Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4 (41 page)

Steve and Perses went out onto the third
floor. MJ pushed Honey behind them. The floor was stripped to the
subflooring and the walls were down to the studs. Jacob had even
taken down the ceiling. They could look straight into the rafters
of the roof.

“
New roof?” Perses
asked.

“
Yes,” Honey said.
“Everything on this floor has either been replaced or will be
replaced. Jake has the contact at building department who is
helping us figure out what we need to make this hospital grade
electricity, water, gas, etc.”

“
Sounds expensive,” Perses
said.

“
Jake’s a contractor,”
Steve said. “He’s putting in the building and his company. That’s
his portion. We just need money to…”

Perses gave Steve a broad smile. Steve gave
him a sheepish look. Honey watched the older man’s obvious love for
Steve and Steve’s unfamiliarity with it.

“
I have to tell you,”
Perses said. “I’m excited. Did I say that before?”

“
No sir,” MJ
said.

“
When I look at the bones
of this building, the work that’s being done,” Perses said. “I’m
delighted Steve’s getting involved in this project. Now tell me,
what’s the ownership look like?”

“
The financial partners are
Jake and… well, you,” Honey said.

“
You mean Steve,” Perses
said. “This is Steve’s money. He either gets it now or when I die.
I’d much rather he have it now.”

Steve’s eyes went wide with surprise.

“
That’s why you wouldn’t
sign the papers?” Steve asked.

“
Yes son,” Perses said.
“This isn’t my project. It’s yours. You and Jake should be equal
partners. Unless Honey and MJ are partners as well.”

“
Yes sir,” Honey said. “The
four of us will be equal partners.”

“
I can’t think of better
people to be in partnership with,” Perses said. “Let’s look at the
plans again.”

For the next half hour, they went through
the construction plans. They walked the top floor imagining what
their new business would look like. There would be ten apartments a
floor with an apartment for a caregiver or nurse. The apartments
would have a hundred percent wheelchair access. A crew of nurses
would arrive in the morning and at night to help people. Otherwise,
it would be an apartment building.

After learning he was a full partner, Steve
joined the conversation. By the time they were standing at the
elevator landing, Steve, Honey and MJ were as excited as Perses.
Honey wondered if Perses was in fact some kind of God.

“
I have to get back to
work,” Honey said as she rolled out of the elevator. “My boss is at
some mother–daughter thing at her daughter’s school.”

Perses took her hand and kissed it.

“
Thank you for including
us,” Perses said. “When does Jake get back?”

“
Saturday,” Honey said.
“We’re meeting with the lawyers on Monday.”

“
I wouldn’t miss it,”
Perses said. “Shall we men get some lunch?”

MJ looked at Honey and she nodded to
encourage him.

“
Sure,” MJ said.

