Universally Challenged

by Anna Bell

  She was still self-conscious and unable to look him in the eye. She tried to remind herself that he didn’t know that she’d thought about kissing him last night. She felt ridiculous now as they way he greeted and looked at her was exactly how he would any business colleague.

  ‘Did everything go ok?’

  ‘Fine,’ said Jess, nodding. She’d already decided she wasn’t going to tell him what had gone on in Dr Rosenthal’s office. She didn’t feel comfortable telling Jake that she didn’t think Dr Rosenthal was very good at her job; it wasn’t fair as they obviously knew each other well.

  ‘Excellent. That really is good news.’

  Jess watched Tim Huffman walk past their row and he gave a little wave in her direction. Luckily, Jess was sat on the end of the aisle and there was no room for him to sit down next to her. There was something about him that unnerved Jess.

  ‘Who’s that?’ said Jake.

  ‘Tim Huffman, he works for someone, can’t think of their name. Crystal or something,’ said Jess.

  ‘Did he know you? He was giving you a very odd look.’

  ‘I don’t think so. He was talking on the phone outside and then he sat down next to me and introduced himself.’

  Jake turned and looked at him and looked back to Jess. He had the confused look on his face that Jess had started to notice he did a lot; usually when she started talking about her different view on reality.

  ‘I know where he was from – Clarity, is that right?’ said Jess. She was fishing around in her bag to get a notepaper and pen. If she was going to learn about her job she might as well start now.

  ‘Clarity, he works for Clarity?’ Jake said. He’d lost the look of mild confusion and instead a look of panic had replaced it.

  ‘Aha, so who are they? Another bank, our big bad rivals?’

  ‘No, they’re a company that gets hired by investors to check into companies, usually in developing countries. I guess it was only time before they started poking their nose into China.’

  ‘Why are they the bad guys?‘

  Jess sensed all wasn’t well by the way Jake was talking about Clarity, as if he had venom spitting from his mouth.

  ‘They did an exposé a few years ago on a company in Colombia that a lot of banks had invested in. It turned out money was being laundered through the company through drug running, and it led to tighter economic controls of US companies in South American deals. It’s a text book case now that gets farmed out in economics degrees stressing the need for thorough research.’

  ‘Well, isn’t it a good thing?’

  ‘Yes and no. Sure there was some illegal activity, but it meant the investors lost a lot of money. Shook the market a bit. Essentially, a few analysts had done sloppy research. Ever since then Clarity has been looking for the next big exposé and it just makes investors twitchy if they know they’re sniffing around.’

  Jess’ stomach started to churn and a slight uneasy feeling crept over her; the same feeling she’d had when she’d been speaking to Tim Huffman.

  ‘So I guess if he’s told me that he’s looking into energy companies in China, that isn’t a good thing,’ she said slowly, tucking her hair nervously behind her ear.

  Jake sat up straighter in his chair. ‘No, that is not a good thing. What else did he say?’

  Before Jess could reply that she hadn’t really been paying attention to what he’d said to her, the speaker at the front of the room started talking about land speculation and ownership in China. Jess desperately tried to remember what Tim had told her, but she’d been too busy wondering what Katie was going to be like when she met her, and who Maddie was.

  She remembered his phone conversation and the words grand jury. She didn’t really know what that was, she knew it was something legal, but unsure what. And then she remembered what he had said about publishing.

  Jake had already pulled out his Blackberry and was busy typing away. Whatever it was that Jess had said had rattled Jake’s cage. She turned and saw Tim a few rows behind. He smiled at her in a very smug way and a feeling of unease started to spread over Jess. She turned to face the front, but she couldn’t help thinking that Clarity’s next exposé had something to do with her. She would just have to find out what.

  Chapter 19 – Jessica Anderson

  Jessica hadn’t been able to face going back to the apartment. She didn’t believe what Dr Rosenthal had said. It wasn’t her home and that was that. Spending another day rooting through stuff that was supposed to be hers was not going to make her feel any better.

