Vegas Heat (24 page)

“That sounds like a marvelous idea. I’ll meet you by the service elevator.”

Fanny took a moment to savor what Bess called her “new digs.” With Daisy in her arms, she walked around the spacious, newly decorated apartment. The chrome, glass, mirrors, marble, and leather furniture were all gone. In their place were cream-colored walls, ankle-hugging wheat-colored carpeting, matching draperies, and soft lighting. Low, deep, comfortable sofas in various shades of brown and beige with matching chairs welcomed her. Green plants dotted the corners next to well-stocked bookshelves. The cream-colored walls hosted vibrant watercolors signed by local artists. The electric fireplace was smoky black flanked by two enormous red chairs—duplicates of the chairs in her old studio at Sunrise. “My personal gift to you,” Billie had said. “One for you, one for Daisy.” A luscious jade plant and small Tiffany lamp sat in the middle of the table that separated the two chairs. All the comforts of home. “It’s gender neutral,” Billie had said. What that meant to Fanny was if Simon ever changed his mind, he wouldn’t object to the decor. Her bedroom and the guest rooms were in various shades of green and beige.

The kitchen that had once been sterile white with touches of black was now homey and fragrant. The new appliances were almond-colored. The glass-and-chrome table and chairs had been replaced with antique oak, the chairs covered with red-and-white-checkered cushions. The pristine white cabinets had been resurfaced and now sported a rich oak veneer. Green plants in apple red crockery stood on the counter and in the center of the oak table. Braided, colorful rugs replaced the cold black-and-white marble floor. A small metal dish with orange peels and cinnamon sticks warmed over the pilot light, sending off a delicious aroma. The kitchen always smelled like she’d just baked an apple pie.

Fanny reached for Daisy’s leash. The little dog danced and yipped as she tried to snare the leash to hurry Fanny along.

As she was locking the door behind her, Fanny heard the phone ring. She fumbled inside her pocket for the key. No one called her during the day. Maybe it was Simon or Sunny. The moment she opened the door, the phone stopped ringing. In dismay she listened to Marcus Reed’s voice on her answering machine. A chill raced up both her arms. Her eyes wide, Fanny listened to the mesmerizing voice.

“Mrs. Thornton, this is Marcus Reed. Again, I hope I’ve dialed the right number. I checked with information and was told there were three listings for Thornton. I’ve left messages on the other two numbers since I wasn’t sure which number was yours. I do hope that won’t cause a problem. I’ve been on the other side of the world these past few months. I’ll be coming to Las Vegas in the next few days. I’d like to take you to breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you’re free. Since it is a holiday weekend, I’ll understand if you aren’t available. Family comes first. I’m sorry I missed you.”

Fanny pressed the save message and didn’t know why.

“Something wonderful must have happened while you were up there. I see a very noticeable sparkle in your eye. Did Simon call? Did you call him, or did the kids call about Thanksgiving?” Bess asked.

“No to everything. Mr. Reed left a message. He said he’s been leaving messages at two other numbers. I would imagine those numbers are Sage’s line and Billie’s. Plus Ash. I wish he wouldn’t do that. He never leaves a number so I can’t return his call to tell him to stop. He has to know I’m married,” Fanny said, wiggling her wedding ring finger.

“Maybe he checked you out. Men do that, you know. Who knows what was said. People here in the casino probably wonder where your husband is. You’re working seven days a week and there’s no sign of Simon. Ash is gone. You’ve never offered up any kind of explanation, so that means people can put their own spin on whatever story they feel like telling. Maybe he doesn’t even know about Simon. Maybe he thinks you’re divorced from Ash, which is true. You have to admit marrying your ex-husband’s brother isn’t really the norm. So, what did he want?”

“To have breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He’s rather persistent, don’t you think?”

“I’m not exactly the right person to ask. I’d say the man is interested in you.”

“Well, that’s just too bad. I’m married. At least I think I am. You know, Bess, it only takes a few seconds to make a phone call. I need to do something where Simon is concerned. The anger I’m starting to feel scares me.”

“Fanny, why don’t you take the rest of the day off and drive up to Sunrise. Sunny is the one you need to talk to. Ash, too, for that matter.”

