Trigger (6 page)

He hands her a small piece of paper. “This is my
personal cell phone. Call me, if you need help and I’ll come.”

She memorizes it. He closes her door and watches her
drive away.

“Steven is a great guy, isn’t he BB?” He agrees and
the sweet voice of the GPS Mom takes over the conversation.

One valet approaches
each car that pulls up to the doors, when she gets there three guys
– probably college students -- shove each other and surround Big
Boy. “Don’t be nervous BB. I’ll come and get you in a little
while.” The tallest apparently wins, opens her door and holds out
his hand for her. She ignores it and gets out by herself.

“Take good care of my man,” she says and hands him a
twenty.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He peels away but slows down when he sees her
watching and then she turns to face what will probably be the worse
mistake of her life. “Shit, Judy, let’s go kick some ass.” Not
sure, but pretty sure she heard a couple nearby chuckle. So what if
they heard her.

The metal detector goes off like she expected and
the people behind her back up. She can see through the doors and a
good number of people near this side of the ballroom heard it too.
At least it will announce her arrival and give them something to
talk about she muses.

“Ma’am, will you come with me?” An elderly security
guard says and holds out his arm toward a darkened area.

“Not necessary.” She whips up her gown, pulls the
Velcro apart and holds her gun, holster and strap out in front of
her with two fingers. “My permit is in the holster. Please don’t
let anyone steal it. It’s my favorite sidearm.”

She walks passed him and into the light and under
the chandeliers slowly like Steven taught her. She doesn’t know
where to go, so she stands and cruises the room with her eyes,
memorizing the space and the exits, like she always does when she’s
in a place she’s never been before.

“Your invitation, ma’am?” A pretty girl, probably a
college student and a girlfriend to one the valet boys, looks at
her like she’s going to hurt her. Judy hands her the fancy printed
card Charlotte gave her and she waits while the girl punches on an
iPad and then tells her that she will be at Table Three. It’s to
her right.

A large orchestra is on her left. Judy has never
seen a live orchestra before. In pictures and in a video in grade
school, but not live and walks that way to get a closer look.

The men are all wearing a tux and the women are in
black gowns, the leader is wearing a tux with long tails. He looks
like a friendly penguin as he notices her and smiles. She turns to
find Table Three, which is apparently her party base of operations
– a home base is necessary no matter how temporary. Simon is
directly in front of her, smiling at her and blocking her way.

Oh, good let’s get it over with and maybe she’ll get
a chance to enjoy some of this evening she’s paid thousands of
dollars for.

“Good evening Miss Mason. It’s good to see you.”

She raises her eyebrows and he grins. She feels her
chest suck in air. He is so handsome, tall, tan and the arrogance
drips off him. She takes a tiny step back, so it won’t drip on
her.

“Simon, I didn’t recognize you without a couple of
hookers on your arm. Did you forget to pick them up?”

He laughs loudly and she sees people turn and look
at them. “You look lovely Miss Mason. I’m sorry you had to leave
your accessory at the door. What was it?”

“A gun, Simon. Haven’t you ever seen one
before?”

“Not on a beautiful woman.”

Thanks to Kempo training, she takes a quick step to
the right and she’s passed him before he realizes. Unfortunately,
since she has Steven’s orders not to walk fast he catches up to her
and holds out his arm like Steven did.
You don’t have to do
anything you don’t want to do, Judy.
Steven’s voice is loud in
her head. She ignores his arm and keeps walking . . . slowly. He
finally puts it down.

“You are sitting at Table Three, Miss Mason. I’m at
that table too. I’ve saved the seat next to mine for you.”

What?

“Judy.” She hears Franklin’s voice and he and Evelyn
are moving quickly toward her. She can see Steven’s deep crease of
disapproval as they scurry her way.

“Excuse me.” She maneuvers around Simon and walks
slowly toward Franklin, holding his eyes the whole way. When she
gets close he raises his arms and she walks into them.

“I didn’t know you were coming. I’m so glad you’re
here.” Judy feels like twenty pounds have been lifted off her
shoulders. Someone she can trust is here and has her back.

