CHAPTER NINE
New York City - Ed's apartment
December 17, 2000
10:00 AM
Ed threw the faux-leather contract binder down on his dining room table with disgust. He stood up and began pacing back and forth, only stopping long enough to get a bottle of water from his refrigerator. He had spent the last three hours looking over Knight Publishing's "standard contract form" - the contract Carol had asked him to review, and he could come to only one conclusion ...
Victor Knight and Knight Publishing Associates were crooks.
Of course, at first he didn't want to believe it. He wanted to think that the contract was just badly written. That it was just a case of him being over-protective of Carol. But as he kept reading, he began to realize that his initial gut feeling had been correct. The contract wasn't badly written. On the contrary, it had been very *cleverly* written to mislead someone into thinking that it had only been "badly written".
The language in the sections on intellectual property were positively labyrinthine. Even Ed, an experienced attorney, had found it difficult keeping everything straight. But, from what he could tell, Knight Publishing would own - if Carol signed the contract, that is - all legal rights to any characters and/or "worlds" she created. And Knight Publishing could decide to have another writer use those characters at any time.
That, coupled with a one way termination clause which Ed found buried in the small print on page eighty-seven meant that Knight Publishing could literally steal Carol's book right out from under her.
Ed sighed heavily. He was in a difficult situation. Carol had invested so much of herself in coming to New York. He didn't want to be the one to tell her that her publishers were crooks who would most likely steal her creations and leave her with next to nothing. She would be devastated.
And of course, he couldn't NOT tell Carol what he'd found either.
"Damn," Ed said. "Sometimes life is particularly good at sucking," and he went back to pacing.
After about a half hour, he decided he would hold off telling Carol what he'd found. He still had a few days before she was supposed to sign the contract, and Knight Publishing wasn't the only one with resources. Maybe he could find something that could help. Ed got ready and headed out the door to pick up Carol at about 12:30. He was already out of his apartment and waiting on the elevator when the phone in his apartment began ringing.
On the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached the home of Ed Stevens. Leave a message after the tone," Ed's recorded voice said.
"Hey, Ed, its Mike," Mike said. "Are you there? (a pause) Nope. Okay, look buddy, give me a call. Got a question or two for you. Nothing important - just trying to find out if you and Carol Vessey slept together. Ow! Nance! Oh, um, call me, okay Ed?"
***
New York City - Room 426, the DoubleTree Hotel December 17, 2000 12:00 PM
At a small desk in her hotel room, Carol Vessey typed furiously on her laptop. Next to her, were the remnants of the lunch she'd bought at the deli just down the street - a tuna salad on rye bread, a small bag of chips and a coke.
She'd woken early and almost immediately found herself inspired to work on her novel - the romantic thriller about the novelist and the enigmatic dark- haired lawyer. Carol remembered how she'd smiled excitedly as she'd opened her laptop. Never, before coming to New York, had she experienced such an intense burst of creativity. Back in Stuckeyville, she'd hit little pockets of inspiration, but nothing this sustained. Was it that she just needed a change of scenery? The excitement of being in the big city? Or was it something else? Or should she say *someone* else?
She smiled, remembering the kiss she'd given Ed at the end of their day together yesterday. There was something about him, something that made her feel excited and scared at the same time. She'd never felt that way about anyone before. Not with Nick. Not in college. Not even in high school.
She looked back down at her laptop, she was making such excellent progress on her novel that there was a good chance she'd finish it before her flight home.
'Wouldn't that be something' she thought. 'Stepping off the plane, and meeting Molly at the airport. She'll ask what I did in New York and I'll nonchalantly say 'Oh nothing much. Saw the sights. Did a little Christmas shopping. Signed a book deal. Met a great guy. Wrote a novel.'
Carol laughed, imagining Molly's reaction.
'And speaking of the great guy,' Carol thought, 'he'll be here any minute now and I have no idea what he's planned. I'd better get a move on.'
She took a quick shower. Then dressed in jeans, comfortable boots, a red turtle neck, and a dark green cardigan. 'Well,' she thought, admiring herself in the mirror 'don't I look festive.'
She sat back down in front of her computer. Passing the time, by proof- reading the chapter she'd just finished - she liked to call it "the big courtroom scene". Then on a whim, she opened another file. She was just about to re-read the chapter with the "steamy love scene" - just to proof- read it, she told herself - when there was a knock at her door. It was Ed, right on time - as always.
"Good morning ... " Carol said as she opened the door.
"Hey, Carol," Ed replied, smiling back. Then he from behind his back, he produced a bouquet of roses - complete with vase - and presented them to Carol, "These are for you."
"Oh, Ed" Carol said, taking the flowers, "They're lovely. Thank you!" Ed followed Carol as she carried the flowers into the room and set them on the coffee table, right next to the plant he had given her the day before.
"So, Mr. Tour Guide, what's on the agenda for today?"
"Well," Ed said, "I thought maybe just some more general sightseeing - we could head downtown this time - the Empire State Building for instance."
"Ooh," Carol said. "Then could we go to the World Trade Center? I hear its quite a view."
"Oh," Ed replied casually, "I figured that since we'd be going there tomorrow night for dinner, we could do that then." He paused, and added hesitantly, "That is... If you're free for dinner tomorrow night at 'Windows on the World'?"
Carol was caught off guard. She really had been only joking when she'd suggested having dinner there, and now she felt like she had pressured him into taking her. "Ed, that would be wonderful .... but, I don't want you spending all your money on me."
Ed held up his hand to silence her, "Carol, I thought we'd gone over this? I want to take you to Windows on the World for dinner. Sure you may have SAID it first, but I promise you that I thought of it first."
"Really?" Carol asked, still unsure that she hadn't pressured him into suggesting it.
"Really," Ed stated confidently.
Carol saw the look on Ed's face - it was the same one he'd had when, over Carol's most strident objections, he'd bought her the Vera Wang Barbie at FAO Schwartz. She knew that there was no use in arguing about with him. His mind was made up. She smiled, but still felt guilty that Ed wasn't letting her share in the expenses.