“Not today. If I’m going to do that, I have to work myself into it. I might call Ash later to ... to talk. I probably shouldn’t even bother since he brushes me right off, just the way Sunny does. Let’s just enjoy our walk and talk about something else.”

“You’re the boss,” Bess said as she fell into step alongside Fanny and Daisy.

Fanny kicked off her shoes as she flopped down in one of the big red chairs. Would she ever get accustomed to ending her day at three-thirty in the morning? She was too wired to go to bed, there wasn’t anyone to call because no one else kept the kind of hours she did. She wasn’t hungry, and she wasn’t thirsty. There was nothing to watch on television, and her ears were too sensitive at this time of night to listen to music after listening to the sounds of the slots on the floor all evening long. She stared at her feet and then at the shoes she’d worn all evening. Shoes from Marcus Reed.

Who was Marcus Reed? Where did he live? What did he do for a living? She had to admit the man had managed to pique her curiosity. The big question was, what should she do, if anything, when he came to town? Her conscience took over.
What do you want to do, Fanny? I’ll tell you what I want. I want my husband, and if I can’t have my husband, want ... I need ... What’s wrong with breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Nothing. Nothing at all. So what if the man sends me flowers and shoes. So what! My husband should be sending me flowers and shoes. My husband should be calling me. My family should pretend they care if I’m alive or dead. No one is interested in me. This man is.

Fanny howled her unhappiness into Daisy’s soft fur. The little dog whimpered as she snuggled deeper into the crook of Fanny’s arm.

Fanny reached for the phone. Ash would be awake. Ash never slept. She dialed the number in Sunrise and wasn’t surprised when he picked up after the first ring. There was no greeting. “Fanny, what the hell are you doing calling here at this time of night? You’re going to wake the kids. It’s a good thing I was awake. What’s wrong? Not that I care. I was going to call you later, after breakfast.”

“Now that sounds like the Ash I know. I want to know two things. Have you heard from Birch since he went away? The second thing I want to know is why wasn’t I invited to Sunrise for Thanksgiving?”

“No, I haven’t heard from Birch. I got a postcard from somewhere in England. I had nothing to do with the guest list for Thanksgiving. I don’t blame you for being upset. I imagine you’ll be more upset when Christmas rolls around. I want you to know I tried to talk some sense into Sunny She turned a deaf ear. She said she didn’t need you taking over her kitchen and her dinner. She said she could mess it up all by herself.”

“Whose kitchen?” Fanny’s voice was sharper than she intended.

“Look, I know how you feel. Kids can be ungrateful little snots sometimes just the way ex-husbands can be. She’s not doing real good, Fanny. I’d ask you to come up, but that would just throw her into a tizzy She gets these spells when she gets excited and then she’s drained for a few days. It’s a damn good thing I’m here, I can tell you that.”

“I’m grateful that you are there, Ash. I want you to believe that.”

“Fanny, she doesn’t even want me to bring up your name. She smacked Jake the other day because he wanted to know where Grandma Fanny was. I was telling him about the family earlier and I kind of made a story out of it and the little guy remembered. Don’t you have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving?”

“Of course I have somewhere to go. I’ve had many invitations. I think it’s pretty terrible of my own daughter not to invite me for dinner.”

“Iris was upset. Everyone’s upset. Where’s Simon?”

“Everyone’s upset but not so upset that they won’t attend. You know what, Ash, I’m starting to get that hard-edged shell you used to have. I don’t care anymore. All of you have stuck the knife in me so many times my heart is full of holes. As to Simon, I don’t know where he is. He doesn’t write, and he doesn’t call. You ruined my marriage, Ash.”

“If I could do that, then it must not have been worth very much. I’m sorry you feel that way. Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes, yes, yes. Sell this damn casino and let me get my life back.”

“Anything but that, Fanny. Look, when I’m dead you can do what you want. Until that happens, it’s business as usual. I’ll call Simon and talk to him.”

“I don’t want you to do that, Ash. Don’t interfere. I’ll handle it. How are you feeling?”