MJ helped her into the van. He kissed her
good-bye. She was pulling out of the parking lot when she saw him
walk toward Steve and Perses. She nodded to herself. She couldn’t
think of better partners either.

~~~~~~~~

Thursday mid-day —12:02 P.M.

Wearing the special dresses they’d bought
for the Mother-Daughter tea, Sandy and Noelle entered the Marlowe
School auditorium. The auditorium was set up with round white
tables. Men and women in black tuxes moved through the tables
serving drinks. Lunch was set up in a buffet at the front.

Sandy looked around to see if there was
anyone she knew. Jill was in Mexico. Heather was frantically trying
to find a liver for Blane. Plus, Mack was still a baby, and a boy.
She reached for Noelle’s hand to keep her close. As they approached
the tables, she heard a ripple go through the women.

“
That’s the woman,” the
whisper went.

Sandy blushed.

“
Let’s sit over here,”
Noelle tugged on Sandy’s hand.

“
Of course,” Sandy gulped
back her anxiety.

Noelle made a beeline for the noxious
popular girls’ table. The tiny, perfect girls sat with their
perfect mothers. Even though she could never stand these kinds of
women, Sandy put on her best smile. The women wore similar smiles.
At least the girls were nice to Noelle.

After an uncomfortable period of chit chat,
there was an announcement that the girls could get plates for their
mothers. Giggling, Noelle and the other girls ran up to the front.
Sandy watched Noelle to make sure she was all right.

“
Sandy,” one of the extra
blonde women said. “That’s your name, right?”

“
Hi,” Sandy
said.

“
We wanted to speak to
you,” the woman continued. “Our daughters have become very sexual
in the last six months.”

“
We feel your influence is
responsible,” a platinum blonde woman said.

“
How could I influence your
children?” Sandy almost laughed that the idea. “I’ve never seen
them before.”

“
You’re a prostitute
right?” the only brunette at the table said.

“
No, she was a prostitute,”
the platinum blonde woman said. “Remember?”

“
We certainly can see how
you tricked Aden into marrying you,” the first woman nodded at
Sandy’s belly.

“
Tricked Aden? What are you
talking about?” Sandy asked. “I met Aden…”

“
As a prostitute. Yes we
know,” the brunette woman said. “Can’t blame a single man for
seeking a little company.”

“
Aden’s never seen a
prostitute,” Sandy said. “What the hell are you talking
about?”

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED and
FIFTEEN

Hair

“
It’s alright. We’re very
liberal here,” the platinum blonde woman said. “We just don’t want
your… values to influence our daughters.”

“
Maybe you should speak to
your daughters and not me.” Standing, Sandy said, “I
think…”

“
Sandy!” Bambi, Honey’s
boss, gave Sandy a hug. “I’m so glad to see you. I don’t know a
soul. My goodness, you’re shaking like a leaf.”

Bambi look at the women seated at Sandy’s
table.

“
What did you do?” Bambi
asked the platinum blonde woman. “This is Aden’s wife, the mother
of his children.”

“
We know what she is,” the
brunette said.

“
Oh my God,” Bambi said.
“You haven’t gotten over it. Have you?”

“
Gotten over what?” The
woman gave Bambi a Botoxed sneer.

“
She has a terrible crush
on Aden,” Bambi said. “Tell Sandy why nothing happened.”

Bambi stretched up to her entire six feet.
The woman wouldn’t look at her.

“
Fine,” Bambi said. “I’ll
tell her. Aden told her what he has told every woman for the last
six or seven years. He was in love with someone else. Remember?
That’s what he told you.”

The woman glared at Bambi.

“
That was Sandy,” Bambi
said. “Aden’s been crazy about Sandy since my Ally was two or
three. And you know they met at the gym.”

The brunette looked away. Bambi glared at
the other women.

”
You disgust me,” Bambi
said to the women. “Come on, Sandy. There are plenty of free
tables.”

Bambi grabbed Sandy’s arm and pulled her
over to another table.

“
Noelle?” Bambi waved to
Noelle. “We’re over here.”

Noelle’s smile brightened when she saw
Bambi. Bambi found an empty table and guided Sandy into a chair.
Noelle set down Sandy’s plate of food and ran back to the buffet.
Bambi’s daughter brought her a plate of food and ran after
Noelle.

“
They said I was a
prostitute,” Sandy said when she caught her breath. “I tricked Aden
into marrying me.”

“
They’re just jealous,”
Bambi said.

“
Of what?”

“
You’re the boss’s wife,”
Bambi said. “Their husbands are merely site managers. You know, not
everyone was thrilled when Jake elevated Aden to CEO. Those hornets
