EXCERPT-PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER 1: MOBSTERS, MILLIONAIRES…AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR-BY, PAMELA WESTFIELD
GO TO AMAZON ON OCT. 10-11th, 2014 and get your free kindle/e-book version-mature audience-18+
© COPYRIGHT 2014 OCEAN CAT PUBLICATIONS
PROLOGUE: THE SEASON
And on the eighth day God created Palm Beach…
It was 6:54 in the evening.
Palm Beach was bustling with activity as the elite brought in another new year and descended back to paradise via yacht or private jet to its gilded shores from across the globe.
The shop windows reflected their polymer and spray tanned faces as they strolled down Worth Avenue on their way to dine at the exclusive restaurants. Their flawless diamonds sparkled under the lights.
The quiet streets were now packed with Limos, Rolls, Ferraris, and every other exotic car imaginable. The town was open to all, but only the hand-picked few were truly allowed to enter and embrace the dream.
This select inner circle was deeded access to the private collections, reserved tables, and the invitation-only galas and cocktail parties that were held inside the magnificent turreted estates. Their net worth, secrets, and lies remained securely locked behind those grand doors.
The socialites greeted each other and caught up on the latest gossip as they watched their butlers open the hurricane shutters and dust off their extra cars.
It was surprising that the tiny island didn't sink into the ocean from the sudden shift of weight of the sizable egos that returned to walk its pristine paths. "The Season" had begun!
Susan Winslow was born into old money. Both her parents were silver spooned and were only children. Her mother was descended from fine English lineage with not just one, but two occupants from the Mayflower that were officially documented.
The Matriarch was blue-blood WASP all the way, belonged to the "Daughters of the American Revolution", and never failed to let everyone know it. Susan's father was the CEO of a major aerospace company and was very active in politics.
Susan was the youngest, and of course, the most spoiled! In the Winslow family, each new birth was greeted with resentment from the others. Even at those young ages, they realized the meaning of greed and having to share the wealth. Susan had always wished she was an only child.
Since Susan had won the baby lotto, it meant she was supposed to be living the American dream with the perfect husband, Mercedes, four children, and the majestic house in Chicago's affluent suburbs on the north shore of Lake Michigan. It was also socially mandated that she wintered in Palm Beach in an equally impressive ocean-front mansion.
This is what "North Shore Brats" grew up to expect. It was deemed to be a non-stress life of the Garden Club, charity balls, and an ATM card that never came up declined.
There was never to be a struggle to just merely exist…
It was 6:54 in the morning…
Susan sat on her couch, head in her hands. She had a horrible hangover from the unforgiving mixture of cocaine, vodka, multiple shots, and a very long night of club hopping. She was too messed up to stay asleep, too tired to be awake.
She was feeling a lot older than the 26 years she turned last August. She knew she was going to feel sick all day. She had no energy to get up and do what she had planned, including cleaning her dingy apartment.
Another day wasted. She walked into the washroom, slumping her face one inch from the mirror and took a long squinted look at herself…
Susan saw a very drained and tired face trying to smile back at her and shivered. It was already mid-January. She would have normally left for Florida by now and would be lazing in the sun, instead of freezing.
But this Season was different and she would not be part of the usual festivities. This was just not going to be the year for her!
Susan had almost finished spending her first round of inheritance that she received when her mother died. As that money had dwindled down for the last two years, she had been forced into living in the real world more and more.
She was now down to her last small chunk and considered herself broke until Margaret, the StepWitch passed.
Only then, would she receive the "big" money from her father's estate. It was tied up in a trust and untouchable by Susan, even for a hardship loan.
Margaret, the old Gold Digger who her father married shortly before he died, was currently living off the trust. The interest on the principal was quite substantial.
She was also probably floating in the Winslow's Palm Beach estate pool right now. Susan could not bear the thought of that!
The illustrious Robert Winslow never expected that he would suddenly drop to the ground from a heart attack a week before his 75th birthday. He had been in perfect health and not a gray hair in sight!
Susan thought it was a cruel joke that she was not left with any immediate money from him. Her father was well aware that she had quickly spent her share of her mother's trust and was close to living on fumes. He was now dangling a very exorbitant carrot in front of her from the beyond. Susan could only assume that he was trying to teach her one last fatherly lesson by forcing her to re-direct her values and learn responsibility.
Now life sucked! It wasn't hers anymore; there was no control over it. It seemed the money's impending arrival was the only thing that kept Susan from ending it all.
But, it was also crippling and it stunted her aspirations. She never developed a sense of responsibility and was incapable of holding a job more than three months.
She was only used to living like she had always done. The easy way! Just like when she was still at home receiving her allowance, credit cards paid by her father, and no obligations to anyone!
All of these thoughts scattered through her mind this Saturday morning. This "Day of Reckoning". The day Susan realized that she had hit rock bottom and this time, she might not make it back like she had so many times before.
This was the beginning of a phase in Susan's life that she knew she would not enjoy. She was far from ready to enter the full-time working world and she did not want to even try.
She realized that she needed to find
herself a rich man and she had to do it soon!
1 SUGAR DADDY 101
Cabaret was dimly lit with red lights reflecting off the crushed velvet on the wall. It gave off the essence of a bordello with a hint of sophistication. It was one of the classiest restaurant bars in the city, and well-known for the executives that trickled in and congregated around the bar area without their wives.
It was 2:14 AM… Susan sat in the middle of the large oval bar. It was a long night and she had easily outlasted her girlfriends. They had abandoned her two hours before.
She loved Cabaret! It came alive when the others closed, every day of the week. Tonight, there was still a great assortment of extremely well-dressed men, and lucky for her, a minimal amount of fellow gold diggers and pros. Susan was much more refined than others her age. But that still did not tame her party girl ways.
