The War of the Roses: The Children (11 page)

He chattered on about spring as the Cadillac moved through secondary roads and country lanes. As they drove deeper into the wooded areas, he would occasionally touch her arm. Then with one free hand, he reached for hers. She had wondered how he would handle his opening gambit and here was her confirmation. His touch made her skin crawl.

“The forsythia is always the first to bloom,” he said, stopping the car in a clearing beyond which was a meadow. Forsythia plants framed the periphery of the meadow. “Aren't they gorgeous?” She wondered how many times he had been here with others.

“Yes, they are.” No longer needing one of his hands for driving, he began to play with her hair. She offered no resistance. “Exactly where are we, Mr. Tatum?”

At some point, she knew instinctively that subtlety would fade and he would have to become aggressive and blatant. She waited, expectant and prepared.

“Mr. Tatum? Really, Victoria, I was hoping we had reached a higher level of intimacy.”

“Gordon,” she said, pretending to observe the scenery. “I don't believe I've ever been here before.”

“One of my favorite spots, Victoria. Quite conducive, don't you think?”

“Conducive?”

“To romance, Victoria.”

“Oh, that.”

He chuckled and turned to face her, smiling broadly, his expression that of a kindly father figure. He still held her hand while the other caressed her cheek. She forced herself to meet his gaze.

“Seems an odd place to conduct school business.”

His hand moved from her cheek to her chin, which he lifted gently.

“Unique, yes. Odd, no. We can get to know each other better in this environment. It's spring and you know what happens to a young man's fancy in that season.”

“Tell me,” she said.

“It also happens to mature men,” he whispered.

She remained silent. She felt herself beginning to perspire.

“I love that outfit, Victoria. I am, after all, only human. It makes me forget propriety.”

The hand that was caressing her chin now moved to her neck. Her body stiffened but she made no move to reject his advance. Suddenly her mother's mantra echoed in her mind. Men cannot be trusted. They are liars and cheats. Here was proof positive.

“We're here to discuss Michael's future,” she said cautiously. “You said you were going to take under advisement the issue of his expulsion.”

“Exactly,” he said, turning his body. He began to caress her knee. The other hand finally reached her breast. A finger began to play with her nipple. Despite her disgust, she felt it harden. “You are a very exciting woman, Victoria.” He reached under her skirt and began stroking her thigh.

“Have you reached your decision?” she asked suddenly, trying to ignore his touching, enduring her repulsion. She willed her body into the space above them. By now his hands were moving franticly up her thigh.

“Not quite, Victoria. Not quite.”

“What will it take, Gordon?”

“A wee bit of cooperation, Victoria.”

“You mean… this?” she asked, hoping she would sound slightly coquettish.

His hands were working feverishly now.

“I need to know your decision, Gordon. It's very important to me.”

“I think we are heading for an understanding, Victoria,” he said, his breath coming on the heels of little gasps of quickening excitement. Nor did she resist when his hand began caressing her crotch.

“You will not expel him then?”

“I'm leaning in that direction, Victoria.”

He unzipped his pants and exposed himself. Her heart pounded. She tamped down a sudden wave of nausea. But she did have the presence of mind to open her handbag. She extracted some tissues and left it open.

“Kiss my cock, Victoria.”

She hadn't expected the blatancy to come so soon and it took her by surprise. Her mental preparation had been severely inadequate. She could not bear to look at his erection. For a moment, she held back.

“Please, Victoria, suck my cock.”

She forced herself to ignore her profound sense of personal humiliation and shame. I am not me, she told herself. I am invisible. She pressed her lips against his flesh. Pig, she thought, forcing herself to speak.

“I want more than an understanding, Gordon. I want your word that Michael will not be expelled.”

“You have my word, Victoria.”

“That he will not be expelled. Say it, Gordon.”

“He will not be expelled,” he muttered. “Now get on with it, please. Blow me baby.” Stay focused, Victoria, she begged herself. Then she stopped abruptly and lifted her head.

“Don't stop please?”

“Say it again, Gordon. No expulsion for Michael.”

“No expulsion for Michael. I told you. For crying out loud, Victoria. Suck my cock.”

She forced herself to concentrate on the mechanics of the deed. Tears filled her eyes. Get it over with, she shouted inside herself. It was the reason for her selfless sacrifice on the altar of his perfidy. She saw herself now as the woman before King Solomon, ready to deny her maternity to save the life of her baby. At that moment, over the void of five thousand years of history, she knew exactly what the woman must have felt. No sacrifice was too much to spare her child.

“Jesus Victoria. I love it.”

He began to groan.

“I'm coming,” he cried. “Swallow. Swallow.”

She wanted to vomit, faking it now, using the tissue. He put his head against the backrest and smiled.

“God that was great, Victoria.”

She turned away, wiping her tears, breathing deeply to chase her nausea. She remained silent for a long moment as he straightened his clothing.