“You are the most beautiful woman in this room next
to Evelyn. To be honest, I didn’t recognize you immediately. But
the buzz around the room was the incredibly beautiful woman in red
standing at the door was Miss Mason of Stalwart Company.”

Evelyn reaches up and she bends down to let her kiss
both her cheeks. She’s like the grandmother Judy’s always dreamed
of having.

“Franklin that’s a terrible thing to say, Judy is
beautiful in everything she wears.”

“Dinner will start in about twenty minutes. I want
to introduce you to some people.”

Walking away with Franklin and Evelyn, Judy can feel
Simon looking at her. She knows because the hair is standing up on
the back of her neck. A couple of political types, and a charming
old woman, named Mabel. The photographers buzz around the Stalwart
group as well as waiters that seem to insist she take a glass of
wine or champagne. No way. She doesn’t do alcohol.

Steven says she’s a lethal weapon and she doesn’t
want to get drunk and hurt somebody. Her Dad’s blood runs in her
veins, she reminds herself and she smiles a no thank you over and
over again. Franklin keeps her busy until the music stops and
dinner is announced and then Simon is back.

“I’ll escort you to our table Miss Mason,” he says
and Franklin looks nervous. She has to go that way anyway. She
sighs to Franklin, ignores Simon’s arm and walks away with him
beside her, as Simon holds out a chair for her, she sees Charlotte
across the table.

“Charlotte!” She slowly walks around the table to
get to a friendly face. Her husband looks like Charlotte. They
could be twins. She likes them both.

She whispers approval of my gown and hairdo, Judy
glances around and sees Simon still standing and waiting patiently.
She takes a deep sigh and rejoins the other side of the table,
while introducing Charlotte to Simon and Simon introduces her to
the others at the table. It surprises her that Simon knows everyone
and she knows several people, too.

“Simon, are you and Miss Mason together this
evening?” an elderly man two chairs down on her right leans across
his plate and asks.

“No.” Her response is immediate and before Simon can
speak, but she manages a pleasant smile when she says it. “Simon
and I are competitors. We like to keep tabs on each other.” The
table laughs and the food begins.

Simon is attentive, pleasant and even has the waiter
bring coffee that she wanted. He’s charming and easily leads the
conversation at the table and most of the time he leads it to her.
He even created an opportunity for her to speak about her charities
and give a plug for Steven’s club.

A couple of times, she’s not sure how to eat a dish,
she coolly watches Simon. He seems to know and deliberately slows
his action. Other than Judy, he’s the only one at the table, who’s
not drinking wine.

As dessert arrives he launches into a story about
his father – who every one seems to know – and she can’t help but
enjoy Simon’s beautiful and casual monologue before she’s laughing
too. He smiles at her, leans slightly toward her. “That’s a
beautiful sound.”

The heat radiates off him. His eyes bore into hers.
She quickly looks away and searches for Charlotte, who diverts the
table’s and Simon’s attention to the eight-inch tall dessert being
placed in front of them.

It looks delicious but it’s covered with whipped
cream and she’s afraid she’ll drop some on her new dress, so she’s
playing with it.

“You don’t like it,” Mr. Hendley who’s next to her
asks. Everyone looks up and at her.

“I’m not fond of sweets unless it’s chocolate.” She
smiles big and bumps him gently with her shoulder. She groans
inside. She initiated contact with a man? Oh my God what have I
become? It’s this dress. This awful slutty red dress. She squirms
in it and feels Simon looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Shit!

We listen to a couple speakers, lead by the
governor. Mostly they are short, nonpolitical and make us feel good
about ourselves that we each paid one thousand dollars to be here.
Judy glances around the table, memorizing each person’s name and
face and then starts on the rest of the room by finding all the
people she’s met so far. Simon leans close. She can feel his breath
on her ear and goose bumps pop up on her arms.

“There are a couple of people I would very much like
you to meet. Will you let me introduce you before the dancing
starts?”

“Sure.” Big deal, meeting people is why she’s
here.

To avoid more rejection, Simon doesn’t offer his
arm, thank heavens. Everyone has been acting so nice and pleasant.
It’s starting to feel heavy being the only smartass in the room
tonight. We approach a man in a wheelchair and a woman with snow
white hair standing close to him and holding his hand.