Susan looked across the bar. A tall, handsome, light brown-haired man in his late fifties was staring at her. He was one of the sharpest dressers she had ever seen with black diamonds on his collar pin. He had the look of unchallenged power.
Susan could always tell who the president of a company was, and who was not. She could smell Multinational wafting across the bar.
She was startled from her thoughts when the bartender suddenly placed a bucket of ice with a bottle of Dom Perignon tucked into it in front of her. She knew who it was from and she knew what she should do to spark some more interest in her.
She smiled at the bartender "I don't want this." He looked shocked, took the bucket, and put it back in front of the obvious sender.
Without a flinch, and with a chuckle, her generous stranger looked completely delighted. He poured himself a glass and gave a toast to her across the bar.
Susan then asked the bartender for a bottle of beer. Without pouring it in a glass, she uncharacteristically took a swig and toasted him back.
The man slowly rose from his seat, picked up the bucket, and walked around the bar towards Susan.
There was a gentleman to her right side that was slumped over his drink. He looked up and with a non-verbal acknowledgement of a higher presence, he swiftly vacated his post.
Mr. Important sat down very casually. The bartender quickly cleared him a space. He pulled out a glass, poured from the bottle, and handed it to Susan. She was blushing by now and was absolutely impressed. She knew it was going to be hard to play any further games with him. He was too dashing. He was too much of what she wanted.
Of course she had to ruin the moment. She slowly forced her eyes to look at his left hand. And, to no surprise, the gold ring gleamed right back at her. He saw her looking at it, gave her an evil grin and said "Aww, too bad, you still want me, don't you?" "My name is William. And you are Susan? Am I correct?"
Susan looked a bit puzzled. She had never seen him before or she would have remembered. She wondered how he knew her name.
The bartender came sheepishly back up to him. "Excuse me, Mr. Anderson. Can I get you some strawberries?"William replied "I'm alright. You better go check up on our other guests who are still left at the end of the bar."
Susan inquired "You own this place?" The mystery thickened. William smiled at her without an answer. He had turned his head away.
Susan saw that he was looking toward a matronly, jewel- soaked and overbearing woman who Susan knew was Liz, a regular.
Liz walked over and pushed her way in between them. She shoved her ample chest in his face and said "I think it's time to go now William, I'm tired!" He replied "You go on. I'll be there in a bit." He refused to say another word or even look at her. She gave Susan a murderous look and huffed out.
William poured another glass for himself and quickly gulped it down. He said "So much about me. What about you?" Susan smiled. He reached over for her hand and said "Let's dance."
The piano player was tapping out a romantic tune. William put his arm around her drawing her very close. With her head buried on his shoulder she knew this was the beginning of a long acquaintance. They danced and talked for the rest of the hour.
Susan could see out of the corner of her eye that the place was slowly emptying out. Soon the lights were turned even lower and they were the only ones left. The ice was melted and the piano became quieter.
He kissed her on the forehead, gave her his business card, and walked her to the front of the lounge area. She stumbled a little, pulling out her valet ticket.
William said "You're not driving. Cabaret keeps a suite at the Hilton for our favorite patrons." Susan quickly replied "I am not drunk. I am just very tired." William smiled "I'll have my driver take you over and one of the boys will drop your car off in the hotel lot so you'll have it there in the morning." William added "Actually, I can come and fetch you for lunch!" Susan said "Thank you. It would have been a long drive home. I would rather do it in the afternoon."
The limo pulled up. William opened the door for her and gave her a long and meaningful kiss as he placed her inside.
As they drove off, Susan could see that he was still watching her. She looked at him as he walked across the street from Cabaret and into one of the ultra luxury high-rises that had just been built in the neighborhood.
Susan leaned forward from her seat and knocked on the driver's privacy window. He slid it open. "Who is he?" The chauffeur politely told her that he had no information to offer."
She then realized she still had his business card clenched in her hand. She looked at it. He was the CEO of one of the larger international corporations.
It also sunk in that he was "The" William Anderson who was a confidante of U.S. Presidents and the benefactor of many. He was infamous. If she was sober, she would have instantly recognized him. He was always in the papers.
On the card he had written down his private number at work and his cell phone. She smiled as she secured it in her purse.
The limo pulled up to the Hilton. The night manager came out and personally escorted her up to her suite. She collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.
When she woke, she opened the curtains and could tell the sun was high in the sky. She guessed it must have been around noon. She noticed the message light on the hotel phone was blinking, so she pushed it to listen.
"Good morning Susan." It was William! He said "I am hard at work right now and I am sure it is late in the morning by the time you are listening to this. When you are ready, just go to the front desk and they will bring your car around. Feel free to get some lunch first and charge it to my account."
Susan showered and dressed. She was embarrassed that she was still wearing nightclub garb. It was obvious she had stayed out all night. The fact it was a week day made it all look even worse. She went to the front lobby pulling her coat around her to hide her sparkly dress.
Her car was brought quickly to the front and she got in. She took another peek at William's business card. She noticed his office building was close-by, so she pulled up in front of it and dialed William's cell.
Surprisingly, he answered it. "Hi, it's Susan. I'm in front of your building. Why don't you come and have lunch with me like you said you wanted to last night." William laughed "Tell you what. Let's get a liquid lunch over at the Palmer House. Just pull your car into our parking garage and I'll meet you at our door there."
As she waited for him, Susan felt even more embarrassed as she stood on the busy business district street in her three inch heels. She felt like a hooker and wished that night would come again so she would feel more comfortable. She pulled her hair over her ears to hide her dangling earrings.
A black limousine pulled up. The tinted back window lowered a few inches and two fingers stuck out wiggling at her.