"As for the rest of today," Ed said, "dinner is open for discussion but we have to be at Radio City Music Hall by five o'clock."
"Why? What's at five o'clock?" Carol asked.
Ed smiled and reached into his jacket pocket. He produced what looked like theater tickets and waved them in the air, "Why Ms. Vessey, none other than the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular! You can't be in New York at Christmas time and not go. It would be... Well, it would be un-American!"
"I'm missing the connection between high-kicking beautiful women and patriotism," Carol said, slightly confused.
"That's because you've never been a red-blooded teenaged American boy," Ed stated matter-of-factly. Then winked suggestively and nudged Carol in the arm.
"ED!" she started to laugh. Then grabbed her coat and pushed him out the door of her hotel room.
***
Once outside, they took a cab to the Empire State Building. As Carol got out of the cab and looked up, she tried to say something but was in awe at the sheer size of the building.
"That..." she finally managed to get out
"Hmm?" Ed said.
"That is ..." She said fumbling again.
"Oh." He looked over at Carol, "Yeah. That is one TALL building. Isn't it?" Ed offered.
"Yes. Thank you." Carol said meekly, embarrassed at how she must seem to Ed just now.
"Don't mention it." They started walking towards the entrance. Ed looked down at Carol, and as if sensing her embarrassment, leaned in close and whispered "I had almost the exact same reaction when I first saw the Empire State Building too."
"Almost?"
"I ... I may or may not have asked someone if they'd seen any giant gorillas lately," Ed admitted.
"I can't believe you did that?" Carol said, the embarrassment of a moment ago disappearing completely in the face of Ed's offbeat humor.
"Well if YOU think I'm going to the top of the Empire State Building with a beautiful blonde WITHOUT first checking if there's been any recent sightings of giant gorillas, you have another thing coming, my dear Ms. Vessey."
"You ... You think I'm beautiful?" Carol asked, caught completely off her guard by the way Ed had managed to sneak the compliment into the conversation.
"I don't THINK anything of the sort ..." Ed replied, not needing to finish the rest of the sentence. He took Carol's arm and conducted her into the building's lobby where they joined a tour group on their way to the 86th floor observatory.
As they were riding up in the elevator, Ed felt Carol latch on to his right arm tightly. When the elevator reached the observation deck and the doors opened, Carol froze.
"Ed..." Carol said, her voice tinged with fear.
"Carol is something wrong?" Ed asked.
"I think I there's something I should tell you."
"You're afraid of heights."
"I'm afraid of hei---...", Carol started to admit, "Wait, how did you know I was going to say that?"
"Let's just say I got my first clue 30 floors ago, when you started cutting off the circulation in my right arm." He smiled at her and shrugged his right shoulder, indicating how tightly she'd been holding onto him.
"I'm sorry. I just ... I got scared." she admitted.
"It's alright. You know I won't let anything happen to you up here, right?"
Carol nodded.
"Good. Now c'mon. Let's go see New York." And he began to lead her out onto the observation deck. Only to be jerked to a stop by Carol, who remained frozen in the elevator. 'Okay ....' he thought with amusement, 'this is going to be a little bit more difficult than I thought.' However, the amused look on his face vanished when he turned around and saw her face. She wasn't just scared, she was *terrified*.
Slowly, Ed pulled his arm free and then turned to face Carol fully, blocking her view outside. As he did, he noticed that the elevator attendant was now politely ignoring them. 'Of course," Ed imagined, 'he's obviously seen this a million times by now.'
"Carol?" Ed said, but got no response. "CAROL," he repeated in a stronger voice, gently taking her shoulders in his hands.
Her eyes jerked up to look into his.
"Carol," Ed said softly, "its okay. We can go downstairs if you want. It's okay."
Carol continued to look into Ed's eyes - she saw concern there, warmth, humor...and something else. She couldn't place it. 'Love?' she thought.
Looking into Ed's eyes, she found a strength she didn't know she had. She took a deep breath and said, "No, I want to do this. I want see the view. I'm okay, just stay with me."
"I'm right here," Ed said. "I'm not going anywhere."
With another deep breath and another look into his eyes, she took his arm again and moved forward. As they exited the elevator, Ed nodded at the attendant, who nodded back and gave them a smile.
They stepped out onto the observation platform. The cold wind hit them - being so high up it was a few degrees cooler than on the street. Carol looked around, holding onto Ed's arm tightly. When she felt panic rising, she pictured Ed's face as she had seen it only moments ago - and the panic eased.
She continued to look around and remembered to loosen her hold a little on Ed's arm. When he felt her loosen her grip he looked down at her and smiled - with maybe a hint of relief. Carol found herself starting to enjoy it. They moved closer to the edge of the observation deck so they could get a better view.
Ed felt Carol's gasp and looked down at her concerned. He was surprised to note that her expression showed awe, not fear, and he smiled. She looked up at him and said, "It's so beautiful!" She didn't notice that she wasn't scared anymore.
"Yes," Ed said, almost reverently.
Carol turned to look at Ed again. His eyes were riveted on her. She blushed deeply, realizing that Ed hadn't been looking at the cityscape when he'd agreed with her.
They spent a few more minutes looking around, moving to look from different sides and angles. Finally, they headed for the elevator banks and a ride down to the ground level. They had just finished the tour and were walking back outside, when Ed's cell phone rang. He took it out and looked at it - then sighed.
"It's my office," Ed said in exasperation. "This will take just a second."
Ed answered the phone, "Hello? Jerry? What do you need? What? No! Because I'm busy, that's why. We're at the Empire State Building. What? (Slight pause) None of your business! What do you need? What? No. Oh that's ridiculous! It can't wait until Monday? You're kidding? Did Farmer personally tell you to have me look over the documents? He did? And he needs them first thing tomorrow morning? Damn."
Ed sighed and continued, "Okay, how many pages? Thirty? Okay, that's do- able. Yes. I'll stop in. (Pause) I said YES, didn't I? I'll be there in twenty minutes. Yes, I know you're sorry. Bye."