“That was something,” he murmured. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. The touch of his lips froze her flesh. “We have got to do this again.”

“You mean on a regular basis?”

“More or less,” he chuckled.

“I just want to know what the deal is,” she pressed, her legal training kicking in.

“A nice blow job once a week, say. Is that too much to ask?”

“And my boy is never to be harassed again?”

“Didn't I give you my word?” he said, transforming himself again to his role of the dignified headmaster. Then without another word, he started the car and headed back to the parking lot.

There was no more talk of the wonders of spring. She had the impression that he was no longer aware of her presence. What she needed now was to muster her courage, prepare herself for the denouement.

“Have you any idea of what risks you've taken?” she asked him as they pulled into the parking lot. “You've extracted a sexual favor from me by threatening my son's future.”

“Now that is a bit dramatic, Victoria. We had consensual sex. Big deal.”

“You're not afraid of lawsuits? I'm a lawyer, remember? And what about the press?”

“Why would you do that, Victoria?” He had tensed suddenly and his voice rose. “Why would you want to jeopardize the school, your son's gateway to success? You're not a fool, Victoria. What's the bottom line here? Your child's education. His future. Sure, I've put myself at risk. The fact is that I do trust your good judgment. I know people, Victoria. Where is the harm here? I've just done you an enormous service.” He smiled thinly. “I've bent the rules in favor of your child. I rarely have done that. I did it for you, Victoria. And I don't make a habit of this.”

“You mean I'm a special case.”

“That's exactly what I mean. I'm very attracted to you. You should be flattered.”

“God summons,” she snickered. “And I obey.”

“You called me. You met me. You came for a ride with me. Really, Victoria. No one is the wiser. No one is hurt.” He shook his head. “Michael lied. In our school culture that is a capital offense. There are hundreds of parents who would do a lot more to get their kids into Pendleton. Come now. No conscience, please. Consider yourself lucky that I've agreed to keep Michael.”

“I do,” she murmured. “I do.”

“You see,” he said, laughing. “Victoria, as we agreed, say this time next week.” He bent over and kissed her again on the cheek. “Please, no more nonsense.” She marveled at his cool self-confidence.

She got out of the car and fished in her handbag. Then she moved to the driver's side and asked that he lower the window. At that point she removed the small recorder she had placed inside, fiddled with it, praying that its technology had not let her down. Earlier, she had tested and retested the device.

“What's that?” he asked, confused. Then it hit him. “You didn't.”

She pressed the play button, relieved to find that it had it done its job. She flipped the volume switch to its loudest point. It wasn't exactly a boom box, but it was loud enough for him to hear the message. He turned pale. When it came to the part she wanted most, she brought it close to his ear.

“Suck my cock, Victoria,” his voice barked over the silence of the parking lot. She let it run for a moment more, then clicked it off and put it back in her handbag.

“Harass my child, ever, and you're a dead man, Tatum. And don't worry. This isn't a crusade and I'm not a reformer. Play your little sex games all you want. I've already done my share. Frankly, it was revolting. But don't, under any circumstances, ever threaten my son with expulsion or fail to give him the recommendations that he deserves. Get my drift?”

“Rotten bitch,” he muttered through trembling lips. His face had gone ashen.

“And here's something to comfort you on the way home.” She threw a Milky Way through the window. It landed on his lap.

He opened his mouth, but could not speak. Then he gunned the motor and, wheels squealing, sped away.

Back in her own car, she slumped over the wheel. She felt drained. Worse, it was something she would have to live with all by herself. Neither Josh nor Michael must ever know.

She admitted to herself that her focus was narrow in this case. She had told Tatum the truth. She was not a crusader. Her only cause was her children, their future. Weighed against that, who cared about his sick peccadilloes? What she had done was to checkmate his power over her and her child. Despite her revulsion and shame, she could take comfort in the outcome.

This time Josh had prepared himself for the confrontation with Dominic Bocci. His mind was clearer and he had developed some semblance of a plan.

By then, he had assessed his situation. He was ready to pay for his mistakes and willing to capitulate. Although he had disdained any knowledge of their personal finances, his experience with his parents' estate had given him some minor understanding of the basics of finance. He was certain that he had good credit and, once he knew where his assets were, he would find a way to borrow his way out of this situation. Of course, it was, as yet, a vague plan.

From his perspective, the only major fallout would be Victoria finding out. From panic had come realism.

Dominic Bocci came into his office seething with anger. Josh had been prepared for that. He was wearing the same outfit he had worn the day before, but anger had erased all pretension to charm.

“You're lookin' for trouble, man,” Dominic said. “Here I thought we had a deal.”

“We do.”

“So where's the bread?”

“I've committed myself to your plan, Dom,” Josh said. “So cool down. It's not as easy as you originally contemplated.”

“I just want the bread and the signed paper. Don't tell me no sad stories.”

“Let me explain.”

“The hell with this, man,” Dominic said, moving toward the door. “I'm going to the company.”

