Twisted Passion

An Opinion is Formed

Disclaimer: this story is an original piece of fiction and the characters and situations belong entirely to me.

lll

No sooner had the door closed than the redheaded young woman voiced her anger: “Who the hell was that old man?”

“He’s one of the richest men in the county,” a man said from the end of the bar. “A lot of people in this town owe him their livelihoods, including me. So, you might want to curb that tone of yours in the future.”

“So he owns this town. So what? He’s still a jerk! I don’t depend on him for my money, so I don’t have to kiss his ass. Unlike some people,” Claire said tartly , responding to the man’s implied rebuke. She’d be damned if she’d let anyone intimidate her into keeping silent!

“Who are you talking about?” An older woman appeared at Claire’s side. She put her arm lovingly around Claire. She had always loved her niece and when the girl had suddenly shown up on her doorstep two nights before, with only a small bag in her possession, Trudy Holmes had no intention of turning her away. As of yet, Claire had offered no explanation for her sudden appearance; family was family, and Trudy welcomed her with open arms and asked no questions. Whatever had caused her niece to run to New York from Canada in the middle of the night could wait until the girl was ready to talk.

“She’s just met the illustrious Mr. Williams-Taylor,” Frank Wheeler replied.

“Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound promising,” Trudy Holmes said with a wry smile. “What do you think of him?”

“I’m not impressed. Are you feeling better?” Claire asked the waitress when she returned from the ladies room.

“I only came by to say that I quit.”

“Why? You don’t have to do that.”

She shook her head. “No, he was right; I’m not suited for this job.”

“But he wasn’t right! Until he came along, you were doing fine,” Claire protested.

“Thanks for saying that, but I’ve made up my mind.”

Frank Wheeler watched as his employee left the bar. There goes another one, he thought glumly. This was the second waitress that quit because of Rockland County’s richest man. If it weren’t for the fact that Nathan Williams-Taylor kept him in business with his eroding liver, Frank would have told him to go elsewhere to drink. However, in West Haven, if you wanted a drink, his pub was the only place to do it.

He met Trudy’s eyes and an unspoken understanding flashed between them.

“Claire, would you like to come to work for me?”

“I’ve never done any waitressing; I don’t know how good I’ll be.”

“Why not give it a shot? It will give you some spending money until you figure things out. You’ve got nothing to lose,”

“Does he come here a lot?” Claire directed the question at the pub’s proprietor.

“If you are referring to Nathan Williams-Taylor, then yes he does. In fact, I think he single-handedly keeps me in business.”

“Great,” Claire said, her tone heavily laced with sarcasm. One meeting with that man was enough, she thought. That man is so weird, he could teach Hannibal Lecter and Agent Smith how to give a woman the creeps. Even from across the room, she could sense the coldness that radiated from him like a physical aura. During their brief altercation, she had the impression that he was judging her, examining her, as if she was a piece of meat in a butcher shop window. She shivered, as if a blast of frigid air crawled down her spine.

“Are you all right, dearie?” her aunt asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay, Auntie. How much time do I have to think about your offer, Mr. Wheeler?”

“Call me Frank. All my friends do.” He cast a fond look at Trudy, who lowered her head and blushed.

Claire smiled secretly when she saw the red flush that spread up her aunt’s neck until even her ears were pink. Her aunt had been a widow and alone for too long. It’s about time she found someone to love again, Claire thought. And from what I’ve seen and heard about the man, Frank Wheeler is perfect for her: warm, loving and kind--a complete opposite from that jackass who was in here earlier.

“OK, Frank. I’ll give it some thought. I’m just gonna go back to my table.” She sat down with her friends. “So this Williams-Taylor guy, he’s like the richest man in town?” she asked, not directing her question to any one in particular.

“Sure is,” Kari, the bubbly blonde-haired woman who had been seated across from Claire, replied. “He originally owned the land that the West Nyack mall stands on, so when he sold it, he made a bundle. Now he lives in the house that that famous old Broadway actress built. It’s about twenty minutes from here.”