“I have good days and I have bad days. I’m outside so much of the time I can actually sleep a few hours at a time. I have to tell you, Sunny can’t cook worth a damn. I’m doing the turkey for ... sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

“Ash, if I tell you something will you keep it to yourself?”

“Sure.”

“Some guy sent me fifty pairs of shoes. It’s that man who put me in the pool that first night. He sends a dozen roses every night. I don’t know what to do about it.”

“No shit! You mean you don’t know what to do about Simon or the guy?” Not bothering to wait for a response, Ash babbled on. “Simon is as much of a bastard in his own way as I am in mine. You just never wanted to see it. Simon is not the knight in shining armor you thought he was. If he was all things to you as you believed, then where is he? He won’t bend, Fanny. You need to know that. I hope you aren’t the type to buckle under. If you do, I think I’d lose all respect for you. Play hardball with Simon. One way or another Simon always got his way. In everything, Fanny.”

“That’s what Simon always said about you.”

“There you go. It’s up to you who you choose to believe. What else can I do for you?”

“Do you know if Sage heard from Birch?”

“He got the same card we all did. Fanny, do you know Iris is pregnant?”

“Oh, Ash, no, I didn’t know.” Fanny started to cry.

“We just found out yesterday. I’m sure they’ll tell you today. Iris adores you. Sage is walking on a cloud, or so Iris said. I think it’s kind of wonderful. Call her up, Fanny, and invite her to lunch. I think she’d like that.”

Fanny dabbed at her eyes. “I can’t do that, Ash.”

“No, I guess you can’t. So, what’s that guy’s name?”

“Marcus Reed.”

“Never heard of him. Dangle him under Simon’s nose and see if he reacts.”

“Ash, I’m not interested in the man.”

“Sure you are. If you weren’t interested, you wouldn’t have brought up his name in the first place. He’s intriguing you. Women love that. I am an authority on that subject as you well know. I bet the roses are yellow or pink. Not red, right?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s setting the scene for a seduction. Same thing as the spider and the web. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I played that game hundreds of times.”

“You really had to tell me that, didn’t you?”

“I care about you, Fanny. I don’t want to see some guy sucker my ex-wife. How’s that make me look?”

“Like the ass you are,” Fanny said. “Why were you going to call me?”

“I want you to go to Atlantic City and buy some property. I have a map and the lots are marked. Pay whatever you have to. You need to do it right away. Atlantic City is going to turn into a mini Vegas. We’ll get your brothers to build Babylon II. Swear you won’t drag your feet on this. I want it for the grandchildren. I want your promise, Fanny. One for Mom and Dad and one for the kids. It makes sense, Fanny. Before you know it they’ll be all grown-up. Will you tell them I did it for them?”

Fanny’s head buzzed. She knew there was no point in arguing. “What does pay whatever it takes mean, Ash?”

“Just buy it, Fanny. We’ll worry about building it later. Right now boardwalk land is all that’s important. Can you leave in a few days?”

“Do you want me to stop at the moon along the way? What is it about you that you can get me to do these things?”

“My irresistible charm. You’ll do it then?”

“I’ll do it. There’s no money to build a casino though.”

“There will be at the right time. I feel it in my gut, Fanny. When we’re dead and gone, Jake will take over. That’s a hell of a legacy, don’t you think?”

“You know what, Ash, you’re nuts. I’m nuts, too, because I’ll be doing it. I’m hanging up now because you’re getting on my nerves.”

“I love you, Fanny.”

In spite of herself, Fanny smiled as she hung up the phone. One more cockamamie scheme to deal with. And she would deal with it. She’d given her promise.

Fanny’s clenched fists pummeled the arms of the red chair the moment she hung up the phone.

Alone and weary, Fanny finally slept, Daisy nestled at her side.

Fanny eyed the plump turkey sitting on her kitchen counter. It was years since she’d prepared a holiday dinner. She’d spent hours in the supermarket picking just the right yams, just the right cranberries, just the right turnip. And, for what? For whom was more like it. “Me and you, Daisy,” Fanny muttered.