Ed hung up and looked at the phone as he sighed.
Carol said, "Ed, its okay. I understand if you need to cancel." Disappointment was clearly evident in her tone, despite her best efforts to hide it.
"What?" Ed said. "No. No need to cancel. We're just going to have to swing by my office so I can look over a contract that one of the partners wants me to review. It won't take long, really."
Carol just looked at Ed as if asking 'Are you sure?'
"Really," Ed re-affirmed.
"I don't want to interfere with your work - we can cancel if you want."
"But I don't 'want'," Ed replied. "I don't want to cancel the rest of our day." He took Carol's hands in his. "And we've been over this before. You are not interfering - not now. Not EVER. This will just take a second, I need to read something Jerry wrote, check it to make sure all his t's are crossed and i's dotted. Twenty minutes. I promise."
Ed and Carol took a cab to the Manhattan offices of Farmer & Sheehan. They rode the elevator up to the 33rd floor, both reminiscing about their first trip in the elevator together. When they reached the 33rd floor, Ed pulled out his keys to let them into the office, but noticed that the doors were already unlocked. As they walked in, Carol was surprised at the number of people (nearly twenty) working there on a Sunday.
Ed's friend, Jerry was waiting for them just inside the lobby. Ed made a few introductions.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Carol. We've heard SO MUCH about you," Jerry said, casting an amused glance back at Ed.
Carol was a little flustered, "Its nice to meet you as well."
"Jerry? The contracts ...?" Ed interjected.
"Oh. Right. The contracts. They're already in your office."
Ed turned to Carol. "Carol, you can sit in one of the conference rooms if you'd like. I won't be long (he glanced at Jerry) - promise." He started walking toward his office.
"Okay, Ed," Carol said. "Take as long as you need to."
Jerry waited until Ed had closed the door to his office, then he turned to Carol. He looked at her for a minute or two, as if he was unsure of what he wanted to say. Then he finally said. "Uh, sorry about that 'SO MUCH' bit back there. It's just that Ed's a really great boss and everybody here really likes him and ... Well, what I mean to say is that after the break- up with Liz ... it just hit him hard and since you've been around him it's been ... He's been ... different. Better. I just wanted to say, thanks."
Carol didn't know what to say to THAT.
Sensing her discomfort, Jerry added. "Well I'd better get back there with Ed, sometimes he has trouble reading my handwriting." He smiled again at Carol, then hurried towards Ed's office.
Carol walked over to one of the open conference rooms across the hall from Ed's office and sat down in the nearest convenient chair. To pass the time, she started thinking about the next chapter of her novel. She took out the small notebook she kept in her purse and was jotting down a few thoughts, when she looked up to see an attractive brunette in a dark business suit (possibly Tahari), walking towards her.
"You must that Ms. Venney, we've all heard so much about," Miranda said, trying her best to hide her contempt for the 'country bumpkin' sitting in Farmer & Sheehan's conference room.
"Um," Carol said. "Its Vessey actually."
"Sorry. I'm Miranda Van Note, I'm one of the lawyers in Ed's ... I mean Mr. Steven's section." She held out her hand in greeting, "I just wanted to come over and see if there was anything I can do for you til Ed finishes his meeting with Jerry. Some coffee?" She asked, wondering if 'Little Miss Stuckeyville, Queen of the 4H Fair' took cream and sugar.
"Nice to meet you," Carol replied, although she really didn't think so. Something about this woman was setting off all sorts of alarms in Carol's head. The name also sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "Uh. No, thank you. I'm fine. Ed said he'd only be a few minutes."
"Don't be too sure about that ... these things have a way of turning into all-day affairs," Miranda said condescendingly. "So, how long are you in town for?"
"Oh," Carol said, "just a couple of more days. I fly home to Stuckeyville on Wednesday." Carol didn't see the sneer that crossed Miranda's face at the mention of Stuckeyville.
'Good. The sooner Pom-Pom Barbie was back in Hicksville, the better,' Miranda decided. She was about to make a strategic exit when Carol looked towards Ed's office and sighed, "I wish Ed could get away during the holidays and come visit Stuckeyville. There's a lot of people that would be really happy to see him."
'Well, I'm sure there is ONE person who'd like to see him in Stuckeyville,' Miranda thought to herself, then replied "It's hard to find time to get away. Especially when you're as successful as Ed ... I mean, Mr. Stevens is."
"It's just that he seems to work so hard, I don't think he's getting enough time off."
"What makes you think Ed's not getting enough time off?" Miranda asked.
"I'm not really sure," Carol said. "He just always seems on the go, it's hard for me to imagine him having a lot of free time."
"Well," Miranda said, "that's certainly true! I practically had to drag him out of the office with me to Vermont two weeks ago. Of course, once I got him out of the office he was fine - *although*, we never did get much skiing done."
Carol looked up at her. Miranda's face showed a satisfied, far away look as if she were remembering something *very* ... pleasant. She was stunned. She even thought for a second that maybe she hadn't heard her right. Was she implying that she and Ed... That Ed and her ... That they'd ...?
She shuddered.
Miranda smiled as she noted Carol's discomfort. She'd lied of course. There *was* a ski-trip to Vermont and *she* had been there, but Ed was a hundred miles away - working. Finally she said, "Well, it was nice to have met you. Enjoy the rest of your stay here in New York, Ms. Venney."
Carol distractedly corrected her, "It's Vessey."
"Right," Miranda said and smiled sweetly.
As Miranda walked away, Carol's brain reeled. She had a hard time picturing Ed with someone like Miranda. 'Buy why not', she thought. 'After Liz broke his heart, anything was possible. Why wouldn't he date and do other ... STUFF with another woman'.
'Stuff?' What was happening to her? Why was the thought of Ed being with another woman so disturbing? Was it just a simple case of jealousy? Miranda *was* pretty and obviously smart - she'd have to be to work at Farmer & Sheehan. But Ed seemed interested in her now. At least she thought he was. They were spending an awful lot of time together lately. That should mean he's interested, right? She laughed at how silly she was behaving.