“Your prerogative. But first hear me out. Sit down. Please.”

Dominic hesitated and shook his head. Begrudgingly, he seated himself in the same spot he had taken the day before. Josh sat facing him.

“I'm listening. It better be good.”

Josh felt stronger than he had felt yesterday.

“No confrontations, Dom. I'm not negotiating. I'm fully prepared to meet your demands. This has nothing to do with morals or ethics or whatever. It's strictly business. All this has to do with is access.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I don't handle the family exchequer.”

“Shit, man. Talk American.”

“My wife handles the money, Dom. Sorry, but all I know is how to work the ATM machine.”

“What kind of crap are you handing me, Rose?”

“It's the truth, Dom.”

He watched the blood drain from Dominic Bocci's face.

“But everything will be okay. Tonight I'll know exactly where everything is. With a little luck we can conclude this deal tomorrow.”

“You gotta guarantee on that?”

“Once I know what's what, I'm sure I can get you the money without any problem.”

“By tomorrow?”

“Hopefully.”

“What's this hopefully shit?”

“Look, Dom. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not foreclosing on any of your options. Considering my situation, your time frame was unrealistic.” He cleared his throat. For some reason, the insecurity that he had felt yesterday had returned.

“I don't like this,” Dominic mused. He offered Josh a hard-eyed glance.

“Dom. I know the stakes here. I just need time.”

“I ain't got time.”

“What difference would a day or so make? I've agreed. Raising cash takes time. I have to borrow and I don't want my wife to know.”

He felt Dominic's eyes studying him.

“You better not be playing games.”

“My God, Dominic,” Josh said. “You're playing with my life. And you know exactly what I have to lose.”

He was immediately sorry for the outburst. He was showing weakness, an exploitable emotion.

“What happens if I come here tomorrow and get this same song and dance?” Dominic asked. His threatening demeanor retreated, but Josh could see he was cooking up some plan.

“It won't happen,” Josh said, trying to maintain a stance of total confidence.

“You say your wife handles the dough?”

He seemed to grow thoughtful.

“I've already told you that, Dominic.”

“Doesn't sound very smart. Never let them handle the money.”

“In our case, it works. My wife has an extensive accounting background. I'm practically an illiterate when it comes to finance. Victoria I'm sure has invested very wisely.”

“But you don't know where the dough is?”

“No, I don't.”

Dominic was silent for a long moment. Finally, he spoke.

“So you could be worth a lot more than you think you are?”

Once again, Josh felt blindsided.

“I doubt it.”

“But it's possible?”

“Anything's possible.”

Dominic nodded as if he was satisfied with the response. Josh could see he was still pondering the situation.

“Tell you what,” Dominic said, allowing a long pause of silence to ensue. Josh waited expectantly. He hated the idea of being at this man's mercy. “Double the deal.”

“What are you saying?” Josh asked. He was sure that something had been lost in translation. He noted that Dominic's face was suddenly free of tension.

“I'm saying four hundred thousand,” Dominic said. “No big deal. We change one number is all.”

“Now you're pushing the envelope,” Josh muttered.

“Right. Good way to put it, Josh man. I was fishing around for a way to make up for my disappointment of today. Four hundred thou….” He shook his head and chuckled.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Josh sneered.

“You said it's possible.”

“I said anything's possible.”

“I'll buy that.”

“Two hundred thousand and not a penny more. What do you take me for? You'd never be satisfied with any sum you get, paper or no paper. You're a goddamn cheap little blackmailer.” He knew he was throwing caution to the winds, but he couldn't help himself. “And don't be so sure you'll be able to get custody of your kids.” Again he had blurted out something he regretted.

“So you and she had a nice little chat?”

“Yes we did,” Josh said retreating slightly.

“And what did the little bitch have to say?”

“She wants me to pay up and sign the paper.”

“Good advice.”

“She's scared shitless,” Josh said. “Who could blame her?”

Josh could tell from the way the man's eyes glared that he was on the verge of explosion. Dominic stood up. Unlike yesterday, he reared himself back and came at Josh with a hard one-two combination to the body that knocked the wind out of him and brought him to his knees. Holding his stomach, Josh retched with the dry heaves.

“I'm raising the ante another hundred thou, man. Half a mil. And I don't give a shit how it comes.”

As if to emphasize the point, he lifted his foot and pressed Josh in the butt. He collapsed supine on the floor.

“Two hundred thou. No more,” Josh managed to say.

“Fuck you.”

Josh heard Dominic leave the office and the door slam behind him. He lay on the floor for a long time trying to contemplate his options. He had miscalculated everything. The fact was that he had proven himself incompetent.

Left in limbo, he wasn't sure how to proceed. He had to assume that the man would be back at him tomorrow, but there was no way he was going to give him a half a million dollars, even if he had access to that amount. If Victoria found out, how could he possibly explain it?

In the end, he decided to stick with his original plan. He would find out tonight where their principal accounts were and take it from there.