William and the driver both emerged to let her in the back door. William waved him off, and with a sweeping grand gesture, he opened it for himself. He gave her a little pinch on the rear as she climbed in. It felt very cozy in there with him on the spacious leather seats. He eased her shoulders back down and climbed on top of her passionately smothering her with deep kisses.
Susan pushed him away. "Whoa cowboy! You're going to have to wine and dine me first. A lot!" He gathered himself together and sat back away from her laughing.
"Oh, come on, you're not an easy girl?" "Not unless I'm boozed up" Susan answered quickly. She kidded "And also, not until I get a lot of money and some jewelry out of you first. You know it's all about the pursuit. Right?"
He looked at her wisely. "It's all too true" nodding his head with a mocked sadness and then dropping it to his chest like he ran out of air. He then popped up and started tickling her. "Come on fun girl. Let's go!"
They had now pulled up in front of the Palmer House. He put his arm around her as they walked downstairs to the world famous Tiki Bar. As they sat down, Susan glanced around at the tropical setting. William said "What will it be? Food or Booze?" She answered "How about both? I'll take a steak sandwich and a Mai Tai!" "I concur" he said and summoned the waiter.
William seemed very relaxed. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and turned it off saying "I guess the world will have to wait." He took a long sip of his drink, drew Susan closer and began kissing her neck. They seemed to be the only ones in there now. The lunch hour rush was over.
They sat there for hours pounding down island drinks one after another. William was getting loose and started telling her about his earlier years in the Air Force and then about his rise in the business world. He told her that he had his wife safely tucked away in the distant suburbs of Chicago where she remained completely oblivious of both his business dealings and his philandering.
He said she didn't mind that he kept his penthouse in the city and was only home a few days a week. This way he could keep his eye on his restaurants, his mistresses, and the nightlife that he relished.
They talked for a long time just holding hands and had a great time. People started streaming back into the Tiki Bar for the after work Happy Hour. William took this as his cue to get out of there. Susan wondered if he thought he would be noticed by someone. It would be great fodder for the tabloids.
William was pretty buzzed and was staggering a bit. He leaned on Susan for support. "Let's go to my place," he whispered in her ear and gave a little chew on her lobe. They plopped into his limousine and headed towards the lake. He had one of the most prestigious addresses in town.
They went into the elevator and the attendant produced a key card, shooting them up non-stop to the top. Susan was surprised when the door opened onto the foyer of his actual residence. He owned the entire top floor.
Susan's heels clicked on the exquisite marble floor. It was buffed to perfection. She gazed up at the dramatic cathedral ceilings and the carved woodwork. The walls were mirrored and Susan thought of the Palace at Versailles when she saw them. She felt very small amidst this great opulence. She gazed at the antique furnishings. It felt like she was in an exclusive museum.
"Please remove your shoes" William said as he worriedly looked down at her pointy heels. He looked over the path she had taken across the floor to see if she had scratched it up yet.
Susan took her shoes in hand and tiptoed over to the couch to sit. "Not in here" William said. He quickly grasped her arm and led her through to his bedroom.
Susan looked around. It was a very seductive setting. She wagered his wife had never been to William's sex hideaway in the city. It was quite the opposite from the motif of the rest of the residence.
William embraced her and bent his neck down to engage her lips in a lasting kiss. She weakened in his hold. He slowly loosened her clothing and massaged her skin filling her with sensation and longing.
He kissed her even more strongly as she stood on her toes to reach him. Keeping his arms around her, they walked her over to his majestic bed.
He laid her down without ever leaving her mouth and then draped himself over her body. He rubbed on her until she raised herself up and begged him to take her.
He was a world-class lover and Susan was entranced in his power. When it ended, she lay still as he pulled himself from her and went into the other room.
William came back with a glass of water and stood above her looking down. Susan looked fondly up at his tailored physique him and smiled. He bent down and gave her a hard and brief kiss. "We have to go, I have a business dinner."
Susan looked disappointed. William thought "It would be nice if you came with me, but you can't wear those clothes." He handed her four hundred dollars. "Neiman Marcus is near-by. Go over there and spend this on something you love. Then meet me at The Italian Village. I'll be there at 7:30 PM."
Susan was worried "Is it alright for you to be seen with me? You are married." William chuckled "I am? That is never an issue. I'll see you then."
William walked off to his study. Susan enjoyed the luxury multi-head shower and quickly dressed. She walked out rubbing her head with a towel. William didn't look up from his papers and said "You can go get your hair styled too." He held out two hundred dollars. He then turned in his chair "I think we can have a wonderful time with each other, I think you are quite unique."
Susan knew that it might be hard for William to fit her into his schedule. In between his mistress, his wife, and his business, it left him with little time. Susan knew that Liz had more pull on him than his wife. Susan identified Liz to be the only obstacle in her way to her goals.
Susan had a lovely dinner that evening. His two clients enjoyed her company and didn't act like it was strange that she joined them.
Before dessert, William took her downstairs and said "Don't you think that dress is kind of short?" He stood her in front of a hall mirror and pointed.
Her velvet dressed had worked its way up and was sitting at the top of her thighs. "Whoops" she said and pulled it down.
William admonished her "You need to dress better than that if you wish to be seen with me." He then smiled and gave her rump a pat. "My fault, I guess I should have given you more money for the dress. Why don't you go over to Cabaret, I will see you in one hour. I need to talk business now." He handed her cab fare. "Thanks Daddy" Susan said. William frowned at her.
William showed up two hours later and had Susan return with him to his Penthouse. They sat in his living room enjoying cocktails. His land phone kept ringing. After, the third time, he unplugged it from the wall. Susan knew it was probably Liz calling and she bet that Liz knew where William was and exactly who he was with. She was afraid that any minute she would hear knocking on the door. It made it hard for her to enjoy William making love to her again.
