Why Romeo Hates Juliet (52 page)

Teddy was clearly impressed. "You're one hot chick for a reporter."

Christina laughed. "I'm a photographer, not a reporter."

"Well, you're pretty hot for that too."

"Not as hot as your cause, from what I hear."

"Yeah," Teddy grinned. "We've been getting a lot of publicity and we're really stickin' it to them." He inclined his head towards the Fido building as Christina took pictures of the entrance.

"How long have you been out here?" she asked.

"Two weeks and we're gonna stay here until those corporate vermin clean up their mess, man."

Christina put her camera down. "So tell me about what you're trying to do here. The Magazine didn't say much."

Streetwise Magazine was an under-financed, New York City, free street paper - the kind available at record shops and clubs. Christina had been freelancing for them for about eighteen months. The money was lousy and the hours terrible but she was doing anything she could to become a professional photojournalist. She'd gotten the position through her best friend Jenny, who worked there as a receptionist.

After Christina had been sent away to boarding school, the girls had written to each other for a while. But six months into the school year, Jenny's father had been transferred to a new job in Chicago, her family had moved and they'd lost touch with each other. Three years ago, a newly divorced Jenny with her little girl Taylor, moved back to New York and had looked Christina up. Their friendship resumed and it was as if the years apart had never happened.

But they had, and they had changed both girls. Christina had became stronger and more self-assured as she’d learned to be independent at boarding school, and then later at Georgetown University where she'd majored in political science. Confident, tougher and a little bit more cynical, she'd had to grow up very fast on her own.

Jenny, on the other hand, had lost her brash, adolescent confidence and wasn't as tough as she used to be. She'd never made it to college and had married young. She'd had a baby and lived for years in an unhappy marriage until she'd mustered what courage she could to move on.

"Hey man, you listening?"

"Sorry." Christina focused on Teddy again.

"I was saying how Samco Oil, which is owned by Fido Dog Food, is pumping crude oill through old, leaking pipelines in the Russian Arctic.

They're destroying the environment, man, and they don't give a shit."

"So why hasn't somebody done something about it?"

"Because it's happening in the Russian Arctic, man. Who cares about that? We just got word that the pipeline is leaking in at least twenty places… twenty goddamn places… and the oill is beginning to seep up through the ground. It's spreading and forming its own lakes. Can you picture that? Lakes of black crude oil." Teddy shook his head in disgust. "Mother Earth is weeping. We're killing her!"

"How long has GME been at this?" Christina asked, as she took a few more pictures of the protesters.

"Two months. We tried letters, we wrote to the papers, everything. You know, this is ten times worse than the Exxon Valdez and it's been virtually ignored by the media. This is our last resort."

"But doesn't Samco or Fido or whoever lose money if their oill is leaking out?" Christina was confused.

Teddy shook his head. "No way. They get paid for the oill they put into that pipeline, not what comes out the other end."

"But don't they care?"

"Look. The only thing these pricks care about is their precious bottom line. Gotta keep Wall Street and the shareholders happy. So what if all the fish in the Kulva River have been wiped out, it doesn't affect them."

One of the protesters called out to Teddy. "Hey, Teddy? You with us or what?"

"Yeah, I'm coming." He turned back to Christina. "Take as many pictures as you can. We appreciate anything you can do for us." He turned to walk back to the others.

Christina readjusted her lens and resumed taking her pictures. When the little guy took on big business, it always made for a riveting photo spread.

Crossing the street, she angled her camera into position to get the protestors and the dog food company in the same frame.

Click. Click. Click.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something red flash by. It was a bright red Ferrari pulling into the parking lot. Who was that, she wondered? Maybe one of the bigwigs showing up for work? Who else could afford a $300,000 car?

Christina took several pictures of the car and its occupant. Mr. Bigshot, she reasoned, would have to cross the picketers and a confrontation would probably ensue - with tension, heated words - maybe even a fistfight if she was lucky. Wouldn’t that be fantastic!

Click. Click. Click.