“Mom and Dad, I would like you to meet Miss Judy
Mason, owner and president of Stalwart Companies and a delightful
dinner companion. Miss Mason this handsome gentleman is Simon
Perry, my father, mentor and best friend. He’s also my boss so be
nice to him please.”

He raises his hand to shake. She clenches her teeth
and smiles, “Glad to meet you Mr. Perry.” She hates meeting
Dads.

“You’re the young lady who came in wearing a gun?”
His face is all scrunched up in disapproval.
Don’t confront,
best them
. Steven’s voice yells at her.

She smiles brightly, “Yes sir, it is my favorite a
Colt .380 auto four-inch barrel.”

“Well then we should be honored that you brought
your favorite, but I’m sorry you felt the need to bring it.
However, a beautiful young woman such as yourself should be
protected from all of the scoundrels and thieves in this room.
Should I know your father, Miss Mason?”

“No sir. He’s is a scoundrel and thief and a
murderer as well. I’m sure no one in this room would have ever met
him.”

Simon’s father drops her hand like a rock.

Simon recovers quickly from the ballistic words out
of her mouth, which should be punished and sent to its room.

“Mother, Miss Mason.”

The pretty pink cheeks she was wearing when we
walked over to her are gone. She’s white as a ghost. Judy doesn’t
reach for her hand.

“I’m sorry. I was brash and rude, I apologize. I am
very pleased to meet you both. Simon told our table a very funny
story about you Mr. Perry. It was about a fish. We all enjoyed his
telling of your bravery and determination. I’m happy to meet the
man in the story in person. It was inspiring.”

I can feel Steven’s deep crease between his eyes and
his words:
If you don’t want to be with someone then you don’t
have to be.

“If you will excuse me, I see that my vice
president, Mr. Pierce and his wife are preparing to leave. I should
go and say good evening to them.” Her smile hangs on them for a few
seconds and then with agonizing slow steps walks away.

Damn, she never talks about her Dad and tries real
hard not to think of him, ever. Why did she do that? She’s never
that careless. But Simon’s father looked at her like she was vile
and worthless. His eyes hated her and triggered a memory of her Dad
beating her until she couldn’t cry or scream any more and then
yelling at her to get up off the floor and get the hell out of his
way. She felt Mr. Perry’s hard voice as he nonverbally said those
words to her. It was clearly there, in his eyes.

She walks slowly hoping she’ll stop shaking before
she gets to Franklin and Evelyn. Steven warned her.
Remember
what I’ve taught you. Don’t confront them, best them
. And now
its shame that makes her shake. She let Steven down and showed
herself to be crude and slutty just like Mr. Perry thought she
was.

When she finally reaches Franklin and Evelyn, it’s
clear that Evelyn isn’t feeling well. “What’s wrong?” Judy likes
Evelyn and now her shame morphs to fear that Evelyn is really sick
and could die.

“It’s just my arthritis, Judy. The food tonight
didn’t mix well with my medication and I don’t want to embarrass my
loving husband. I’m fine, really I am.” She looks hard at Evelyn to
see if she’s telling the truth. She can’t tell, but she doesn’t
look well for sure.

“I’ve just insulted Simon’s father and embarrassed
myself. I think I’ll go too.”

Franklin raises his eyebrows at her.

“I’ll tell you later. I’ll walk out with you.”

“Miss Mason.” She hears her name spoken behind her.
Franklin’s eyes move from her face to above her head and it makes
her turn.

“I’m Harry Post with the governor’s staff. The
governor invites you to be his partner for the opening dance.”

I feel Franklin’s hand on the small of my back
pushing her.

“Certainly.”

The governor’s Mr. Post offers his arm and she takes
it like Steven taught her. She looks straight ahead as they walk
across the huge, long, forever length of the room. Her neck
prickles when she passes Simon, who is still standing with his
parents and three other people.

The governor has warm hands and a pleasant face.
He’s a good dancer because she doesn’t have any trouble following
his steps. Judy doesn’t know what to say, so she doesn’t say
anything, but she wears a small smile, so everyone knows this is a
fun thing to do. They dance alone for about thirty-seconds until
others come onto the floor.