When they were through, Susan decided that she did not want to get murdered in her sleep and told William that she was going home. He had his driver take her in the limousine back to her car. She was glad to see it. She needed her mobility.
Susan saw William frequently for the next two weeks. He always chose the finest restaurants and introduced her to several politicians and friends.
Another hot and muggy Wednesday night made its appearance. The city was always scorching compared to the suburbs. Once evening came, it just seemed like the humidity became even more overpowering.
Susan was in Cabaret where the air conditioning was struggling to keep up. She was posed at a table with her summer drink displaying an abundance of orange slices hanging off the sides. Since it was mid-week, it was mostly business parties in there and a few tourists
Susan was waiting for William to show up to take her out to a formal gala somewhere. She was wearing a sequined evening gown and had her hair in a low chignon. She looked quite dignified and about ten years older because her bangs weren't hanging in her eyes.
She knew that William would like this new look. She still wondered why he risked his reputation being seen with young women and old Liz when everyone knew he was very married.
She thought about his relationship with Liz. She doubted the old bag accompanied him all that much. She had that spent, cheap hooker look with that awful blonde dye job and fake eyelashes.
The businessmen went back and forth from their tables and gave Susan a grin as they walked by her. They were down to their shirt sleeves and working themselves up on the dance floor with the few girls that were in there. Susan chose to remain cool and turned down a few offers to whoop it up.
She twiddled her ice cubes around with her straw and was feeling bored. She thought "How long is William going to be?" She wanted to get out of there before Liz came in.
She felt that there would be a confrontation if Liz knew where William was taking her. Usually, Liz just ignored her. Susan wondered why she still wanted William when he was obviously falling for Susan. If, Susan truly wanted William, it would only be when he was ready to leave his wife for her. Right now, she was fine with their situation and used him socially.
A tall man with dark brown hair wearing a suit walked by her. Susan gave him a smile. The man almost reached the table where his work companions sat, when he did a double-take and came back toward her.
"Susan? Susan Winslow?" She answered "Yes, I am. Do I know you?" He looked excited and sat next to her "Sure, you do! It's me! Michael Hansen, your childhood friend! Come on! It hasn't been that long."
She said happily "Of course it is. I was being spacey. Michael! You look great! How are you?" He said "I'm doing very well. I am here with some of my company's executives for dinner." He pointed over toward them.
He pushed her drink slightly out of his way and kissed her on her cheek. "Yum, Yum, you smell delicious! And you look gorgeous! Going out with your husband after this?" Susan said "I'm not married, just waiting for my boyfriend, he owns this place."
Michael said "William Anderson is your boyfriend? Isn't he kind of old for you?" Susan gave him a look "He's not all that old. He's a wonderful man." She said sarcastically "So, Michael, where's your wife?" He answered "Never married, still can't find the right woman!" He gave Susan a sad look like she should understand what he meant. Susan said politely "Well, you are quite a catch, and still young, shouldn't be long."
He looked into her eyes. "Susan, there is something I need to ask you…" One of his dinner friends came up and interrupted him. "Mike, I've got Pittsburgh calling on my cell. You need to come over and talk to him." Michael looked at him and nodded his head. "Susan, I have to go, it's an important call." He leaned closer to her "I really need to talk to you, I will be right back!"
Susan started to finish up her drink. She wondered what Michael had to say to her that was so important. She forgot to give her condolences about his brother Steven dying so tragically. She knew it might really put a damper on things and conjure up old memories for him.
But, he probably thought it was weird that she didn't say anything about it yet. She wanted to ask him if he had any photos of Steven that she could have. She never really did stop thinking about him, it was so sad. Steven had been such a special person in her life.
Susan started remembering again how much of a crush that she also had on Michael. Back then, she really had trouble convincing herself that she liked Steven more than him. Michael always made her feel like she was totally pupped out for him. She still felt nervous being in the same room with him now!
He looked very handsome and very successful. She was curious what business he was in. She had a far away look in her eyes when William came up to her.
"Hello beautiful. You look marvelous! Are you ready to go?" "Oh, Hi William. Of course I am ready. I've been waiting for awhile." William looked apologetic. "Sorry. Having business problems. Let's vamoose!" William was wearing his black tuxedo. "Well, don't you look handsome" Susan said as she looked him over. "This must be some special place we are going to!"
She glanced over at Michael. He was still on the phone and with his other hand he was lighting the cigarette of a lanky brunette wearing a crimson Dior number.
Susan thought "That's probably his girlfriend! What's he doing with a smoker? He was too much of a jock!" Susan was surprised that she felt jealous.
She was looking forward to going out but also did not want to leave Michael. He still made her heart pound out of her chest and she needed to resolve these unfinished feelings for him. She wanted to give him her number, but she knew William would not like that at all!
She took William's arm and they went outside to his waiting limousine. Susan inquired "So, come on! Where are we going? What's the big mystery?"
William chuckled at her "My princess, you are going to meet Diana!" Susan's eyes grew wide! "Are you kidding? We're going to the ball at the Field Museum?" William said "That's right! Are you excited?"
Susan nudged his shoulder "Of course I am! That gala is one of the most happening events this year! You are such a Schnook not to tell me." She laughed "I would have worn a tiara!"
William said "I'm hoping to get a private dance with her. I am one of the biggest contributors to the charity. Our table is right by hers." He gave a devilish grin "Her divorce from 'Chuck' is final at the end of the summer. She's ripe for the picking!" Susan forgot all about Michael. This was going to be fantastic!
When they arrived at the party there was a long line of limos dropping off their expensive cargo. William's driver pulled right up to a roped off area and let them out. The museum was all decked out for the occasion and there were some very impressive evening gowns in attendance.