'What was keeping him?' she wondered, oblivious to the fact that it had only been five minutes since Ed had disappeared into his office. She tried to go back to working on her novel, but found she couldn't concentrate on the story.
A few more minutes passed. Then Carol looked up to see that *finally* (from her perspective at least, in reality it had been only about eighteen minutes), Ed and Jerry were walking out of Ed's office. Ed nodded in Carol's direction - indicating that he was just about finished and that they'd soon be on their way. He then turned to say something to Jerry and was almost blind-sided by Miranda, sending the big stack of files she'd been carrying to the floor.
Both Ed and Jerry bent down to help in the recovery of the papers and Carol noticed the look on Miranda's face when she looked at Ed. She couldn't hear what was being said, but when they stood back up, she Ed saw indicate for Miranda to hold up while he finished with Jerry. As Jerry walked away, Ed and Miranda walked back into Ed's office, closing the door behind them!
***
Ed walked over to his desk and sat on the corner. He looked Miranda in the eye, "I need a favor."
Miranda's interest was peeked. "Of course, Ed," Miranda said, "whatever you need." She stressed the word 'whatever'.
"I need someone to look into Knight Publishing," Ed explained, then added, "*Discreetly*."
"Anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Background on their contracts with authors, any lawsuits between Knight and authors, that sort of stuff."
"Of course, Ed," Miranda said. "Is this for a new client?"
"No," Ed said, hesitantly. He hated asking Miranda for a favor but she was the best researcher in the firm. "It's for a friend of mine. I'm reviewing a contract for her - on my time," Ed said. "That's why I said this would be a favor to me."
"Oh," Miranda said icily, "Her."
"Yes", Ed said, noting her sudden dissatisfaction, "if there's a problem I'm sure I could get one of the *other* researchers to do it."
"No. No of course not," Miranda covered. "I'd be happy to help. When do you need the information?"
Ed's eyes narrowed, Miranda was a practiced liar, but she was also a good investigator. If anyone could turn up something to help him nail Knight Publishing to the wall - it would be her. "Sometime in the next few days."
"That's not a lot of time," Miranda said, hinting that what Ed was asking for was a really BIG favor. "But ... I'll start on it tonight and have something for you either late tomorrow or early Tuesday. Is that satisfactory?"
"That would be great," Ed said. "I really appreciate it, Miranda."
"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll think of some suitable way for you to re-pay me," she said coyly, and before Ed could respond, she opened the door and stepped out of Ed's office.
Carol's head whipped around when she saw the door to Ed's office open. She saw Miranda walk out and head down a hallway and into another room - probably her own office. Carol was almost positive she had seen Miranda trying to fix her lipstick before she disappeared out of sight.
Ed walked out of his office and over to Carol.
"Okay," he said with a smile, "All done here."
As they walked back towards the elevators, Carol made several surreptitious glances at Ed's face, looking for signs of lipstick. She found none, but was not comforted when she remembered the private bathroom in his office. Ed noticed that Carol was behaving strangely. She was guarded ... distant.
When they reached the elevators, Ed hit the call button. They stood in silence for over a minute, waiting for the elevator. Ed looked at Carol again. Something was wrong. He could feel it. More than that, he couldn't take any more of the uncomfortable invisible wall that seemed to have sprung up between them.
"Carol, is something wrong?"
"Wrong? Why should anything be wrong?" Carol fired back defensively. Then when she'd realized how she'd said it - she turned away from him, ashamed. What was she doing, she asked herself. Ed had done nothing but be supportive, kind and sweet to her and look at how she was treating him. So what if he went on a romantic ski-trip to Vermont with that ... that ... Carol couldn't even think it. His ex-wife had ripped out his heart. He was probably hurt, confused, vulnerable. Didn't his friend Jerry say as much to her at the office?
Now Ed was certain something was wrong. He traced their steps. Everything had been fine, until they'd stopped off at the firm. He'd gone into his office, leaving Carol outside with Jerry for a moment, and ...
"Did Jerry say something to upset you? I swear Carol, he's a really great guy but he gets a little carried away sometimes..." There was a hint of anger in Ed's voice.
Carol had to think fast. Ed was angry, not at her, but at his friends at the firm. And he should be angry with her, she was the one being petty. "No, Ed. Of course not, Jerry's really nice. I like him. He didn't say anything to upset me."
Ed let out a sigh of relief, "Is it your book? It's the book, isn't it?"
"Yes ... That's it exactly," she lied. "You remember earlier when I told you how the novel was just coming along great?"
"Yeah."
"Well ... I sort of hit a wall. I just can't seem to figure out where I want to go with the story next."
"Well, I'm not a professional writer or anything. But if you ask me, it's probably just a mild case of writer's block. It'll pass."
"You're probably right."
"Good. Now there'll be no more talk of novels, or contracts or anything remotely business related. We're just going to go out and have fun, from now on. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
And they did just that. As they walked through the city, Ed noticed that Carol's spirits improved considerably. By the time they'd gotten to Radio City Music Hall, she was back to her old self. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Carol loved the Christmas Spectacular. Ed had seen it before but found he enjoyed seeing it again through Carol's eyes.
Afterwards, they had dinner at a little German restaurant that Ed told her Jerry had recommended to him. Then they walked around some more. Before either of them knew it, it was ten o'clock.
Carol knew that Ed had to work the next day, so she suggested that they call it a night. Ed agreed - reluctantly. They walked back to the Doubletree Hotel, arm in arm, talking and laughing.
At 10:30 PM, they stood outside the door to Carol's room again trying to say goodbye but neither really wanting to. This time it was neither Ed nor Carol who made the first move to kiss the other. As if on some silent cue, they both moved forward and kissed. It was the longest of their three kisses and more intense than any kiss either of them had ever experienced. After several long seconds had passed, they separated.
Neither could speak, at first. Finally Ed said, "Our dinner reservations are for seven o'clock tomorrow night. How about I pick you up at 6:30?"
"That's.... good.," Carol replied, still somewhat lost from the intensity of the kiss they'd just shared.
