trace the reddened skin on her left breast, wincing when the nipple proved to be more sensitive than usual. She could still feel Annelie’s full lips closing over the puckered skin, drawing it into the warm, moist cavity of her mouth…

  Snap out of it. Carolyn turned on the shower and stepped into the cool stream of water. Scrubbing her sensitized skin, she tried to wash the memory of Annelie out of her mind.

  Of course she was doomed to fail.

  *

  “Morning, Grey. How are you today?”

  “Carolyn! I’ve been trying to reach you!” The agent sounded excited.

  “Sorry, I forgot to switch on my cell phone earlier. The only good thing about that is at least the battery’s still fully charged.”

  “Well, I’m delighted you called. I have contracts waiting here for you, several of them.”

  Carolyn stopped walking, causing a man to stumble into her from behind. Miami International Airport was buzzing with activity, and all the corridors were crowded.

  “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “A courier was waiting for me when I arrived this morning. He refused to let anyone but me sign for the documents—and I can’t blame him. You have four different contracts waiting for your signature, Carolyn! The three Maddox movies and a special contract for more Maddox conventions. We’re talking about roughly fifteen million dollars.”

  Carolyn was stunned and had to clear her throat twice before her voice would carry again.

  “Oh, my God,” she said huskily. “Good thing I’m on my way to New York, then. I’m at the Miami airport.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. Get yourself right to my office when you land, my dear.”

  Inwardly shaking her head at her agent’s enthusiasm, Carolyn couldn’t blame him for being excited. This would be a nice feather in his hat, as well as a profitable 10 percent fee.

  “I’ll call you when I get there, okay?”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  Carolyn disconnected and dialed her sister as she resumed walking toward her gate. “Beth, honey, it’s me. How are you doing?”

  “Lyn, I’m so glad you called. I have some news for you,” her sister replied. “I’ve hired someone to help me around the house, part-time. Her name’s Frances and she seems great.”

  Exhaling deeply with relief that the news wasn’t bad, Carolyn smiled. “I’m delighted. Now, have her address ready for me when I call you next time, and I’ll arrange to send her a check every week.”

  “But, Lyn…”

  “No buts, darling, just humor me. Let me do this for you.”

  There was a sigh of mock exasperation. “All right, then. So, how was the convention? I haven’t heard from you since you got back.”

  “The convention went very well, sweetie. Actually, I just wanted to let you know I’m on my way home for a bit. I have some things to take care of with Grey.”

  “Sounds exciting. Anything you can tell me?”

  “No, not yet,” Carolyn smiled and began to walk toward the gate as they called her flight. “I promise you’ll be the first to know, though, when I can.” The energetic tone in her sister’s voice was reassuring.

  “You better.” Beth laughed.

  “Hey, I have to go. It’s time to board. Say hi to Joe and Pamela for me, okay?”

  Beth promised and Carolyn disconnected, making sure she switched the phone off. Passing the smiling flight attendant, she returned to her thoughts of Annelie, wondering how the other woman would react to seeing her so soon. Impatient with herself for letting her nerves get to her, she found her seat, stowed her only bag in the overhead compartment, and sat down.

  A short time into the flight, the screen embedded in the backrest in front of her lit up, and Carolyn was able to choose from a variety of TV shows. Browsing through the channels, she found E! News. She smirked as she watched with some amusement how several of her colleagues had made fools of themselves at a Hollywood mogul’s housewarming party. Carolyn sipped her mineral water and almost choked on it when a familiar face filled the small screen. The narrator continued by presenting the next interview.

  “E! News had the pleasure of bumping into the elusive publisher of the best-selling Diana Maddox b
ooks, Annelie Peterson, at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday morning. Several sources have confirmed Ms. Peterson is in the process of casting the movies based on the famous books. Here’s what the blond beauty had to say on the matter.”

  After a shot of the covers of the three Maddox books, Annelie’s face came into view again. “Ms. Peterson, can you tell us who’s going to play Diana Maddox?” a reporter asked as Annelie, wearing large black sunglasses, hurried toward the exit.

  “We’re going to start the casting process tomorrow,” Annelie replied. “I’ll get back to you when I know more.”

  “So no hot tip about who the lucky actress is going to be?” the reporter insisted.

