INSTALLMENT 38
Nico Rawlin's Apartment:
Nico stares at Katie , as she comes into the living room and gives her a strange look.
"Are you sure you're relaxed? You look like you're going to the dentist,
not like someone ready to take the first step toward being discovered as a model." Nico asks as
he approaches her, not sure if the drug he added to the Corona was working.
"No, I'm relaxed. I just feel dizzy like the room is spinning. I didn't
know one beer could do that to a person." Katie responds, steadying herself by grabbing
onto the foot of the sofa. "Let me sit down for a moment."
Katie sits down on the sofa and realizes how fast the room is spinning. She tries to
regain her composure but finds her vision going in all sort of directions. Laying down on
the sofa, she fights to stay awake but finally surrenders to her eye lids' desire to close.
A determined Nico puts his camera down and approaches Katie to make sure she's
unconscious. After his second attempt at shaking her fails to revive her, he then tries
to lift her up to a sitting position.
"Come on Katie, you can sit up. I didn't give you that much." Nico mutters, trying
without success to sit Katie up. Katie's head keeps rotating and falling back against the
sofa. Her arms and legs are dead weight and they refuse to conform to a sitting position.
Nico's attempts fail.
Nico decides to just change her position on the sofa. After trying three or four different
positions, he finally gives up and starts to undress her. Removing her clothing piece by
piece, he can't get over how delectable she looks in her bra and panties. As he goes to
peel those last items off her body, he decides his pictures would look better with them on.
With great effort, he poses Katie in a reclining position and starts taking pictures of
his newest muse. He wants to help Katie with her career, he thinks to himself, but wants
to have some souvenirs to soothe him to sleep on lonely nights.
After taking several pictures of her in compromising positions, he realizes he needs to
get her home before she wakes up. Struggling to put her clothes back on, he takes a deep
breath, taking in her beautiful scent. Then he reaches down and starts kissing her deeply
before focusing back on the task at hand. There is plenty of time for that during other photo
sessions, he thinks to himself, as he finishes dressing Katie.
Lifting her up in his arms, he carries her out of his apartment towards the parking lot.
Making a quick grab for her keys, he unlocks her car door and places her in the passenger
seat before getting in himself. He starts the vehicle and pulls onto the street, he glances at
Katie then focuses on the road.
"This was a good first photo session." Nico muses out loud, "I just needed to get close to you
in a more intimate way. Don't worry, I loved what I saw and next time we can go further."
Stopping for a red light, he leans over and nuzzles her on the neck.
Nico returns his attention to the road ahead and approaches her house. He parks the
car in the empty driveway and notices the house is pitch black. Breathing a sigh of relief
that no one is home, he carries Katie to the front door and steadies her as he unlocks the
door. Working quickly, he races up the stairs and places her on her bed before making a
quick exit from her house.
Looking at his watch, he realizes he is almost late for dinner with Elizabeth and makes a
beeline to O'leary's.
Hope Falls Country Club:
Lenore clearly remembers when her life changed forever. It was the
afternoon when her oldest friend Lillian asked to have lunch with her.
At the time, she didn’t pick up on the frantic tone in her friend’s voice
but thinking back she knew her friend sounded anxious. She assumed
her friend had something important to tell her but had no idea how
devastating the news would be. Lillian was pregnant and George was
the father. Hearing those words hit Lenore like a ton of bricks. She’s
never truly been able to get over that fact.
Shaking her head, she marvels that twenty six years later, the
two are meeting for a late dinner. How ironic they're planning a booth for Founder’s
Day which causes them to meet for dinner and backbiting isn't on the menu.
Sipping her usual wine, she laughs at how these thoughts are coming
to her only because of seeing Henry with Lillian’s daughter.
Just then, she notices Lillian entering the country club and waves her over
to the table.
“Sorry I’m late but things are hectic down at the paper. I hope you
haven’t been waiting long.” Lillian explains, as she sits down and puts her
briefcase on the table.
“It’s fine. I was just sitting here doing some thinking and drinking." she waves her
wine glass. "What have you got in the briefcase?” Lenore asks, eyeing the brown
leather briefcase.
“Some ideas about our booth that I thought you might like. Since the
city decided to move Founder’s Day to October, I figure why not put a
Halloween theme to the booth?” Lillian suggests, bringing out some
visual aids for Lenore.
“I guess it is close to Halloween so it wouldn’t be out of the question.
Since we are running a food booth, why not sell caramel apples, apples,
apple cider, etc?” Lenore suggests, finding it hard to believe she’s agreeing
with Lillian.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. I guess the sky hasn’t fallen.” Lillian
cracks, growing silent when she notices Lenore’s pained reaction. “What’s wrong?
I didn’t think it was that bad of a joke.”
“No, I guess I’ve been thinking about the past lately. I mean you called
me up on the phone frantic to meet with you tonight and I was dreading it.”
Lenore admits, noticing Lillian’s startled reaction then continues, “I started to
wonder why I was feeling this way and it brought me back to that lunch
we had all those years ago. Do you remember that lunch?”