  She wished she could take advantage of being in New York and not having to work. She wished she had felt like going to MoMA or the Met, or maybe even do the trip of to the Statue of Liberty. Despite having spent a summer in New York she’d never been closer to the State of Liberty than on the free Staten Island Ferry. But she couldn’t face being a tourist.

  Yesterdays' attempt at being a tourist hadn’t gone well, her mind had been too busy racing a million miles to the dozen. She couldn’t remember what she’d seen at the Guggenheim She’d not been paying attention as she walked round the spiral.

  So, instead, after the visit to Dr Rosenthal, she’d spent the morning walking uptown. She’d walked up Broadway watching the scenery change from the shops and houses of the village, to the glitzy lights of Time Square.

  From there she’d walked across to 5th Avenue, where she’d gazed idly into the shop windows as they became more fancy and more expensive. Shops that she’d ordinarily treat herself to after her Christmas bonus. She doubted that she’d still be able to have those splurges, if her wardrobe dominated by Forever 21 and American Apparel labels was anything to go by.

  She’d lost all track of time and had only become aware of it as the streets started to fill with office workers looking for their lunch. She’d looked up and took in her surroundings, she hadn’t realised she’d reached the edge of Central Park. She wondered what she should have been doing at this time. She glanced at her watch – 12.30pm, – she would have been right into the conference by now. Her stomach sank when she thought of missing it.

  ‘Excuse me, do you know if the Waldorf Astoria is near here?’ said Jessica to a doorman of a posh looking shop.

  ‘It’s a bit of walk, maybe ten to fifteen minutes,’ he said. ‘You need to go across two blocks to Park Avenue, and then down maybe ten? I think it’s at 50th Street.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Jessica. She could have sworn he tipped his hat at her.

  She hurried across the streets when the electronic white man told her when to walk, and then followed the directions from the doorman and sure enough she could see the Waldorf.

  She dug around in her bag and found her name badge from the previous night. She pinned it on quickly, and briskly walked through the lobby, hoping no one looked at it too closely.

  The lectures were clearly going on still, so she opened the door and snuck in the back. Taking her seat she immediately heard the reassuring words of provinces in China and financial buzz words. She sat back in the chair and relaxed. She didn’t care at all what that stupid shrink had told her. How could she possibly understand this presentation if she was just a school teacher? It had to be like a second language to most people.

  She shut off any thoughts she had about the appointment she’d had that morning and listened. Just listening to the in-depth financial talk was like listening to a soothing story being read to her.

  Jessica hadn’t been paying attention to time. Not long after she’d sat down, the speaker opened the floor to questions. After a few questions and answers the conference broke for lunch.

  Disappointed that it was over before she’d got engrossed, she stood up and headed back out into the Silver Corridor. She walked passed the man she recognised from Clarity who she’d met the night before. Her muscles automatically shivered as she passed him. There was something about him that got her back up.

  She watched him, as if unable not to, as he paced around the room.

 
; ‘We’ll publish Friday still,’ he said sternly to the other end of the phone. He hung up his call and looked at Jessica. He squeezed his eyes narrower until he placed her in his mind. ‘Ah, the teacher, back for more?’

  ‘Couldn’t stay away.’

  ‘Great, well do stick around for the whole week. It’s going to get interesting,’ he said with a smug smile.

  Jessica watched him as he hurried off towards the lift. She’d almost forgotten her conversation with him last night. All the talk about going to a shrink had wiped it from her mind. What had he said last night about Google Maps? She would have to ask Jake again or maybe look into it herself.

  She knew that Dr Rosenthal would laugh at her for caring about a deal involving millions of dollars belonging to a company that had never heard of her. But she couldn’t help it; she still felt responsible.

  ‘Hey,’ said Jake, coming up behind Jessica.

  ‘Hey, I was just looking for you.’

  ‘How did you get on?’ He offered Jessica some of the buffet food piled high on his plate.

  She shook her head in response to the food: she wasn’t hungry. She wondered how he’d managed to get his food so quickly when the room had only just emptied.