Ed and Carol smiled at one another.
"Well, then," Ed said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to overdo it on the writing. I don't want you to risk getting writer's block again and then having to kill off my character ..."
"Don't worry", Carol smiled back at him, "I have it on very good authority that he survives. You have a good day tomorrow, too." Then she leaned in and kissed him again.
After they separated, Ed said, "Good night." He turned and walked back to the elevators. Carol said, "Good night" and stepped back inside her hotel room.
New York City - Ed's apartment
December 17, 2000
10:00 AM
Ed threw the faux-leather contract binder down on his dining room table with disgust. He stood up and began pacing back and forth, only stopping long enough to get a bottle of water from his refrigerator. He had spent the last three hours looking over Knight Publishing's "standard contract form" - the contract Carol had asked him to review, and he could come to only one conclusion ...
Victor Knight and Knight Publishing Associates were crooks.
Of course, at first he didn't want to believe it. He wanted to think that the contract was just badly written. That it was just a case of him being over-protective of Carol. But as he kept reading, he began to realize that his initial gut feeling had been correct. The contract wasn't badly written. On the contrary, it had been very *cleverly* written to mislead someone into thinking that it had only been "badly written".
The language in the sections on intellectual property were positively labyrinthine. Even Ed, an experienced attorney, had found it difficult keeping everything straight. But, from what he could tell, Knight Publishing would own - if Carol signed the contract, that is - all legal rights to any characters and/or "worlds" she created. And Knight Publishing could decide to have another writer use those characters at any time.
That, coupled with a one way termination clause which Ed found buried in the small print on page eighty-seven meant that Knight Publishing could literally steal Carol's book right out from under her.
Ed sighed heavily. He was in a difficult situation. Carol had invested so much of herself in coming to New York. He didn't want to be the one to tell her that her publishers were crooks who would most likely steal her creations and leave her with next to nothing. She would be devastated.
And of course, he couldn't NOT tell Carol what he'd found either.
"Damn," Ed said. "Sometimes life is particularly good at sucking," and he went back to pacing.
After about a half hour, he decided he would hold off telling Carol what he'd found. He still had a few days before she was supposed to sign the contract, and Knight Publishing wasn't the only one with resources. Maybe he could find something that could help. Ed got ready and headed out the door to pick up Carol at about 12:30. He was already out of his apartment and waiting on the elevator when the phone in his apartment began ringing.
On the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached the home of Ed Stevens. Leave a message after the tone," Ed's recorded voice said.
"Hey, Ed, its Mike," Mike said. "Are you there? (a pause) Nope. Okay, look buddy, give me a call. Got a question or two for you. Nothing important - just trying to find out if you and Carol Vessey slept together. Ow! Nance! Oh, um, call me, okay Ed?"
***
New York City - Room 426, the DoubleTree Hotel December 17, 2000 12:00 PM
At a small desk in her hotel room, Carol Vessey typed furiously on her laptop. Next to her, were the remnants of the lunch she'd bought at the deli just down the street - a tuna salad on rye bread, a small bag of chips and a coke.
She'd woken early and almost immediately found herself inspired to work on her novel - the romantic thriller about the novelist and the enigmatic dark- haired lawyer. Carol remembered how she'd smiled excitedly as she'd opened her laptop. Never, before coming to New York, had she experienced such an intense burst of creativity. Back in Stuckeyville, she'd hit little pockets of inspiration, but nothing this sustained. Was it that she just needed a change of scenery? The excitement of being in the big city? Or was it something else? Or should she say *someone* else?
She smiled, remembering the kiss she'd given Ed at the end of their day together yesterday. There was something about him, something that made her feel excited and scared at the same time. She'd never felt that way about anyone before. Not with Nick. Not in college. Not even in high school.
She looked back down at her laptop, she was making such excellent progress on her novel that there was a good chance she'd finish it before her flight home.
'Wouldn't that be something' she thought. 'Stepping off the plane, and meeting Molly at the airport. She'll ask what I did in New York and I'll nonchalantly say 'Oh nothing much. Saw the sights. Did a little Christmas shopping. Signed a book deal. Met a great guy. Wrote a novel.'
Carol laughed, imagining Molly's reaction.
'And speaking of the great guy,' Carol thought, 'he'll be here any minute now and I have no idea what he's planned. I'd better get a move on.'
She took a quick shower. Then dressed in jeans, comfortable boots, a red turtle neck, and a dark green cardigan. 'Well,' she thought, admiring herself in the mirror 'don't I look festive.'
She sat back down in front of her computer. Passing the time, by proof- reading the chapter she'd just finished - she liked to call it "the big courtroom scene". Then on a whim, she opened another file. She was just about to re-read the chapter with the "steamy love scene" - just to proof- read it, she told herself - when there was a knock at her door. It was Ed, right on time - as always.
"Good morning ... " Carol said as she opened the door.
"Hey, Carol," Ed replied, smiling back. Then he from behind his back, he produced a bouquet of roses - complete with vase - and presented them to Carol, "These are for you."
"Oh, Ed" Carol said, taking the flowers, "They're lovely. Thank you!" Ed followed Carol as she carried the flowers into the room and set them on the coffee table, right next to the plant he had given her the day before.
"So, Mr. Tour Guide, what's on the agenda for today?"
"Well," Ed said, "I thought maybe just some more general sightseeing - we could head downtown this time - the Empire State Building for instance."
"Ooh," Carol said. "Then could we go to the World Trade Center? I hear its quite a view."
"Oh," Ed replied casually, "I figured that since we'd be going there tomorrow night for dinner, we could do that then." He paused, and added hesitantly, "That is... If you're free for dinner tomorrow night at 'Windows on the World'?"
Carol was caught off guard. She really had been only joking when she'd suggested having dinner there, and now she felt like she had pressured him into taking her. "Ed, that would be wonderful .... but, I don't want you spending all your money on me."
Ed held up his hand to silence her, "Carol, I thought we'd gone over this? I want to take you to Windows on the World for dinner. Sure you may have SAID it first, but I promise you that I thought of it first."