Susan looked over to where a crowd was standing. She could see Diana! She was wearing a crepe purple gown with one of her renowned multiple pearl chokers around her neck. She looked very lovely in person.
In between dances with her date, Susan stood shyly in the corner and smiled as he schmoozed with a bevy of socialites.
A woman dressed in mint green chiffon came billowing up to her. "So, how did William find you? Yellow Pages?"
Susan shrunk backward. The aggressor continued "I used to date William long before he ever met Liz. We almost got engaged. But, he has always cared more about his company, and it is not good business to be involved in a messy divorce. Scares the shareholders!"
Susan just looked at her blankly and did not comment. The woman started to speak more when William walked up and took Susan's hand. He looked unhappy and said "I see you have met Mitzi, the Welcoming Committee." He gave Mitzi a cold peck on the cheek. William said "I can only imagine what you two are discussing. Let's go back to our table Susan." He ushered her away.
As soon as they reached a safe distance from Mitzi, William let go of Susan's hand and without a word, he walked off to speak to a group of his business associates. Susan felt abandoned again as she made her way back to another part of the room to position herself next to the small orchestra.
This was not the setting that one should be left so obviously alone. Susan felt very uncomfortable that William seemed to be keeping her away from these friends. Maybe, he really was worried about not being there with his wife, or God forbid, Liz!
It was more obvious to Susan now that she was just a prop when he wanted her. Tonight it seemed he was trying to look more available to the other women. She felt unwanted and contemplated hiding out in the Women's Lounge for the rest of the evening.
A waiter came walking towards her carrying a tray of champagne and Susan stood ready to receive him.
She leaned down to lay her silver clutch on the table and when she turned back, her flute was being handed to her by a tall stranger.
"What is an exquisite beauty doing here standing alone?" She was drawn in by the deep voice and looked up at him. His steel blue eyes met hers and she stepped back as she felt overpowered and seduced by a strange coldness. An elegant creature was before her and Susan felt very small and insignificant in his presence.
She softly thanked him and his hand wrapped around hers as she took the glass. Instead of the anticipated fire, she was surprised when she felt her fingers ice up.
She gave a small shudder and the man gently pulled her evening wrap tighter around her.
He moved in closer on Susan and slowly isolated her further into a corner. "To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Susan was charmed by his English accent and answered "My name is Susan Winslow."
He tilted his head to one side and said "I am Karl. Are you the daughter of Robert Winslow? I attended his funeral. I am sorry for your loss, he was a great man." Susan sadly smiled.
They conversed for a short while and then Karl took her glass and walked her over to the orchestra leader. He put his hand on the man's shoulder and made a request.
The music quickly changed from an upbeat tempo to a slow and romantic pace.
Karl led Susan straight into the middle of the floor and held her at arm's length as they lightly waltzed. He didn't say a word as he looked down at her.
Susan had a curious look planted on her face and his remained indifferent, but his eyes never left hers.
William was across from them dancing with someone's wife as he worriedly viewed Susan. He turned his partner so that he faced towards them. He impatiently continued dancing, and as the song ended, William quickly headed the couple off as they walked.
Karl stiffened and gave a curt smile as William reached to take possession of Susan. He extended his hand in a firm shake. "Hello Bill. How are you this evening? I was just keeping your lovely granddaughter's company, I hope you don't mind."
William emitted a short laugh and quipped "I thought you liked them even younger and much more obedient Karl. This one is too much of a handful for your likes. So, Karl what brings you all the way here from New York?"
Karl answered "Just in for the night to fork over my money like you. William, you must tell me! Where did you find Miss Winslow?"
Susan was enjoying being the center of attention and reached for her glass of champagne. She sipped it demurely as she watched them.
The men continued to politely banter, but neither one cared for the other, nor were they interested in what was being said. Susan took notice that Karl seemed to command the conversation.
William was the first to back off and he made his way to the head table to seek out his allies. He held Susan's arm, keeping her close behind him. She dragged her heels and felt herself pulling back to stay with Karl. Without turning to look, she could feel Karl's eyes follow her.
For the rest of the evening, Susan thought about Karl and wondered if he came by himself. She had been so distracted by his glacial charm that she hadn't even looked at his hand to notice if he was married or not.
William stayed steadfast by her side and did not let her out of his sight lines. As she half-heartedly danced the rest of the night with him, she strained to watch the back of Karl's head in the distance and see who he was with.
There was an abundance of bubbly flowing that evening and poor William never got his dance. Princess Diana was too busy being whirled about by Phil Donahue and other celebrities. The event was a success and a lot of money was made that night.
Susan's car was at Cabaret. She was very tired after the gala and William had an early flight in the morning to Dallas. The limousine dropped her off in front and the valet retrieved her car as soon as he saw them pulling up.
Susan considered going back inside, but decided that Michael was long gone. She went home thinking about how being with William tonight was so wonderful, at least the party was. She hoped she would be going to all the best parties with him this year. She hoped she would see Karl again!
Susan was unaware that when she left Cabaret earlier that night, that Michael Hansen abruptly hung up on his important business call. He ran out to the street after her. He had just missed her and stood there sadly watching Anderson's limousine head off towards the east.
Michael wanted her to know he always had special feelings for her since they were young, and had always wanted to tell her that. He wanted her to be with him now and he would take her anywhere she wanted to go.
Now, he lost his chance. He wondered if there would ever be another opportunity. He knew he could find out her phone number if he wanted. But, he thought he would wait until he ran into her again when she was alone somewhere. For now, her dance card looked filled.
William was now working hard at being the perfect boyfriend. He called her faithfully every day. They spent all his available moments together enjoying each other at either his place or a hotel.
Susan always felt comfortable at Cabaret. The staff all knew she had a strong thing going with William and they always gave her top service.