Lillian swallows hard, “I do remember that lunch. It was one of the
hardest things I had to do.” She pauses, “To this day, I feel tremendous
guilt over what I did. At the same time, having Stephen was one of the happiest
days in my life.”
Lenore nods before saying, “I guess I can see where you’re coming from.”
She stops herself before sounding like she sympathizes then continues,
“However, there is one thing I need to ask you before we focus back on
the booth.”
“What’s that?” Lillian asks slowly, dreading the question.
“Was my husband worth throwing our friendship away? I know you have
Stephen as a result, but was it really worth it?” Lenore asks, pauses for a
second then continues, “I mean Chase doesn’t have any idea about
Stephen. I wonder how you managed to convince him that Stephen was
his son.”
Lillian shakes her head and closes her eyes, “No, George was not worth
throwing away our friendship. I admit after telling you about the affair and
my pregnancy, I felt as low as a common whore. I figured I had no choice
but to agree to your demand that I not to tell George about the pregnancy.
Sometimes, I feel guilty for depriving George of his son but I felt even more
guilt for hurting you.”
Lenore nods, "Go on."
Lillian takes a sip from her water glass before continuing, “I met Chase
for the first time that night after I told you. I thought he was the sweetest guy.
He sat and listened to me all night and I fell in love with him. I didn’t think I
would ever see him again after we slept together but we started spending time
together. In fact, he took a call from my doctor and asked me point blank
if something was wrong. So I told him I was pregnant and he assumed it was his.”
Lenore sits there taking it all in and doesn’t know quite what to say.
Shaking her head, she takes a look at some of Lillian’s visuals indicating
she's ready to move on.
Lillian breaths a sigh of relief and waves down a server to order
their dinner.
Mitchell’s Home:
Katie tries to gather her thoughts and keep her balance as she walks down the stairs.
She enters the kitchen, but is caught off guard by the ringing of the doorbell.
Realizing no one else is home, she walks toward the door, debating over
answering it. Looking through the keyhole, she breathes a sigh of relief
and opens the front door.
“Nina , I didn’t expect to see you. Come in.” Katie gestures.
“Thank you, I hadn’t heard from you in awhile. I hope I didn’t drop by too late
in the evening. Is it a bad time?” Nina asks, entering the front room and closing the door
behind her.
“Nina, we’re best friends, there’s never a bad time to drop by. I’m glad
for the distraction.” Katie replies, directing Nina to follow her into the
kitchen.
Nina follows Katie into the kitchen, feeling concern for her friend. She sits
down at the kitchen table and accepts her offer of coffee. As Nina
stares at her friend pouring coffee into two large mugs, she notes how
distant Katie seems. After Katie puts the coffee pot down and takes a
seat across from Nina, she sits there staring into space.
“How have you been doing?” Nina asks, waving her hand in front of
Katie’s face.
“I’m just preparing for classes. Can you believe the fall semester is
starting up already?” Katie replies, taking a sip of her coffee as her
hands shake.
“This is me you’re talking to Katie! Of course, I know the fall semester is
starting. Is there anything else going on with you?” Nina asks, her tone
walking the fine line between concern and curiosity.
“No, just focusing on school. After last semester, I need to put all my
energies toward school. Though I assume your question is directed more
toward my relationship with Henry, am I right?”
“Yes, how are you holding up?” Nina asks, her tone changing back to
concern.
“Considering I got dumped out of the blue, I’m holding up. What’s new
with you other then studying?” Katie asks, trying to change the subject.
“I just finished up my internship down at the Chronicle. I learned a lot of
valuable things about journalism plus earned credit for school.” Nina
answers, stopping when she notices Katie staring off in a daze, “Earth to
Katie! Are you there?”
Katie nods her head and blinks, “Yes, I’m still here. I guess I’m more distracted
then I thought. I don't know where the time goes.” She looks at the clock
by the stove then gets up, “I have a million things to do before classes start.
I’m sure you have things to do as well before the semester starts. I’ll walk you to the door.”
Katie waits for Nina to finish her coffee before escorting her to the
front door.
“Thanks for stopping by. I promise I’ll call you later once I have
everything organized for school.” Katie states, pushing Nina out the door
before closing it.
Katie leans against the door for a second trying to gather her thoughts. Her mind
is blank on the events of the evening. What happened? She enters the kitchen, picking up
the mugs and placing them in the sink to soak them. As she runs the hot water, she falls
into deep thought over her test shots with Nico. Unclear about what went on, she
doesn’t realize her hands are under the hot water but removes them
before they burn.
Her cell phone starts to vibrate and she goes to answer it. She glances at the caller ID
and freezes when she sees Nico’s number. Dropping the cell phone, she makes her way
up to her room and locks the door. Lying down on her bed, she tries to remember what
happened at Nico’s apartment as she drifts back to sleep.
O'leary's
Elizabeth pushes her way into the restaurant afraid she’s running late.