"Really?" Carol asked, still unsure that she hadn't pressured him into suggesting it.
"Really," Ed stated confidently.
Carol saw the look on Ed's face - it was the same one he'd had when, over Carol's most strident objections, he'd bought her the Vera Wang Barbie at FAO Schwartz. She knew that there was no use in arguing about with him. His mind was made up. She smiled, but still felt guilty that Ed wasn't letting her share in the expenses.
"As for the rest of today," Ed said, "dinner is open for discussion but we have to be at Radio City Music Hall by five o'clock."
"Why? What's at five o'clock?" Carol asked.
Ed smiled and reached into his jacket pocket. He produced what looked like theater tickets and waved them in the air, "Why Ms. Vessey, none other than the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular! You can't be in New York at Christmas time and not go. It would be... Well, it would be un-American!"
"I'm missing the connection between high-kicking beautiful women and patriotism," Carol said, slightly confused.
"That's because you've never been a red-blooded teenaged American boy," Ed stated matter-of-factly. Then winked suggestively and nudged Carol in the arm.
"ED!" she started to laugh. Then grabbed her coat and pushed him out the door of her hotel room.
***
Once outside, they took a cab to the Empire State Building. As Carol got out of the cab and looked up, she tried to say something but was in awe at the sheer size of the building.
"That..." she finally managed to get out
"Hmm?" Ed said.
"That is ..." She said fumbling again.
"Oh." He looked over at Carol, "Yeah. That is one TALL building. Isn't it?" Ed offered.
"Yes. Thank you." Carol said meekly, embarrassed at how she must seem to Ed just now.
"Don't mention it." They started walking towards the entrance. Ed looked down at Carol, and as if sensing her embarrassment, leaned in close and whispered "I had almost the exact same reaction when I first saw the Empire State Building too."
"Almost?"
"I ... I may or may not have asked someone if they'd seen any giant gorillas lately," Ed admitted.
"I can't believe you did that?" Carol said, the embarrassment of a moment ago disappearing completely in the face of Ed's offbeat humor.
"Well if YOU think I'm going to the top of the Empire State Building with a beautiful blonde WITHOUT first checking if there's been any recent sightings of giant gorillas, you have another thing coming, my dear Ms. Vessey."
"You ... You think I'm beautiful?" Carol asked, caught completely off her guard by the way Ed had managed to sneak the compliment into the conversation.
"I don't THINK anything of the sort ..." Ed replied, not needing to finish the rest of the sentence. He took Carol's arm and conducted her into the building's lobby where they joined a tour group on their way to the 86th floor observatory.
As they were riding up in the elevator, Ed felt Carol latch on to his right arm tightly. When the elevator reached the observation deck and the doors opened, Carol froze.
"Ed..." Carol said, her voice tinged with fear.
"Carol is something wrong?" Ed asked.
"I think I there's something I should tell you."
"You're afraid of heights."
"I'm afraid of hei---...", Carol started to admit, "Wait, how did you know I was going to say that?"
"Let's just say I got my first clue 30 floors ago, when you started cutting off the circulation in my right arm." He smiled at her and shrugged his right shoulder, indicating how tightly she'd been holding onto him.
"I'm sorry. I just ... I got scared." she admitted.
"It's alright. You know I won't let anything happen to you up here, right?"
Carol nodded.
"Good. Now c'mon. Let's go see New York." And he began to lead her out onto the observation deck. Only to be jerked to a stop by Carol, who remained frozen in the elevator. 'Okay ....' he thought with amusement, 'this is going to be a little bit more difficult than I thought.' However, the amused look on his face vanished when he turned around and saw her face. She wasn't just scared, she was *terrified*.
Slowly, Ed pulled his arm free and then turned to face Carol fully, blocking her view outside. As he did, he noticed that the elevator attendant was now politely ignoring them. 'Of course," Ed imagined, 'he's obviously seen this a million times by now.'
"Carol?" Ed said, but got no response. "CAROL," he repeated in a stronger voice, gently taking her shoulders in his hands.
Her eyes jerked up to look into his.
"Carol," Ed said softly, "its okay. We can go downstairs if you want. It's okay."
Carol continued to look into Ed's eyes - she saw concern there, warmth, humor...and something else. She couldn't place it. 'Love?' she thought.
Looking into Ed's eyes, she found a strength she didn't know she had. She took a deep breath and said, "No, I want to do this. I want see the view. I'm okay, just stay with me."
"I'm right here," Ed said. "I'm not going anywhere."
With another deep breath and another look into his eyes, she took his arm again and moved forward. As they exited the elevator, Ed nodded at the attendant, who nodded back and gave them a smile.
They stepped out onto the observation platform. The cold wind hit them - being so high up it was a few degrees cooler than on the street. Carol looked around, holding onto Ed's arm tightly. When she felt panic rising, she pictured Ed's face as she had seen it only moments ago - and the panic eased.
She continued to look around and remembered to loosen her hold a little on Ed's arm. When he felt her loosen her grip he looked down at her and smiled - with maybe a hint of relief. Carol found herself starting to enjoy it. They moved closer to the edge of the observation deck so they could get a better view.
Ed felt Carol's gasp and looked down at her concerned. He was surprised to note that her expression showed awe, not fear, and he smiled. She looked up at him and said, "It's so beautiful!" She didn't notice that she wasn't scared anymore.
"Yes," Ed said, almost reverently.
Carol turned to look at Ed again. His eyes were riveted on her. She blushed deeply, realizing that Ed hadn't been looking at the cityscape when he'd agreed with her.
They spent a few more minutes looking around, moving to look from different sides and angles. Finally, they headed for the elevator banks and a ride down to the ground level. They had just finished the tour and were walking back outside, when Ed's cell phone rang. He took it out and looked at it - then sighed.
"It's my office," Ed said in exasperation. "This will take just a second."
Ed answered the phone, "Hello? Jerry? What do you need? What? No! Because I'm busy, that's why. We're at the Empire State Building. What? (Slight pause) None of your business! What do you need? What? No. Oh that's ridiculous! It can't wait until Monday? You're kidding? Did Farmer personally tell you to have me look over the documents? He did? And he needs them first thing tomorrow morning? Damn."