They were mostly glad that there was a possibility that Liz was about to be replaced by a new girlfriend. They told Susan that Liz was usually pretty nasty to them, especially before she met Anderson.
William must have been fighting something fierce with his mistress lately, because he was even bold enough to sit with Susan when Liz was present.
Susan at first felt uncomfortable with this. But as her feelings progressed with him; it did not bother her to make out with him in plain sight. When that happened, she could always feel Lizard's eyes boring holes into her whether Liz was there or not!
Chicago was given another chance to host the Democratic National Convention. As it got underway, downtown became a 24 hour party zone!
The Convention kept everyone busy and Susan was having a great time flirting with the scores of delegates, VIP's and the others that streamed into the restaurant. Susan had no guilt checking them out as long as William did not commit to her. Who knows what other girlfriends he had?
The upside to William was that she always enjoyed having free drinks and food with her friends on his tab. But, on the downside, sometimes William was too busy with his business dealings to pay any attention to her, even when she was standing right next to him.
One late Cabaret evening, Susan was surrounded by a group of men all dressed in similar suits. About the only people who dressed like that would be the Secret Service.
The alleged employees said they were part of the President Clinton's advance team. They were probably all married, but were very charming and Susan was having a great time.
One of the agents was particularly interested in her and was trying to convince her to go to a hotel with him. The others were watching him make a fool of himself and did not try to encourage him. He told Susan that if she hung out with him during the week, maybe she could meet the President. He told her that she was the type of girl that would interest him. Susan laughed "Al Gore is really more my type. I love tall and dark haired men!"
The other men kept a few steps away, but well within earshot. After awhile, it was obvious the agent was a tad buzzed, so his comrades convinced him it was time to leave.
He insisted on Susan's phone number and she gave him a fake one. After he left, she wished she had given him the correct number. She needed to meet men like this to open more doors for her. She thought "The White House. Lincoln Bedroom. Now that's a goal to pursue!"
Sometimes Susan was a little too gullible. Towards the end of the convention, she met a group of five men who told her they were plastic surgeons.
They started having a group discussion about her body and how they could enhance it for her. It took Susan about ten minutes to realize that they were just delegates from a southern state and were goofing off.
It was kind of obvious when one of them offered a free exam right there in Cabaret. William got a kick out of Susan working her charms. He often watched her from across the bar.
After the convention was over, Chicago began returning to normal. There had been no major protests or problems, so it went well. William decided that he was going to open up another type of restaurant. He picked a spot a few blocks away that was more in the heart of the tourist area.
Susan took a girlfriend with her to attend the opening party. When they arrived there were two long lines to get in. One line was for the VIP's. Everyone looked older and well-established. Susan gathered that these people were mostly William's business acquaintances. As she got into that line, she was slightly intoxicated and complained to her friend that they shouldn't have to wait in any line at all!
She had never seen the new restaurant's door personnel before. She said to the one of them. "Go get the Manager. I am a close friend of William's! You need to let me in now!" She heard a man behind her say "I thought we were William's close friends too!"
The Manager came out and snatched Susan out of the line. Susan said to him "Well, it's about time! Didn't William tell you I was coming?" The Manager said "He's pretty busy, guess he forgot." He took her over by one of the bar sections and signaled the bartender for her. "On the house, whenever you see her!" Susan gulped her drink and decided to check everything out.
She started walking into the main room and saw William headed her way. He was surrounded by a crowd, but as he approached, he reached out to grab a handful of her.
One very distinguished man that Susan had seen around before looked very puzzled by this action. She mused "Guess he doesn't know William plays around on his wife."
William looked at her and said "That dress is absolutely scandalous! I love it!" He took Susan and her friend over to a tall table and seated them. He went to get a drink and then walked back to join them.
Susan asked "Is your wife here tonight? I'd like to see what she looks like." William said "She doesn't even know about this place!" Susan couldn't believe that his wife was so out of the loop that she didn't know that William owned another major restaurant!
Susan's friend didn't want to be a third wheel and walked off to mingle. William sat with Susan for an hour until they were joined by one of his middle-aged secretaries.
The secretary seemed a bit pushy and totally moved in on the conversation. William was paying too much attention to her. It looked like he had either already been sleeping with her or he wanted to.
Susan was surprised that William was not being social with all his guests. He just sat there getting boozed up! He kept sitting closer to his employee and was somewhat ignoring Susan. She became annoyed at him and was tired of sharing him.
She went to look for her friend. Susan was walking down the hall to another part of the building when she walked smack into Liz. The look she gave Susan pierced right through her. She was breathing fire!
Liz was going to ignore her but couldn't help saying "I see William is all cozy with one of his staff. So, how does it feel?" Susan said "I could care less what William is doing." Liz said "Oh, I know you care. Have a nice time." Susan gave her a bitchy look and walked on.
Susan's friend was talking to a well-known art photographer. He had long hair and looked the part. He invited them to go with him over to a gallery opening down the street. Susan's friend seemed to like him and wanted to go. Susan said she was staying and went back over to William.
When she got to his table, the secretary was gone. William was down to just ice cubes and was starting to stand up. Susan said coldly "William, I'm going to leave. You have enough going on here. You'll be fine."
Susan decided to go look for her friend at the art gallery. Before departing, she walked back in the bar and saw William now had his arm around his secretary and was kissing her. Susan decided not to make a scene and walked past them. They were too engrossed in each other to see her leaving.
The next evening Susan was pretty miffed from seeing William with his secretary. It filled her with the desire to go find someone that he knew and hook up with them. And what better place to do it than his new restaurant! She just knew that someone would report back to him that she was misbehaving.
When she entered the building, it was just filling up with the early dinner crowd. A small group was assembled at the stools around the private bar. This area was only accessible by the select few of William's friends, celebrities, and city hall cronies. They knew that their privacy would be respected here.