Glaring at her watch, she breathes a sigh of relief when she notices she’s
only 10 minutes late. Looking around the restaurant, she notices her
dinner date sipping a Corona.
Approaching the table, she takes a deep breath and vows to maintain
her cool. Just then, her date turns around and smiles.
“I’m happy you’re able to join me for dinner, Elizabeth.” Nico states,
shaking his head, “I was about ready to send out a search party for you.”
“I’m only ten minutes late. Besides, you’re riding on thin ice with my
father so be nice to me.” Elizabeth cautions, taking a seat across
from Nico.
“I assume you’re talking about the extra expenses I turned in today,
am I correct?” Nico asks, noticing her nod then continues, “You know how
the economy is. Things are more expensive and it’s going to reflect on my
expense sheets.”
“I understand the concept of inflation but there’s no way I can justify
your nightly jaunts to all the clubs in Chicago. Plus, you haven’t done
anything resembling photographic work in over a month.”
“Those expenses are for business purposes. I have to entertain potential
clients, you understand. That’s what you did with me in New York,
remember?” Nico points out.
Elizabeth grits her teeth, “I thought we weren’t going there?”
Nico smiles, “I’m just pointing out you did the same thing and your father
accepted your explanation.”
“I’m the head of the advertising division so I take clients out to entertain
them. You’re just our photographer so that won’t wash. Basically, you
need to produce some semblance of work before my father gets rid of you.”
Nico sighs loudly, “Ok, but I don’t think he’ll be happy to know about
your activities in New York.”
Elizabeth frowns at the threat and then notices Nico's cell phone laying open
on the table. She can see a picture of a woman on his phone and realizes she knows her.
Just then, something inside of her snaps. She is tired of his threats and sees the photo
as a way towards freedom.
“Go right ahead and tell my dad.” Elizabeth replies, making Nico take
notice, “I’m sick and tired of being under your thumb. I figure if my dad
decides to demote me then I deserve it. A person in my position is
supposed to show good judgment. Looking at you, I’ve failed miserably.”
“I would think long and hard before running to your precious dad.
Remember our aborted baby isn’t the only thing you’re keeping from your
family.” Nico notes smugly.
Elizabeth slaps Nico hard across his cheek, “You bastard! I can't believe you still throw
that up as if I've done the worst thing known to man. Compared to you, I'm mother
Theresa!” She smiles coyly and looks at her watch, "Just a piece of advice, if you're
going to keep your cell phone open in public, make sure you don't have pictures of
semi-naked women on your phone. Especially of someone that I know. I've suddenly lost
my appetite.”
Elizabeth gets out of her seat and walks out of the restaurant. Her heart pounds as
she makes her way through the doorway. She prays her last statement to Nico will
keep him in line and chastises herself for not saying it earlier.
After watching Elizabeth walk through the doorway, Nico sits back in his seat drinking
the rest of his Corona with thoughts of pretty little Katie flowing through his mind. Elizabeth
won't be a problem.
Falmont Art Gallery
Jonathan is thumbing through some brochures. He’s determining which
art show to attend when he hears a knock at the door. Looking up, he
sees Thomas standing under the doorway and a smile crosses his face.
Putting the brochures down, he motions for Thomas to come in.
“I was just thinking about you.” Jonathan replies.
“I’m going to take that as a good thing. Am I right?” Thomas asks,
noticing Jonathans nod before continuing, “So what can I do for you? It
sounded urgent on the phone.”
“Remember when we first met, I suggested you could do some PR work
for my gallery?” Jonathan asks.
“Yes, I recall that. What makes you bring it up?” Thomas asks.
“I was wondering if you are still interested in doing some PR work for my
gallery.” Jonathan replies, getting up from his desk and walking up to
Thomas, “We could talk further about it at dinner tomorrow.”
Thomas swallows hard, “I guess we could have dinner. I’m
intrigued to hear why you want me to do PR work for you all of a sudden?”
Jonathan laughs before putting his hand on Thomas’s shoulder, “I can
understand your confusion but my motives are purely business only. Or
do you want to mix some pleasure in with business after dinner?” Jonathan
asks, winking at Thomas.
“Let’s get one thing straight, I don’t like to mix business and pleasure. I’ll
take you up on your offer for dinner tomorrow. Let’s just pick a place in the
city. Does that work?” Thomas says with a frown.
Jonathan lifts one eyebrow and smiles. “Hey, I’m cool but you have to
face your fears sooner or later.” Jonathan heads back to his desk,
“I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, just for you to loosen up. However,
my intentions are to talk about business. Ok?”
Thomas nods, “Let’s meet at Bandera's at seven. I have to get going, I
have an early appointment with a client of your father’s in the mornng and
I need to get some sleep.”
Thomas leaves Jonathan’s office excited about his dinner date.
He tries to tell himself that it’s only a business dinner but secretly hopes
for something more to happen. As he walks outside the gallery, he prays
he hasn’t blown it with Jonathan and kicks himself for being too guarded.