  “No, we’re considering several interesting names. As I said, I’ll have to get back to you when I know more.”

  “Is Carolyn Black among the interesting names you’re referring to?”

  “Carolyn Black did a wonderful job portraying Diana Maddox in the audiobooks and was instrumental in making them even bigger best-sellers than the hardbacks and paperbacks. She’s definitely of interest to us, but so are several other actresses.”

  “Can you give us a few more names?”

  “No, that’ll have to be a surprise. Supernova Productions will hold a press conference as soon as we have made a decision.”

  Annelie acknowledged the members of the press with a regal nod. Giving an equally royal wave, she disappeared into a cab and drove off.

  Carolyn sat staring at the small screen, her blurring eyes making it impossible to see the face of the famous singer who’d been arrested during a cocaine bust in downtown L.A.

  Unsure why the sight of the other woman would twist her stomach into a knot, she clenched her fists, her hands suddenly cold. Seeing Annelie in her professional role only added to the emotional distance she felt from the woman she had been intimate with so recently.

  As she blinked back tears of confusion, Carolyn followed Annelie’s example by putting on her large sunglasses and reclined her seat so she could lean back in it. Biting her lower lip, she was even more determined to obtain answers to her growing set of questions.

  *

  Annelie walked into her office, smiling at the receptionist sitting at the front desk.

  “Good morning. How are you?”

  “Ms. Peterson! Just fine. I didn’t know you were expected in today, ma’am. I thought…” The new employee looked slightly panic-stricken as she browsed though her day planner.

  “Don’t worry about it. I flew in a day early.”

  The nervous young woman looked relieved. “Should I page Ms. Dillon, ma’am?”

  Annelie’s personal assistant, Margo Dillon, was also her personnel manager. The energetic woman hired everyone from the law clerks to the janitors at the firm. Annelie now headed for the main desk in Margo’s office where the personnel manager usually sat, queen of her domain.

  “Margo, do you have a minute?” she asked blithely, walking up to her and making her jump.

  “Annelie! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Are you trying to give me a coronary? You’re here already?” Margo exclaimed in her familiar Irish accent. Rising, she freed herself from her headset. “Good to see you, girlie!” She rounded the desk and wrapped Annelie in a bear hug.

  Margo was the only one who could get away with calling Annelie “girlie.” A close friend of Annelie’s mother, Margo had lived next door to them in Chicago and, after Annelie’s mother died, stepped in and took the lanky seventeen-year-old under her wing. She became a different kind of female role model. Feisty, with a colorful vocabulary, the energetic, caring woman had been just what Annelie needed.

  “It’s wonderful to see you too, Margo.” Annelie beamed at her friend, placing her briefcase on the closest desk before returning the hug. “I came earlier, which means I can participate in the meeting with the lawyers from city hall.”

  “Yeah, that petition is going to take some fine-tuning,” Margo sighed.

  After hearing the latest on the pending case, Annelie grabbed her briefcase and walked toward her office. Pushing the door open, she looked involuntarily at the two posters above the couch. One was of the first off-Broadway play she had sponsored, Dream Catcher. The critics had been impressed with the new playwright, and the audience had kept the show going for a year.

  Annelie’s eyes narrowed when her glance fell on the other one, a collector’s item. Little Women had played on Broadway eighteen years ago with a young Carolyn Black as Jo. Annelie had bought the poster at a charity auction five years ago. As much as she longed to do so, she refused to think about the woman she had so recently left behind in Orlando. Doing so would only bring her pain and confusion.

  Her cherrywood desk was empty, but Annelie knew it would become cluttered with documents after the meeting. She welcomed the busy day ahead of her; hopefully it would take her mind off her disastrous weekend.

  Chapter Nine

  Carolyn stepped out of the cab in front of the large office building. When the security guard looked inquisitively at her as she signed her name and identified herself, Carolyn knew he probably recognized her but was reluctant to ask. She gave him her automatic diva smile before heading toward the elevators.

  The mirror in the elevator didn’t reveal how nervous she felt. Am I doing the right thing, barging in here like a wounded wildebeest? Will she toss me out and tell me to tear up my contracts? Or will she act like an ice goddess and freeze me out? I’m afraid I’m going to throw up, but this is the only way I know to get in touch with her. She’s so damned private I’d never find her home address. Oh, to hell with it. Here goes nothing. I’ll just have to play my charm to the hilt.