All day the phone on the kitchen wall beckoned. She’d lost count of the times she’d almost picked up the phone to call Simon. Instead she went back to unpacking her groceries and cleaning the oven in preparation for roasting the turkey. Daisy sat on one of the kitchen chairs, her eyes following Fanny She yipped softly. “Okay, I’m going to call him. This is the last time, though,” Fanny said as she dialed the number at the ranch, Ash’s assessment of Simon ringing in her ears.
It’s up to you who you choose to believe
. When Simon’s voice came over the wire, Fanny’s heart started to flutter. “It’s Fanny, Simon. How are you? Simon, why haven’t you answered any of my calls?”

“Fanny, there’s nothing to say You stated your position, and I stated mine.”

Fanny bit down on her lower lip. Her back stiffened as she eyed the turkey. “This is my last phone call to you, Simon. I want to be clear about this. It’s almost Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for. Especially you and me. Can we meet at some halfway point and share dinner? I was going to make a dinner for Daisy and me, but I’ll forgo it if you can see your way clear to meet me. I won’t beg you, Simon.”

Simon’s voice was so cold and bitter when he responded that Fanny flinched. He might just as well have slapped her in the face. “Are you saying you turned your back on our marriage for your wonderful family who now won’t be joining you or inviting you for dinner?”

I will not cry. I absolutely will not cry
. “Where do we go from here, Simon?” Fanny asked, her voice chilly

“You tell me, Fanny.”

“No, Simon, it doesn’t work that way for me. Both of us need to agree on a decision. We might as well do it now, so we can get on with it.”
It’s up to you who you choose to believe. Simon’s a bastard in his own way just the way I am. Simon always gets what he wants one way or the other
. “Are we just going to let it all fade away, Simon?”

Fanny heard his indrawn breath. “Unless you come back to the ranch, I don’t see any other way for us to go.”

“Even though the last two years weren’t happy for me? You’re giving me an ultimatum, Simon. I would never do that to you. Why are you taking such a stiff-necked position? Ultimatums mean one person will be happy and the other person will be miserable. Why can’t we work this out? I’m willing to try. I’m willing to bend. Why are you refusing to understand what my family means to me? I never saw this stubbornness in you, Simon. How could I have been so blind? I know marriage is never easy unless both parties agree together on issues. You work it out, you learn from each other and you go on. You won’t even meet me halfway Ash was right, you’re just as big a bastard in your own way as he is in his. My last words to you, Simon, are, you know where I am, you know my phone number. I won’t be calling you again. Have a nice Thanksgiving.”

Fanny fixed her gaze on Daisy. “It hurts too damn bad to cry You know what, Daisy? You are my most precious possession. You’re always there for me, you love unconditionally, and you’re loyal. You’d never, ever desert me, nor would I desert you. That’s what love is all about. Why do I understand that, and Simon doesn’t? It’s over,” Fanny said. “Love stinks.” She banged her fist down on the oak table. Pain richocheted up her arm as she yelped in frustration.

Fanny continued to talk to the little dog, who appeared to be listening intently. “This is how I see it. I have given myself a two-day holiday That means I am not going anywhere near the casino floor or office. I’m going to cook, I’m going to watch television, I’m going to take naps, and I’m going to drink wine. In between all of that I’m going to take you for long walks. When it’s time to eat, we’re going to stuff ourselves because someone said that’s what you’re supposed to do on Thanksgiving. You and I will break the wishbone after dinner. Come here, Daisy.”

Fanny cuddled with the little dog, who tried vainly to lick at the tears dribbling down her cheeks. Despair, unlike anything she’d ever experienced, flooded through her. “All those magazine writers, they’re wrong, Daisy It’s not true that you have to be vulnerable before you can fall in love. To fall in love you have to have the hide of a buffalo.”

Thanksgiving morning Fanny woke slowly. She felt Daisy inch up closer to her chest from her position at the foot of the bed. Fanny stroked her silky head as she stared at the ceiling. Two marriages down the drain. To brothers, no less. Yesterday she’d cried her tears. Today was a new day, and it was Thanksgiving. Time to get up and prepare the turkey. Time to get on with the day.

Yesterday was gone.

“Time to go out, Daisy. Get your leash and we’ll do a quick scoot down the service elevator and out to the back driveway. Maybe we’ll do the long walk after breakfast.”