Ed sighed and continued, "Okay, how many pages? Thirty? Okay, that's do- able. Yes. I'll stop in. (Pause) I said YES, didn't I? I'll be there in twenty minutes. Yes, I know you're sorry. Bye."
Ed hung up and looked at the phone as he sighed.
Carol said, "Ed, its okay. I understand if you need to cancel." Disappointment was clearly evident in her tone, despite her best efforts to hide it.
"What?" Ed said. "No. No need to cancel. We're just going to have to swing by my office so I can look over a contract that one of the partners wants me to review. It won't take long, really."
Carol just looked at Ed as if asking 'Are you sure?'
"Really," Ed re-affirmed.
"I don't want to interfere with your work - we can cancel if you want."
"But I don't 'want'," Ed replied. "I don't want to cancel the rest of our day." He took Carol's hands in his. "And we've been over this before. You are not interfering - not now. Not EVER. This will just take a second, I need to read something Jerry wrote, check it to make sure all his t's are crossed and i's dotted. Twenty minutes. I promise."
Ed and Carol took a cab to the Manhattan offices of Farmer & Sheehan. They rode the elevator up to the 33rd floor, both reminiscing about their first trip in the elevator together. When they reached the 33rd floor, Ed pulled out his keys to let them into the office, but noticed that the doors were already unlocked. As they walked in, Carol was surprised at the number of people (nearly twenty) working there on a Sunday.
Ed's friend, Jerry was waiting for them just inside the lobby. Ed made a few introductions.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Carol. We've heard SO MUCH about you," Jerry said, casting an amused glance back at Ed.
Carol was a little flustered, "Its nice to meet you as well."
"Jerry? The contracts ...?" Ed interjected.
"Oh. Right. The contracts. They're already in your office."
Ed turned to Carol. "Carol, you can sit in one of the conference rooms if you'd like. I won't be long (he glanced at Jerry) - promise." He started walking toward his office.
"Okay, Ed," Carol said. "Take as long as you need to."
Jerry waited until Ed had closed the door to his office, then he turned to Carol. He looked at her for a minute or two, as if he was unsure of what he wanted to say. Then he finally said. "Uh, sorry about that 'SO MUCH' bit back there. It's just that Ed's a really great boss and everybody here really likes him and ... Well, what I mean to say is that after the break- up with Liz ... it just hit him hard and since you've been around him it's been ... He's been ... different. Better. I just wanted to say, thanks."
Carol didn't know what to say to THAT.
Sensing her discomfort, Jerry added. "Well I'd better get back there with Ed, sometimes he has trouble reading my handwriting." He smiled again at Carol, then hurried towards Ed's office.
Carol walked over to one of the open conference rooms across the hall from Ed's office and sat down in the nearest convenient chair. To pass the time, she started thinking about the next chapter of her novel. She took out the small notebook she kept in her purse and was jotting down a few thoughts, when she looked up to see an attractive brunette in a dark business suit (possibly Tahari), walking towards her.
"You must that Ms. Venney, we've all heard so much about," Miranda said, trying her best to hide her contempt for the 'country bumpkin' sitting in Farmer & Sheehan's conference room.
"Um," Carol said. "Its Vessey actually."
"Sorry. I'm Miranda Van Note, I'm one of the lawyers in Ed's ... I mean Mr. Steven's section." She held out her hand in greeting, "I just wanted to come over and see if there was anything I can do for you til Ed finishes his meeting with Jerry. Some coffee?" She asked, wondering if 'Little Miss Stuckeyville, Queen of the 4H Fair' took cream and sugar.
"Nice to meet you," Carol replied, although she really didn't think so. Something about this woman was setting off all sorts of alarms in Carol's head. The name also sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "Uh. No, thank you. I'm fine. Ed said he'd only be a few minutes."
"Don't be too sure about that ... these things have a way of turning into all-day affairs," Miranda said condescendingly. "So, how long are you in town for?"
"Oh," Carol said, "just a couple of more days. I fly home to Stuckeyville on Wednesday." Carol didn't see the sneer that crossed Miranda's face at the mention of Stuckeyville.
'Good. The sooner Pom-Pom Barbie was back in Hicksville, the better,' Miranda decided. She was about to make a strategic exit when Carol looked towards Ed's office and sighed, "I wish Ed could get away during the holidays and come visit Stuckeyville. There's a lot of people that would be really happy to see him."
'Well, I'm sure there is ONE person who'd like to see him in Stuckeyville,' Miranda thought to herself, then replied "It's hard to find time to get away. Especially when you're as successful as Ed ... I mean, Mr. Stevens is."
"It's just that he seems to work so hard, I don't think he's getting enough time off."
"What makes you think Ed's not getting enough time off?" Miranda asked.
"I'm not really sure," Carol said. "He just always seems on the go, it's hard for me to imagine him having a lot of free time."
"Well," Miranda said, "that's certainly true! I practically had to drag him out of the office with me to Vermont two weeks ago. Of course, once I got him out of the office he was fine - *although*, we never did get much skiing done."
Carol looked up at her. Miranda's face showed a satisfied, far away look as if she were remembering something *very* ... pleasant. She was stunned. She even thought for a second that maybe she hadn't heard her right. Was she implying that she and Ed... That Ed and her ... That they'd ...?
She shuddered.
Miranda smiled as she noted Carol's discomfort. She'd lied of course. There *was* a ski-trip to Vermont and *she* had been there, but Ed was a hundred miles away - working. Finally she said, "Well, it was nice to have met you. Enjoy the rest of your stay here in New York, Ms. Venney."
Carol distractedly corrected her, "It's Vessey."
"Right," Miranda said and smiled sweetly.
As Miranda walked away, Carol's brain reeled. She had a hard time picturing Ed with someone like Miranda. 'Buy why not', she thought. 'After Liz broke his heart, anything was possible. Why wouldn't he date and do other ... STUFF with another woman'.