Through her zoom lens, she could see Mr. Bigshot finally getting out of the Ferrari. Tall, dark brown hair, good build, slick suit… he turned then and Christina got a great shot of his face.

About thirty, handsome, strong jawline, gorgeous green eyes, movie star looks - holy crap! Suddenly, Christina gasped and drew in a deep breath as she recognized the face. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be him!

She took a few more pictures as he walked confidently towards the protestors. Oh God, it was him. After all these years, it was him - her nightmare from high schooll- Billy Havenwood! How many hell ish dreams had she had of that face, that horrible, smug, arrogant face? Hundreds, thousands, even.

She may have physically changed since those first few weeks in high school, but he hadn't. Oh sure, he'd gotten bigger, taller and better looking, but it was those green eyes, those hypnotic, gorgeous, green eyes of his - she'd recognize them anywhere. And that smirk, that confident,

'I-can-do-whatever-I-want-and-get-away-with-it' smirk!

Christina's fingers were shaking, but she forced herself to continue taking pictures. She watched through her camera lens as Billy Havenwood strode through the protestors as if he hadn't a care in this world - or a care 'about' this world.

"Globalists! Rapists! You're destroying the planet!" The picketers were shouting at him. His only response was to calmly give them the finger before entering the building.

He didn't even look back.

Christina finally lowered her camera and felt sick to her stomach. Here she was, an adult who was confident, strong, making it on her own - and felled by a childhood memory in one second flat. Only, he wasn't a memory, was he? He was flesh and blood real.

"Hey man, did ya get those pictures of Havenwood?" Teddy had come running across the street to where Christina was stationed.

"Y… yes."

"Alright." Teddy was obviously thrilled. He gave his fell ow protesters a thumbs up sign and they started cheering.

"Y… you said his name was Haven… Haven…" She couldn't even say his name.

Teddy helped her out. "Havenwood, Bill Havenwood. His daddy owns the company."

"What?" Christina couldn't hide her shock.

"Yeah, William Havenwood Sr. owns the whole show and Billy Jr. is his only kid. Gonna get everything when the old man kicks off."

"So they're the…?"

"Yeah, the pricks who are poll uting our planet."

It was all getting to be too much for Christina's brain. She was on overload and needed to get away. What if he came back, saw her and recognized her? She turned back to Teddy and covered her nervousness with a smile.

"Well, thanks for the photos and I'll see about getting you some write-ups in Streetwise." Absentmindedly, Christina gave him a polite smile before turning to walk away.

"Thanks, and the name's Teddy, man," he called after her.

Christina nonchalantly waved back as she raced to her car. She had to get back to her apartment and download the pictures as soon as possible. She just had to see that face again. She didn't want to but she just had to.

Like picking at a scab - you just can't help yourself.

~ ~ ~

~ Chapter 6 ~

Christina entered her one bedroom, fifth floor walkup apartment. As apartments went, it wasn't much - a small kitchenette to the left of a tiny living room and an even tinier bedroom. She raced to her laptop computer sitting on her desk and quickly began to download the photos.

An hour later, Christina was staring at 8" X 10" glossies of ‘
him
'. '
Him
' getting out of his Ferrari. '
Him
' walking through the protestors. '
Him
'

giving them the finger. '
Him
' smirking.

Especially '
him
' smirking.

That bastard.

Look at him, she thought to herself. He had everything - money, position, looks - and a cold heart. He probably didn't even remember her, she'd bet on it. He'd destroyed her life in one day and he'd forgotten about it, except maybe to have a good laugh at her expense. Jenny had told her that after Christina had been sent away to boarding school, her name had never been mentioned again by anyone at Cloverdale High. She'd been discarded like used toilet paper.

But Christina had never forgotten her one-day fiasco. It had been imprinted into that part of the brain that stored childhood traumas and it had stayed with her all these years.

Just seeing Billy again this afternoon had reduced her to a jumble of nerves. She'd actually been shaking, for God’s sake - she, who was tough and strong and not that shy, insecure schoolgirl anymore, had been shaking like jelly.

Christina studied the photos and suddenly her legs turned to mush again. Why was she feeling like this? What was wrong with her?