  ‘Ok, I suppose. She thought I was disillusioned with my life and I’d made it up.’

  ‘Wow,’ said Jake. ‘That’s a bit harsh. So what do you think?’

  ‘I think she’s wrong. I mean, I’ve heard of people making up fantasies about their lives, but that doesn’t explain how I know so much about this stuff, or how I know people here.’

  Jake sighed. ‘No, I guess it doesn’t. Is that why you came back?’

  Jessica nodded. ‘It’s like the only place that I feel I belong. I know that sounds cheesy, but I don’t understand anything that’s going on in my life. But this, investment opportunities in China: this I do understand.’

  Jessica was confused. She was suddenly married to Benjy, the ex-love of her life and part of her desperately wanted to be his wife. Yet on the other hand she felt that she was missing her real life, her life that revolved around LMG Global.

  The only thing she was certain about was that she didn’t want to talk to Jake about Dr Rosenthal anymore. She was grateful that he’d tried to help her, but she didn’t like the look of pity in his eyes. It was the same look Dr Rosenthal had given her.

  ‘Well, maybe, you know, you should see Dr Rosenthal again. I’ve known her a really long time, and she has usually been spot on in the past, with, well other people. I could call her, come with you even...’

  ‘...No. Don’t do that. Just leave it, ok?’ Jessica hadn’t meant to raise her voice at Jake, but it had just come out. She instantly felt embarrassed. She just couldn’t take Jake defending Dr Rosenthal. In Jessica’s mind Dr Rosenthal was wrong and another visit to her wouldn’t help.

  ‘I’m sorry, that came out wrong,’ said Jessica.

  ‘That’s ok,’ said Jake.

  Jessica couldn’t read his expression. He looked like he was sucking his cheeks in, as if holding his temper. It wasn’t a side to his personality that she had witnessed over the last couple of days.

  ‘I mean it, Jake, I’m really sorry. You’ve been nothing but helpful to me. I didn’t mean to snap.’

  They stood in silence for what seemed like ages whilst Jessica watched as he tucked into his food.

  ‘So I overheard the guy from Clarity saying that they are publishing on Friday.’

  ‘Did you find out what company?’

  ‘No, he was just ending his call. I know I don’t need to worry about it, but it’s making me nervous.’

  ‘It’s probably nothing. We had an intern working with us for a while, she went to work for them. I’ll see if I can track her down.’

  Jessica didn’t know if she believed him, or whether he was just humouring her.

  ‘You shouldn’t care though. I thought you hated Patricia; surely you’d be pleased if her head rolled,’ said Jake.

  ‘Hey, hate is a bit harsh. Maybe strongly dislike is a better description.’

  Jessica immediately felt the tension in the air dissipate and Jake no longer looked distant. Instead, he was back to the easy-going guy she’d got to know over the last couple of days.

  ‘I got in the elevator this morning and it overshot this floor and continued up to the 58th floor. And guess who walked in...’

  Jessica gasped, ‘Patricia?’

  ‘Aha.’

  Both Jessica and Jake knew she was supposed to be staying at The Grover. After all, she had the room that Jessica thought she’d checked into.

  ‘Well, I never. So who is she sleeping with, then?’

  ‘It would have to be someone from out of town, as Roger my boss lives on the Upper West Side.’

  Jessica looked around the room to see if she could spot Patricia and her mystery beau, but she couldn’t see her. Maybe she’d gone up with the mystery man for a lunchtime quickie.

  ‘Interesting,’ said Jessica, giggling. Jessica’s sudden snapping had clearly been forgotten.

  ‘Are you going to stay for the afternoon session?’ asked Jake.

  ‘I haven’t got anything else to do.’

  ‘You really are sad that you’re missing out on the conference, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, the conference and the ball: I’ve been looking forward to them for months.’

  ‘Well then, do you fancy coming to the ball with me tomorrow night? I hear Serena Brook is playing.’

  Jessica looked up at Jake in surprise. Was he asking her out on a date? Her heart panged as she remembered the Valentino dress she’d bought on sale last year that she had planned to wear. It was a beautiful ball gown; she doubt that existed now in her wardrobe.