Fanny was back in the apartment and in the shower twenty minutes later. She dressed in jeans, an oversize sweatshirt that said WEST CHESTER and once belonged to either Birch or Sage. She stuffed her bare feet into ratty-looking sneakers with a hole in the big toe. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail with a rubber band, dusted her hands together, and marched out to the kitchen, stopping to turn on the stereo on the way. Soft music flooded the apartment.

Fanny prepared scrambled eggs for herself and fed Daisy as she contemplated the menu for her solitary dinner. The turkey was large enough to feed her entire family with leftovers for at least three days. She would be eating it for at least a month. She must have been out of her mind when she was shopping. She had too many yams, too many marshmallows, too many cranberries, and just the right amount of wine—three exquisite bottles of the best the French had to offer. She’d baked a pumpkin pie, a mince pie, and an apple pie along with some apple dumplings the day before. The aroma was still in the kitchen.

Fanny thought about other times then, other holidays when her family all gathered together. She’d been happy then, her children had been happy. Now, all that was gone. Now she was alone with only a dog for company. “I couldn’t ask for more, Daisy,” Fanny said, fondling the little dog’s ears. “If this is all I’m going to get, we’ll make the most of it.”

Fanny worked diligently, doing all the things necessary to preparing a holiday dinner. She used her finest linen tablecloth, her china, her sterling, and her crystal. Daisy’s place was set on the floor next to her chair on a lace-edged linen place mat. Her bowl was Bavarian crystal, her napkin linen as was Fanny’s own. Daisy liked to clean her whiskers after eating.

Candles in silver holders graced each end of the table. The daily delivery of yellow roses sat in the center of the table, festive but lonely-looking. When the candles were burning, when the table was filled with platters and bowls, it wouldn’t look so forlorn.

“I used to like to cook,” Fanny muttered. “This is a chore.” The moment she slid the heavy bird into the oven, Fanny uncorked the first bottle of wine. She poured a generous amount into a crystal flute and sipped appreciatively. She read the paper, smoked, and sipped. By two o’clock, when she checked on the turkey to baste it, she had consumed one whole bottle of the exquisite wine. She carried the second bottle into the living room and turned on the television.

When the movie ended at four o’clock Fanny decided to check on the turkey, whose instructions said would cook itself. “Good thing,” she mumbled as she tried to focus on the browning bird. “I think it’s okay.” She placed the second empty bottle next to the first one. “We’re having a good time, aren’t we, Daisy?” Daisy yipped, either in approval or denial. Fanny wasn’t sure.

The phone rang as she was tottering back to the living room, the third bottle clutched to her breast. She debated whether she should answer it or not. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Hello.”

“Fanny, it’s Ash. I’m calling to wish you a happy Thanksgiving.”

Fanny heard laughter and Jake’s voice on the other end of the line. “Isn’t that above and beyond the call of duty, Ash? I wasn’t going to call you, so why should you call me? Personally I couldn’t care less what you’re doing there with my family.”

“You sound funny. Have you been crying?”

Fanny’s eyebrows shot upward. “Absolutely not! You aren’t worth crying over, and neither is that brother of yours. So there, Ash.”

“Fanny, are you drinking?”

“So what if I am. I’m cooking. So there again.”

“I see.”

“I see, I see. You don’t see at all, Ash. You’re too stupid to see just like your brother is too stupid to see. So there again and again.”

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Is it important for you to know that?”

“Fanny, turn off the stove and lie down. Take a nap. Will you do that?”

“No. Why should I? I’m sick and tired of doing what you want me to do. The answer is no.”

“Then I’ll have to call Neal to shut off your stove. You sound sloshed.”

“Well, you should know. I won’t let him in. I changed the locks. Go away, Ash. Go back to my family and pretend everything is fine. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I don’t want to talk to Simon either. So there.”

“What happened, Fanny? Tell me, maybe I can help.”

“Help! You want to
help
? You ruined my life, and now you want to help me! Drop dead, get out of my life! Wait, wait, I’m sorry I didn’t mean that.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“You were right, Ash,” Fanny hiccuped.

“About what?”