  Large glass doors with Peterson & Associates, Attorneys at Law painted on them in gold letters led into a formal reception area. A dark-haired woman wearing ultramodern black glasses looked up as Carolyn approached the desk and gave her a welcoming smile.

  “Good afternoon, ma’am. How may I help you?”

  “I’d like to speak to Annelie Peterson. Is she in today?”

  The receptionist nodded. “Do you have an appointment, Ms.…?”

  “Black. Carolyn Black. No, I don’t, but if you ask Annelie, I’m sure she’ll see me. It won’t take long.”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Black. Ms. Peterson is in a meeting and can’t be disturbed. If you can wait just a second, I’ll page Ms. Dillon, Ms. Peterson’s assistant.”

  Carolyn bit back an impatient reply and waited while the receptionist made a quick phone call.

  “Ms. Dillon will be right with you, Ms. Black,” the receptionist said. “Here she is already.”

  A slender middle-aged woman, dressed in a cobalt blue suit and high-heel pumps, approached. “Ms. Black, welcome,” she greeted Carolyn, extending a hand. “What a pleasant surprise. We had no idea you were in town. I’m Margo Dillon.”

  Slightly taken aback by the other woman’s energy, Carolyn shook her hand. “Hello, Ms. Dillon.”

  “Oh, call me Margo, please.”

  “Nice to meet you, Margo. I know I don’t have an appointment, but…”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I can pry Annelie out of the conference room for a minute or two. Could you please come with me? And would you like something to drink?”

  Having gone directly from the airport to her apartment to change, Carolyn hadn’t bothered to eat. “I’d love some coffee. Black, please.”

  “Like the name, should be easy to remember.” Margo chuckled. “Here’s Annelie’s office. Make yourself comfortable and I’ll bring you some coffee and, hopefully, the woman herself.”

  Rushing off, the energetic woman left quite a void. Carolyn stepped into the corner office and looked around the room curiously. Ivory walls and peach and forest green furniture gave the room a feminine elegance. Dark peach drapes framed the large panoramic window overlooking Manhattan.

  Several diplomas hung on the wall behind the desk, and a painting, which on closer examination proved to be an original, hung across the room. Caroly
n had never heard of the painter, but the name Carl Larson sounded Scandinavian. This portrait of a woman holding a child, called “Idyllic Studio,” soothed her. Turning around to sit down, Carolyn discovered two large posters. One was of a play she had actually seen a few years back, and the other…was of her. Or of her as Jo March, many years ago.

  Not sure what to believe, Carolyn sat down on the couch only to rise again, feeling jittery. She scrutinized the empty desk, wondering if Annelie had already started working today.

  Quick steps approached and Margo returned with a tray. The Spode china and Georgian silverware didn’t surprise Carolyn. “Thank you,” she managed. “Is she going to be long, do you think?”

  “No, just give her a few minutes. Enjoy the coffee.”

  Margo smiled and left after pouring the black, steaming-hot beverage. Carolyn sat down again and sipped her coffee, comforted by the familiar, rejuvenating taste. Anticipating how the caffeine would enter her bloodstream, travel to her brain, and energize it, she finally began to calm down.

  “Carolyn,” a soft voice said from the doorway. Looking up, she had to force herself to carefully place the delicate coffee cup back on its saucer since her fingers had begun to tremble. “This is a surprise.”

  Annelie was dressed in a black pantsuit over a crisp white blouse. Silver-white pearls gleamed around her neck and in her earlobes, reflecting the light in an expensive, understated way. A larger pearl was attached to the jacket’s left lapel. She wore a white gold watch on her left wrist, but no other jewelry on her hands.

  This was another side of Annelie. Having become accustomed to seeing her only in casual clothes, Carolyn was awed as she looked at the professional vision before her. As she stood with her arms folded over her chest, her hair swept up in a tight twist without a strand out of place, Annelie looked untouchable.

  “I need to talk to you, Annelie,” Carolyn said, amazed at how calm she sounded. “I’m sorry to barge in here like this, but I didn’t know how else to get in touch with you. I couldn’t talk to you about this over the phone.”