  Without thinking about it she played nervously with her wedding ring.

  ‘Oh, you’ve got plans with your husband,’ said Jake, staring at her fingers. ‘I’m sorry, I should have thought of that.’

  ‘I haven’t. I mean, I don’t know if I do or not.’ Jessica was flustered. She wasn’t used to having to think about a husband or whether they might have plans. She wanted to go to the ball with Jake.

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I just thought you might have wanted to come. It was silly of me.’

  Before Jessica could tell Jake she wanted to come, the conference staff were ushering them back into the hall. They walked in and sat side by side. Jessica kept glancing at Jake out of the corner of her eye. Her cheeks felt extremely warm.

  The speaker started talking about renewable energy and wind farms in the South China Sea, but Jessica wasn’t listening. Her mind couldn’t focus on it. Her mind kept jumping between thoughts of Benjy, Jake and the man from Clarity and his cryptic talking. Not to mention thoughts from her conversation with Dr Rosenthal, which kept popping in. She couldn’t have imagined that her mind would have been in a worse state after seeing the shrink, but now she was even more confused.

  Chapter 20 – Jess Burns

  Jess made it down to the lobby of the Waldorf as quickly as she could. She was already five minutes late to meet Katie. The questions on land acquisitions in China had run over and then Jake had started pressing her for about her conversation with Tim from Clarity again. He’d practically dismissed her when she couldn’t remember, turning his attention to his Blackberry. Jess might have felt offended, but in reality it gave her a good excuse to leave to see Katie.

  She swung out of the revolving doors and scanned the street.

  ‘There you are, I thought you were never coming,’ said Katie.

  Before Jess could react she was swept up into a large hug.

  ‘Hey,’ said Jess recognising her best friend, but only from her face.

  She was at least 30 pounds heavier than she usually was. She wasn’t fat, but she had boobs like Jess had never seen on her; they had to be three times their normal size. And Katie had a belly. It was a perfectly formed belly that could only be a baby.

  ‘Mommy, can we go back to the toy shop
?’

  Jess stepped back from the small girl who was attached to Katie’s leg.

  ‘No sweetie, this is your Auntie Jess, from England. She hasn’t seen you since you were a little baby. We’re going to get lunch with her.’

  The little girl was looking at Jess with the same puzzled look Jess was giving her. Jess didn’t know what was more disturbing: that Katie had a child or that she was a complete natural with her. This Katie was worlds away from the Katie who had got them kicked out of a club in NoHo last month; she’d started burning holes in men’s t-shirts, telling them it was going to be the next big look. Yet, here she was, stood in front of her dressed in a smock that covered her chest and went down to her knees.

  ‘So how’s the conference going, any hotties?’ asked Katie, walking them away from the hotel.

  Jess smiled. That sounded like her Katie; thank goodness there was just enough of a glimmer of the Katie she knew.

  ‘Um, not really, they’re mostly balding, middle-aged men. The guy that is hosting me is quite cute, I guess.’

  Jess felt funny talking about Jake being cute; it felt wrong talking about anyone other than Benjy in that way.

  ‘Here we are,’ said Katie. They walked into a restaurant that was themed like an old American diner. ‘Hope you don’t mind coming here, but I needed to go somewhere where they didn’t have table linen. That way when Maddie starts colouring it doesn’t matter if the plastic table takes a beating.’

  This new Katie was going to take a lot of getting used to. Jess was used to Katie picking restaurants based on the strength of alcohol in their Mojitos.

  ‘Hi, we have a reservation under the name of Thorpe,’ said Katie to the waitress.

  ‘Right this way,’ said the waitress, leading them to a booth.

  They settled into the booth and Jess watched in amazement as Katie unpacked half a toy shop for Maddie to play with.

  ‘Justin sends his love by the way. He’s so cross that the one time you come over on business he’s out of town.’

  Justin? And then it hit Jess like a ton of bricks: the table was booked under Thorpe, Justin Thorpe.