“About Simon is what. You said he was a bastard just like you are. He won’t listen. He won’t bend. Life is full of comp-ro-mises,” Fanny said, enunciating the word for Ash’s benefit. “I’m damn sick and tired of doing all the comp-ro-mis-ing. So there.”

“Fanny, I’m coming down there. I’m going to leave right now.”

“You better not. If you come here, I’ll tell Daisy to bite you. She will, you know, because she loves me.”

“Will you turn the oven off and will you stop drinking?”

“I’ll turn the oven off, but I still have some wine left. This is the last time I’m going to do what you tell me. I hate your guts, Ash Thornton.”

“Everyone in the world hates my guts. I’m going to hold on while you turn off the stove. After you do that, come back to the phone.”

“I’m not stupid, Ash. Did you hear me? I hate your guts.”

Fanny trotted out to the kitchen, opened the oven door, stared at the turkey for a few seconds before she turned off the oven. “I hate Simon’s guts, too.”

“Did you hear that, Ash, I hate Simon’s guts, too? So there.”

“I’ll make it right, Fanny. I’ll call Simon. He might listen to me.”

“You’re
toooooo
late. He gave me an . . . ultimatum. Go away, Ash. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. You make me crazy. Did I tell you I hate your guts?”

“Numerous times. I wish you were here, Fanny, I really do. This little reunion is fizzling. No one is comfortable. I mean it, Fanny, I wish you were here.”

“I wish I was too. Good-bye, Ash.”

Fanny stared at the hole in her sneaker. She wiggled her big toe until it worked through the worn canvas. “Did y a see that, Daisy? I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to.” She looked around for her wineglass.
Damn, I must have left it in the kitchen
. She swigged from the bottle.

The doorbell rang.

“Shit!” Ash must have called Neal to come up and turn off the stove. “Go away!” she bellowed. The bell rang again. Daisy barked and wouldn’t stop.

“All right, all right!”

Fanny opened the door with a wide flourish, waving the wine bottle as she did so.

“Mrs. Thornton.”

“Yep, that’s me, two times. Soon to be ex for the second time. And you are . . . the shoemaker . . . the shoe man . . . the man with the shoes . . . Roses. They’re on the table. I guess you came to see for yourself. Or did you come to see if I turned off the oven? Who cares? Do you want your shoes back? Look!” Fanny said, wiggling her foot with her toe sticking out of the sneaker. “It was hard to do that, but I did it.” She took a long pull from the wine bottle as she stood aside for Marcus Reed to enter the apartment.

“Did I invite you for dinner?”

Marcus smiled. “No, I invited you.”

“Oh. Ash made me turn the oven off. Dinner’s going to be late. Maybe there won’t be any dinner. Daisy is hungry.”

“I’m a very good cook. Do you want me to finish your dinner for you?”

“Why would you want to do that?” Fanny asked suspiciously.

“Because you’re in no shape to do it. There are a lot of starving people in the world, and it’s a shame to waste food.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Fanny said smartly.

“If I make some coffee, will you drink it?”

“I love coffee. I drink coffee all day. I hate Ash’s guts. I hate Simon’s, too.”

“Tomorrow you’ll feel different.”

“Oh no I won’t. What are you doing here? Do you know I’m married?”

“I know now. Are you happily married? Marriage is a wonderful institution.”

“Yes. No. I don’t think so. You have to turn the oven on to make it work. It was almost done when Ash made me turn it off. I used to like to cook. I hate cooking. I hate everything.”

“That’s not good, Mrs. Thornton.”

“Why not? You can call me Fanny. I wear those shoes all the time. That was very clever of you. Did you see what I did with the roses and the wine bottles?”

“Yes, I did. You have to put water in the bottles or the bloom will die.”

“That’s sad. I don’t like it when things and people die. Do you?”

“Of course not. Why are you alone today, Fanny? Don’t you have a family?”

“I have a family all right. They didn’t invite me. Do you believe that? I love them all so much. I was a good mother. I know I was. I never had a mother, so I made sure I was the best mother I could be. I make one mistake and . . . it’s none of your business, Mr. Reed.”

“That’s true. It isn’t.”