Susan sat down at an empty spot. She looked to her right and noticed she was next to a very prominent player in city politics. He was in his late forties, had premature silver hair, a golf tan, and a scowl on his face. He looked at Susan and turned away.
The Official was engrossed in a conversation with two men that looked like they were in the mob. They did not look like the type of people that someone in his position should be talking to. He was obviously trying to keep it low-key.
He kept his body turned from Susan and this presented a challenge for her. She started bubbling at the mobsters. "I just love Italians! I really like Mafia guys and I know a lot of them from the suburbs."
The two men stopped talking and now smiled at Susan. The Official just cringed. One of the men summoned the bartender and told him to get Susan another drink.
The Official now stood up and walked over to a stool on the other side of the men and away from Susan. He sat back down and shot her a warning look. They went back to their conversation and The Official spoke, keeping his voice very low.
Susan sat back and quickly consumed her drink. She was getting a bit bored and was very happy when the Bar Manager from Cabaret walked in. He was by himself and seemed to be teetering.
He plopped down next to Susan and it was obvious he was sloshy drunk. He saw The Official and said loudly "Hey! How ya doing?" The Official gave him a polite nod.
The Manager put his arm around Susan and said "Honey, does William know you are in here?" Susan answered "No, and I hope he's not coming in."
The Manager assured her "He's over at Cabaret with the accountant looking over all the bills from the party yesterday. He spent a fortune on it!" He looked around. "He might be over here later when the crowd shows up. It's pretty dead in here now. Not so good for the day after a grand opening. Hope this isn't a bad sign."
Susan said "I guess it needs to catch on, there's a lot of competition in the area." He snuggled closer to Susan. "We've got plenty of time to have some fun. You know what I mean?" Susan laughed "Sorry, not a good idea to consort with William's employees."
That didn't stop him. He put his hand on her knee and ordered them both drinks. He was very funny and they sat together as he rolled out joke after joke while he laughed raucously at them. The Official was looking very annoyed and went off to the Men's Room.
Susan decided to go to the Women's Lounge and fluff her hair. When she walked out of there The Official was standing next to the door on his cell phone. He saw Susan and clicked it off. She started to walk down the hall. "Miss Winslow, wait up a minute." Susan stiffened and was afraid he was going to scold her. She stopped and looked at him with no reaction.
He came up to her, took her arm, and pushed her lightly against the wall. Susan was very surprised by his action and tried to back away from him. She could smell the whisky on his breath as he spoke. "I saw you at the party last night, you looked very hot! William is a jerk! What are you doing with him?"
Susan didn't know what to say in response and just looked confused. He continued "You should be doing it with me. I know how to make you feel real good." He started running his hands down her shoulders.
She pulled back. "I don't know what you think you are doing. You were pretty cold to me in there, so why the interest now?" The Official snarled "You know I have seen you around and I see you all the time throwing yourself all over everyone. You like the rich old men. How about some for me?" He moved in his head and tried to kiss her.
Susan looked into his eyes and noticed that he was probably a lot younger than he looked with that silver hair. He seemed quite handsome. She thought of William and knew that The Official would be the perfect weapon to get back at him with!
She stopped him and said, "If you really want to hang out with me, let's go over to Cabaret!" He touched her cheek, "OK, but I need to say good-bye to my associates first.
Susan laughed "You mean your Mafia buddies?" He did not laugh back and put his arm tightly around her as if to restrain her, leading her back into the bar.
The Official sat down with the men for a few more minutes and they winked at Susan as he came back to her to leave. Susan smiled at them and now wished she could stay since they seemed more interesting.
In the cab, The Official was all over her. Susan tried to keep him off her saying "Come on, I just met you. We have time."
When they reached Cabaret, Susan then let him put his arm around her and she started kissing up a storm with him as they walked in.
William was sitting at the bar and looked up. Susan thought to herself "This is perfect! Now I'll show him!" She started grabbing at The Official and took him over to the dance floor and away from William's stare.
She knew he was still watching and she put on quite a show for him. The Official started looking a bit embarrassed at how she was acting, and he caught on to what she was up to.
He said sternly "Will you take it down a bit? I know Anderson saw us. What are you doing?" Susan whispered in his ear "Just play along and I'll make it worth it for you later. I promise." The Official leered at her and pulled her closer against his body.
William got up slowly from his chair and walked over to them. The Official stopped dancing and turned around to face him. William reached out his hand to shake it "Well, done! How are things going with you?"
The Official patted him on the back. "Hello William. Great party last night!" William replied "It went pretty well. By the way, we still need to get together and discuss more about that proposition you had." Susan listened and didn't like how this was going.
William leaned into Susan and whispered "Maybe, the three of us can go over to a hotel." He then laughed at her disappointed look that she wasn't making him jealous.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek "Nothing happened with my secretary last night." He then gave her a big wink to let her know he had just lied to her, and walked back to his restaurant office.
The Official took Susan's arm and said "I guess he doesn't mind. Let's get out of here. We've got things to do!"
If William was still in front of them, she might have gone with him, but there was no point to it. Susan backed away from him and said "I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well. Maybe another time. She then walked defeated out the front door to go home.
Without losing a beat, The Official strode over to the bar and sat down with a group of women that he recognized.
William had a business trip to New York the following week and decided to take Susan with. He never mentioned The Official to her when they spoke on the phone.
They flew first-class to JFK, where a limousine awaited them. They were driven to the Plaza Hotel where William reserved one of their finest suites. Susan was finally reaping the benefits of dating him. It made her forget about the bad parts.
