Beverly had gone to the bathroom. There was no one around – not even William. She took the liberty to look around. She had only been to the Hudson Estate a few times and most of those times she had been confined to the ballroom.
She quietly and carefully walked down the hall. She found the den, but she didn’t linger there. It didn’t look very interesting. Beverly walked to a room she knew. The study. She had been in there twice. The first time was a few months ago when Trevor and Joanna had given her an exclusive interview on their nuptials. Beverly hadn’t had a chance to really look around. That room looked like it held some secrets. The second time had been when Beverly and Selena broke into it three years ago to retrieve the flash drive that held their fantasy erotic fiction about the Hudson brothers. They had been ca
One week later . . . Beverly walked out of the coffee shop. She had to get a jolt of writer’s juice and a bagel before she passed out. She had skipped breakfast. Now she was on her way to Manhattan to interview NFL football player, Nate Fellows of the Philadelphia Eagles. They were going to meet at a restaurant. Her SUV was in the shop. It had started making a weird sound. She left it with the mechanic for a few hours for him to sort out what it was.She saw a yellow cab parked across the street. She quickly jaywalked to the waiting vehicle that had its sign on. Opening the back door, she started telling the driver where she wanted to go the same time some guy was getting in on the other side talking over her.“Hey,”
Beverly had just finished giving her statement to the cop in uniform. Her black tights were ruined, but it kept her legs and knees from getting scraped up. Half her palm was red from where she had caught herself falling all the way on the ground when that jerk mugger slung her to the ground. All in all she was fine – physically. Bruce was talking to a sergeant in uniform. Beverly began walking up the sidewalk to them. As she was, two EMTs wheeled the mugger on a gurney pass Bruce and the cop. “God damn,” the sergeant eased out. “You said you roughed him up a little.” The mugger’s eyes were crossed. Cotton was up his nose and his upper lip looked
Bruce whipped the Jaguar around the Floyd Bennett hangers. It had been an airport years ago. Then he slowed up as they were heading straight to a hanger that had the doors open and light was coming from it. Bruce drove in the hanger and he turned the wheel, sliding the car to a screeching halt. Beverly’s body whipped side to side as the car stopped. She whirled her neck to look at him. “Well?” he inquired with an eyebrow up. She be damned if she admit he could drive his ass off. “You’re a cocky bastard,” she stated flatly.&n
A few days later . . . Bruce stopped by Coco Blanchet’s fashion design offices to see Joanna. She was surprised, yet happy to see him. “You’ve never been here before. What do you think of my office?” Bruce looked around at the beige walls and easel like desk on the side of the room, the regular brown desk at the back of the room, the large window looking out at the city, the thick rose colored carpet, rows of fabric on a shelf, and three partial mannequins. “It looks like you do a lot of work here as well as at home.” Joanna had a sewing room at the mansion in the west
A week later . . . Bruce had spent the week at Catherine’s condo and it was a nice experience. In the past, he had spent the night there, but not the whole week before. It was Saturday morning and it was time for him to go home. He walked into the living room carrying his suitcase, a carry-on, and a garment bag. He was about to pick his shirt up off the sofa when Catherine walked in from the bedroom. She walked right to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You don’t have to rush off,” she oozed. Bruce chuckled. “You’re not sick of me yet?” “Absolutely
Trevor was hot and not in a sweaty way. “Bruce, you’ve never been a push over in your life. Why are you starting now?” “What do you mean?” Bruce asked. He was still shocked by Trevor’s outburst. It was rare when he got really angry. “I mean you’re letting that dull-ass fiancé of yours separate you from your own family!” Trevor shouted. “She is not,” Bruce said sternly. “She wants us to have a fresh start. A place of our own will help with that.” “A fresh start from what? Getting starch removed from her ass?” Trevor asked heat
It was Wednesday, April Fools’ Day. Bruce was working from home and Joanna was, too. Selena had to go into the art gallery. Trevor and Christopher had gone into the office. In the afternoon, they were going to meet with a group of investors who were taking bids from contractors and developers for a new two-hundred and thirty room hotel in Philadelphia. Bruce went to the dining room for lunch. Joanna was already in there eating a large shrimp salad and drinking lemonade. She was wearing a pink dress that made her look like the beautiful expecting mother she was. “Hi,” Joanna said with her mouth full. “Hey. Getting a lot of work done?” Bruce asked.&nbs
Trevor had rejoined them as quickly as he had left. “I apologize, gentlemen. False alarm,” he said calmly as he sat back down.Christopher kept it moving, but he couldn’t help but wonder what Bruce wanted. A few minutes later, the conference room door opened again. It was Stella. Bruce’s secretary. She marched in like she belonged there. “I apologize, Mr. Hudson,” she said to Christopher. “But, coming in here like this is me following Mr. Bruce Hudson’s direct instructions. I am to follow them to a T. Part of that instruction is to read this as follows.” She cleared her throat. “And I quote, Christopher, will you please tell our idiot brother that his wife really is in labor and to get his fucking ass to Lenox Hill Hospital ASAP. Thank you very fucking much, Bruce.