thought their husbands should have the position. You watch. They’re
going to try to make that happen at the owner’s
meetings.”

“
I thought…”

“
It was about you,” Bambi
said. “No, it’s about Aden. They see how much the kids love you,
how happy Aden is, and they’re jealous. Plus, they know Aden beat
up your father.”

“
They said my influence
made their daughter’s overly sexual,” Sandy whispered.

Shaking her head, Bambi laughed.

“
Those girls are as bad as
their mothers,” Bambi said. “Whores. All of them. You think their
husbands can afford all those diamonds? Each one of them has some
side action. They’re disgusting and the girls aren’t much better.
Why did you sit there?”

“
Noelle wants to be just
like them,” Sandy said.

“
Can’t blame her. She
doesn’t know any better,” Bambi said. “Give her time. Now that she
has a mom to talk to, I bet she’ll want to be something else.
Certainly, we love having Noelle around our house. Ally and Noelle
enjoy each other. Why don’t we set up some time over the
summer?”

Sandy looked up to see Noelle and Ally
chatting and walking back with full plates. For the first time, she
looked around the room. There were at least a hundred women there
with their daughters. She waved to a few of her clients. Turning
back to Bambi, she smiled.

“
Thanks for the rescue,”
Sandy said.

“
Anytime. I’m sure you’d do
it for me,” Bambi said.

“
In a heart beat,” Sandy
said.

“
If I’d known that was
going to happen, I would have been on time,” Bambi said. “Between
you and me? I dread these things.”

“
Why?”

“
A lot of these women don’t
work,” Bambi said. “They aren’t fond of women working with their
husbands. Celia Marlowe would roll over in her grave.”

Sandy smiled.

“
It’s nice to have a little
solidarity here,” Bambi said. “This is the first one any of the
Lipson women have come to. Look, there’s another woman site
manager. Have you met the controller? She’s here with her daughter.
Let’s wave them over.”

Sandy watched Bambi wave a few women over to
their table. Their smiling faces put Sandy at ease. These women
made a big fuss over Sandy’s big pregnant belly. They even seemed
glad to see her. Bambi relayed what happened to Sandy and the women
looked horrified.

“
One thing is for sure,”
Bambi said. “I’m going to tell their husbands.”

“
If you don’t, I will,” the
other site manager said.

They clammed up the moment Noelle and Ally
returned. Looking up, the controller waved another woman and her
daughter over to the table. Soon the table was filled with laughing
women and their daughters. Sandy let down her guard and joined in
the conversation.

Noelle seemed to be in seventh heaven. Her
eye’s big, she watched the women talk back and forth with each
other. When the women laughed, Noelle laughed to. When they started
the program, Noelle reached for Sandy’s hand. Sandy moved her
between her legs so they could snuggle in the dark.

But when the lights came up, Sandy could see
something had transpired between the other women at the table. When
Noelle took their empty plates to the tub, Sandy asked what was
going on.

“
Will you ask, Bambi?” the
controller said.

Sandy braced herself for whatever might
come.

“
We were wondering if you’d
do our hair,” Bambi said.

“
Your hair?” Sandy
laughed.

“
Well, yeah,” another woman
said. “It’s the only reason I came.”

“
Me too,” the controller
said.

The other women nodded.

“
Really?”

“
Of course,” Bambi said.
“Why do you think these women keep looking over here?”

“
Just call me,” Laughing at
herself, Sandy said. “I’ll fit you in.”

“
She’s the best hair cutter
in the city,” Noelle said.

Noelle grabbed Sandy’s purse and passed out
her card. Once the cards came out, women began approaching the
table. One after another, they asked about getting their hair done.
When Sandy ran out of cards, Noelle started writing the number on
napkins.

Stuffed full of cake, the girls went back to
finish their school day. Sandy walked Noelle to her class and
followed Bambi to the parking lot. Bambi gave Sandy a big hug.
After promises for hair appointments and play dates, Sandy got into
Aden’s SAAB. She sat for a moment and then started the car. She
wasn’t out of the Marlowe School parking lot before her cell phone
rang.

“
Sandy, I…” Aden
started.

But Sandy laughed.

“
Some people are just
awful,” Sandy said. “I think this goes with being the boss’s
wife.”

“
You’re all right?” Aden
asked. “I can come home or meet you or…”

“
I’m all right,” Sandy
said. “Grateful for Bambi. Did she call?”