“Goody for him,” Claire said. “He may be filthy rich, but he needs to learn some manners.”

Kari chuckled. “I know that look. I guess I don’t have to ask you if you like him?”

“Hell no! There is no excuse for how he treated that girl. In fact, I would like to see him work for five minutes in her shoes. You’d see him change his tune soon enough. Jerk.”

Cyndi reached over and put her arm around Claire. “It’s nice to have you back, girl. We’ve missed you.”

Claire’s smile vanished. “I didn’t have a choice, remember?” Self-consciously, she tugged the sleeves of her sweatshirt so they covered her wrists. But she refused to be depressed any longer; she had spent too many years of her life feeling that way. Now that she was back in New York, she had a chance at a better life. She brightened. “But I’m back now and until I figure out what to do with the rest of my life, I won’t be going anywhere.” She cast a fond look back to her aunt and saw her deep in conversation with Frank Wheeler. She leaned closer to her friends and as a precaution lowered her voice. “Do you guys know anyone who can fix me up?”

“You got any cash?” Kari asked.

“Not yet, but Frank offered me a job so I’ll get some money soon.”

“I might know someone who knows someone. Whaddaya need? Weed? Blow?”

“No, my aunt would kill me if I brought that stuff into her house. I need pills, Percs or Demerol would be perfect because they’re easy to hide and pass off as something else.”

“I can hook you up. But you’ll need cash up front before he gives you any, got it?”

Claire nodded. Working in a bar won’t be so bad, she thought to herself. She cringed at the idea of meeting the man with the cold eyes again. But, she reminded herself, I only have to serve him drinks, not give him a quick fuck or blowjob in some alley. Things could be worse.

lll

Trudy watched her niece as she reminisced with her friends and sighed. She felt Frank’s warm hand caress her own for a moment before bringing it to his lips.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“When I think of what that poor girl has gone through, I don’t…” Tears sparkled in her pale blue eyes and she couldn’t continue for a moment. Her voice trembled. “Did you see…?”

Frank nodded, his expression sad. “Even though she tried to hide them by pulling the sleeves down, I saw the scars on her wrists. Poor kid. She must have gone through hell.”

“But that’s not all,” Trudy said. “She cuts herself. On her arms and I think her legs too.”

Her companion sighed. “I’ve heard of girls doing that. It seems to be an outlet of some sort; by making themselves bleed, it eases emotional pain. It certainly doesn’t help that she took drugs too. Do you know if she is still doing them?”

Trudy turned away. “I can’t even bring myself to even ask, but I’ve made sure that I don’t have anything stronger than aspirin in my house. No alcohol either.”

“That’s a start,” Frank agreed. “But if she thinks she needs them, she’ll find a way to get them.”

“As bad as it sounds, Claire staying off drugs isn’t my main concern…If she tries to kill herself again, I don’t know what I’ll do. She’s the only family I have left.”

Frank Wheeler pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “You won’t lose her. She’s back with you and away from that all that crap she went through. Knowing you, you’ll fuss over her like a hen with one chick. She’ll make it.” He wiped her eyes. “There, that’s better. When Hugh comes back, I’ll introduce her to him. Maybe they’ll hit it off and you won’t have to worry anymore. If I know anything about people, the best remedy for a girl’s troubled mind is a young man.”

“I don’t know how Hugh can stand working for that man,” Trudy said, her lips pursed in disapproval. “I’ve seen how that pompous bastard treats him.”

Frank sighed. “He’s had to put up with a lot, but Taylor pays him well enough. Hugh’s worked himself up from the bottom to get to be general manager; Taylor may not like him, but he knows a good employee when he sees one. Here comes Claire.”

“I see you are catching up with your friends?” her aunt said, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand.

However, Claire did not notice her aunt’s distress—she had something more important on her mind. She smiled. “Yeah, we’re planning to get into all kinds of trouble. Um, Frank? I’ve decided to take that job if the offer’s still open.”