Billy Havenwood - that's what was wrong with her. She stared at his handsome, arrogant face.

"No, Billy Havenwood, you're not doing this to me again. I won't let you!" she intoned aloud.

Forcing herself to take a couple of deep breaths, she began to calm down. Why should she be the one to feel like this? Why shouldn't it be him? It should be him!

Suddenly, Christina smiled, as she made an instantaneous decision. Yup, she was going to 'get' him. She didn't know how, she didn't know when, and she didn't know where, but somehow she was going to make him feel what it was like to have your whole life ripped out from under you and turned upside down. This was going to be payback, and she owed him one - a big one.

Reaching for her black journaling book, Christina began to write her thoughts and feelings into it and immediately felt better.

Putting her pen down, she reached for one of the pictures of smug Billy Havenwood getting out of his ultra-expensive sports car.

"Look at you, Mr. Havenwood," she whispered, "You've probably never had a crushing, humiliating, soul-destroying moment in all of your privileged, rich boy life. Well, get ready because you're about to have one." A feeling of calm and strength coursed through Christina's system and her decision was made.

* * *

Jenny Lewis was sitting across from Christina at Sal's Sandwich Shop next door to the Streetwise Magazine office in Greenwich village. As Christina attacked her sandwich, Jenny stared at the pictures of Billy Havenwood.

She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it. It's him, all right."

"You're sure he didn't see you? I mean, this one here." Jenny pointed to one where it appeared that Billy was facing the camera. "He's looking right at you."

"No, I was across the street with the zoom." Christina took a quick sip of water before resuming her lunch.

"Incredible. Billy Havenwood," Jenny mumbled. "And he still looks…" She stopped and quickly looked up at Christina.

"Say it."

Jenny let out her words in a rush. "Really, really, really hot." Christina frowned and Jenny quickly added, "For a low-life, scumbag, of course."

Her friend smiled. "His father owns the Fido Dog Food conglomerate."

"So that's where his money came from - dog food." Jenny paused, "Was Jake Monroe anywhere around?"

"No, I only saw him."

Jenny studied Christina's face. "Why aren't you more upset? Here you are, calmly eating your lunch and discussing Billy Havenwood with as much emotion as you discuss the weather. What gives?" She, of all people, knew how deeply her friend had been hurt all those years ago.

"Jenny, I'm getting even," Christina gleefully announced. "I'm going to make him pay for what he did to me."

"What? How?"

"I'm going to get some dirt on him. I'm gonna find the skeletons rattling in his closet and expose all his little secrets. You know his type always has them."

Jenny was flabbergasted. "And then what?"

"Then I'm going to turn his life upside down like he did to mine. When I'm through with him, his Achil es heel will need a podiatrist."

Jenny didn't like this at all. "And how are you going to dig up all this wonderful information? You're broke. You can't afford a private investigator."

"That's why I'm going to be my own private investigator."

"But Chrissy, you know nothing about that."

"What's there to know? All you need are the three c's - a car, a camera and a computer. By using my computer access at the Magazine, I found out where he lives. Now all I have to do is use my car and my camera and tail him. You know, find out where he goes, what he does and with whom.

He'll lead me to what I need to know, I'm sure of it."

Jenny was shocked.
"You're gonna stalk him?"

"No, I'm not," Christina defensively shouted back. "Stalking is an ugly word. Only weirdoes and psychos do that. I'm going to 'research' him, just like when I'm on assignment for the Magazine."

She chomped down on her sandwich again and smiled at her friend. Ever since she'd come up with this plan and had written all the details in her journal, she'd felt her strength return. It was time someone taught that creep, Billy Havenwood a life lesson and she was just the girl to do it.

But Jenny was worried. Christina was her friend and she feared she'd be hurt all over again. Guys like Havenwood always had the upper hand.

Their money and position ensured that.

"Chrissy, forget this idea. It's crazy."

"No."

"Yes. Listen to me. Revenge isn't the answer. When Derek left me for that other woman I wanted to hurt them both, but I realized that the best thing was to let go of all those negative feelings and move on."