Their first night William took her out for a classy meal and a Broadway show. After it let out, they took a long and romantic stroll through the city. When they finished, they took a cab back to the hotel and shared a passionate night. Susan finally felt like she belonged with him.
The next day he had a luncheon to attend with two friends who were Senators. Susan said "Can't I come with? I don't want to be by myself!" William was now in his business mode. "No, I am sorry Susan, it wouldn't be appropriate, they know my wife."
Susan replied "That has never bothered you before? Why now?" William said "Please, don't argue about this, it just isn't right. I've got to go." He thought for a moment and opened his wallet. "Here, take one of my credit cards. Buy anything you want. Seriously. Anything!"
Susan happily agreed with this compromise. She decided to first get a massage and skin treatments at the hotel's fantastic spa. She planned to go to the stores later.
She was very refreshed by the time she took the car service over to Saks. She felt that William needed to be punished and did not hold back. She bought three outfits totaling sixteen thousand dollars.
She then decided to go over to some of the designer boutiques and look for shoes to go with them. As she was gathering her items at the counter, she looked across at another station and saw a familiar figure. It was Liz! What was she doing here? Before she could see her, Susan hurriedly grabbed her garment bags and fled!
Susan sat in the car and fumed! She knew that William paid the ticket for Liz to come to New York too! She wondered how long she had already been there. At least she wasn't on the same plane. Or, maybe she was and had been hidden back in Coach!
William was such a sneak! She also bet that Liz was there on her own shopping spree with one of his other cards! Or, even worse, she probably had several cards in her own name that William always paid the bills for!
Susan's anger took over and she went right back into the store and bought five pairs of shoes! They cost over eight thousand! That would teach him to give her a credit card after screwing around with her!
When she returned to the hotel, William was sitting in a chair dressed for dinner. He said angrily as his eyes opened wide looking at all her parcels "Why were you gone so long? How much did you just spend?" "What is going on?"
Susan nastily replied "Where are you hiding Liz?" William looked like a cat who had just snuck milk "Uhh, What about Liz?" Susan yelled "You know exactly what I am talking about! You brought Liz here too! Why would you do that to me? Aren't I enough? Who are you? Rasputin?"
"Calm down, calm down" he looked very annoyed. "I needed Liz here for some of my business meetings." Susan dropped one of her shoe boxes and screamed "What? You lied to me? You took her to that lunch today with the Senators! How appropriate was that?"
William defiantly answered "Liz knows how to work a crowd. You're too young for that." Susan said "Yeah, but not too young to have sex with, right?"
She grabbed all her bags and stormed out. She still had his credit card and she took a cab to another hotel to stay at. She didn't care that she left her own suitcase behind. She would send for it as soon as she arrived in her new room.
Susan stayed in New York for another three days. William left her several text messages, but she refused to look at them. She feared he might try to cancel his credit card, but he never did.
She bought another first-class ticket and finally went home. She eventually talked to him after awhile. He never apologized and she never gave him his card back.
Things were starting to go stale between them. Over the next month he saw her only a few times for dinner or at Cabaret. They didn't have sex anymore and Susan wondered if he was stepping things up again with Liz.
She thought about her. She knew that Liz mostly resented Susan because she was young. Maybe she saw a shadow of her earlier self. William's tastes were changing. As he grew older, he went down another age level for his choices.
Susan knew that Liz had been through a lot of William's dalliances and she had survived every one. The only thing Liz couldn't get him to do was divorce his wife. Susan knew Liz was an expert at getting what she wanted out of him while he was still under her thumb. Susan wished she had that kind of nerve! If she loved William, she would think differently.
Another week went by with no calls from William. Susan made sure she now partied away from Cabaret. Chicago had a lot of other choices to offer!
But it seemed like a small town whenever Susan saw Liz at the other venues. Lately, she noticed that Liz wasn't sulking.
Susan knew something was up when she ran into an off-duty Cabaret waitress who told her that Liz had convinced William to buy her a million plus vacation condo in Fort Lauderdale. She had insisted the deed had to be in her name, not his, not his company's.
Susan had been right about everything! She went to Cabaret the next evening and confronted William. He was sitting at the bar flirting with his door hostess. She walked up to him and said angrily "How can you say you are putting Liz out to pasture when you went and bought her a condo?" William was annoyed at the question.
"Whoa, go easy on her, will you? I have been with her for years. She deserved it!" Susan retorted "I have been putting out for you for a few months now and all you have been doing is stringing me along!"
William said "You knew about me and Liz from the start and you were alright with it." Susan yelled "Well, I'm not now! I can get any man I want. I don't need to compete with that Witch for you!"
William enjoyed her berating him. He did seem to have a submissive streak. It was probably why Liz could control him. Susan tested this theory and really dug into him. "You know I could use a condo too! I need money too! I am running out of it! I could really use ten thousand dollars. I am actually going to have to find a job sometime soon! If you want me to stay with you, that is what it's going to take!"
William looked at her with great arrogance. "Well, I am not going to give you any money. You don't mean that much to me. You are too obsessed with being a Gold Digger! Chicago is a very small pond. You belong with the other sharks in Palm Beach! Why don't you go there and leave me alone?"
Susan screamed at him "You are so cheap! We're through!" William made a nasty comment about his credit card. She threw her drink at him and ran out of Cabaret.
Arriving home, she thought about how he had treated her during their time together. He had never given her anything of real value except some clothes, here and there. He had never taken her to Europe or anywhere interesting! They only went to parties and boring business dinners.
She was just the equivalent of an escort, except she never made any money! She was mad she didn't flirt with more of the rich men at all those functions. She needed some back-ups! Good Riddance! She hoped that William's wife would find out about Liz and shoot both of them!
2014 COPYRIGHT OCEAN CAT PUBLICATIONS
FOR SALE ON
CAN READ EXCERPT ON