'Stuff?' What was happening to her? Why was the thought of Ed being with another woman so disturbing? Was it just a simple case of jealousy? Miranda *was* pretty and obviously smart - she'd have to be to work at Farmer & Sheehan. But Ed seemed interested in her now. At least she thought he was. They were spending an awful lot of time together lately. That should mean he's interested, right? She laughed at how silly she was behaving.
'What was keeping him?' she wondered, oblivious to the fact that it had only been five minutes since Ed had disappeared into his office. She tried to go back to working on her novel, but found she couldn't concentrate on the story.
A few more minutes passed. Then Carol looked up to see that *finally* (from her perspective at least, in reality it had been only about eighteen minutes), Ed and Jerry were walking out of Ed's office. Ed nodded in Carol's direction - indicating that he was just about finished and that they'd soon be on their way. He then turned to say something to Jerry and was almost blind-sided by Miranda, sending the big stack of files she'd been carrying to the floor.
Both Ed and Jerry bent down to help in the recovery of the papers and Carol noticed the look on Miranda's face when she looked at Ed. She couldn't hear what was being said, but when they stood back up, she Ed saw indicate for Miranda to hold up while he finished with Jerry. As Jerry walked away, Ed and Miranda walked back into Ed's office, closing the door behind them!
***
Ed walked over to his desk and sat on the corner. He looked Miranda in the eye, "I need a favor."
Miranda's interest was peeked. "Of course, Ed," Miranda said, "whatever you need." She stressed the word 'whatever'.
"I need someone to look into Knight Publishing," Ed explained, then added, "*Discreetly*."
"Anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Background on their contracts with authors, any lawsuits between Knight and authors, that sort of stuff."
"Of course, Ed," Miranda said. "Is this for a new client?"
"No," Ed said, hesitantly. He hated asking Miranda for a favor but she was the best researcher in the firm. "It's for a friend of mine. I'm reviewing a contract for her - on my time," Ed said. "That's why I said this would be a favor to me."
"Oh," Miranda said icily, "Her."
"Yes", Ed said, noting her sudden dissatisfaction, "if there's a problem I'm sure I could get one of the *other* researchers to do it."
"No. No of course not," Miranda covered. "I'd be happy to help. When do you need the information?"
Ed's eyes narrowed, Miranda was a practiced liar, but she was also a good investigator. If anyone could turn up something to help him nail Knight Publishing to the wall - it would be her. "Sometime in the next few days."
"That's not a lot of time," Miranda said, hinting that what Ed was asking for was a really BIG favor. "But ... I'll start on it tonight and have something for you either late tomorrow or early Tuesday. Is that satisfactory?"
"That would be great," Ed said. "I really appreciate it, Miranda."
"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll think of some suitable way for you to re-pay me," she said coyly, and before Ed could respond, she opened the door and stepped out of Ed's office.
Carol's head whipped around when she saw the door to Ed's office open. She saw Miranda walk out and head down a hallway and into another room - probably her own office. Carol was almost positive she had seen Miranda trying to fix her lipstick before she disappeared out of sight.
Ed walked out of his office and over to Carol.
"Okay," he said with a smile, "All done here."
As they walked back towards the elevators, Carol made several surreptitious glances at Ed's face, looking for signs of lipstick. She found none, but was not comforted when she remembered the private bathroom in his office. Ed noticed that Carol was behaving strangely. She was guarded ... distant.
When they reached the elevators, Ed hit the call button. They stood in silence for over a minute, waiting for the elevator. Ed looked at Carol again. Something was wrong. He could feel it. More than that, he couldn't take any more of the uncomfortable invisible wall that seemed to have sprung up between them.
"Carol, is something wrong?"
"Wrong? Why should anything be wrong?" Carol fired back defensively. Then when she'd realized how she'd said it - she turned away from him, ashamed. What was she doing, she asked herself. Ed had done nothing but be supportive, kind and sweet to her and look at how she was treating him. So what if he went on a romantic ski-trip to Vermont with that ... that ... Carol couldn't even think it. His ex-wife had ripped out his heart. He was probably hurt, confused, vulnerable. Didn't his friend Jerry say as much to her at the office?
Now Ed was certain something was wrong. He traced their steps. Everything had been fine, until they'd stopped off at the firm. He'd gone into his office, leaving Carol outside with Jerry for a moment, and ...
"Did Jerry say something to upset you? I swear Carol, he's a really great guy but he gets a little carried away sometimes..." There was a hint of anger in Ed's voice.
Carol had to think fast. Ed was angry, not at her, but at his friends at the firm. And he should be angry with her, she was the one being petty. "No, Ed. Of course not, Jerry's really nice. I like him. He didn't say anything to upset me."
Ed let out a sigh of relief, "Is it your book? It's the book, isn't it?"
"Yes ... That's it exactly," she lied. "You remember earlier when I told you how the novel was just coming along great?"
"Yeah."
"Well ... I sort of hit a wall. I just can't seem to figure out where I want to go with the story next."
"Well, I'm not a professional writer or anything. But if you ask me, it's probably just a mild case of writer's block. It'll pass."
"You're probably right."
"Good. Now there'll be no more talk of novels, or contracts or anything remotely business related. We're just going to go out and have fun, from now on. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
And they did just that. As they walked through the city, Ed noticed that Carol's spirits improved considerably. By the time they'd gotten to Radio City Music Hall, she was back to her old self. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Carol loved the Christmas Spectacular. Ed had seen it before but found he enjoyed seeing it again through Carol's eyes.
Afterwards, they had dinner at a little German restaurant that Ed told her Jerry had recommended to him. Then they walked around some more. Before either of them knew it, it was ten o'clock.
Carol knew that Ed had to work the next day, so she suggested that they call it a night. Ed agreed - reluctantly. They walked back to the Doubletree Hotel, arm in arm, talking and laughing.
At 10:30 PM, they stood outside the door to Carol's room again trying to say goodbye but neither really wanting to. This time it was neither Ed nor Carol who made the first move to kiss the other. As if on some silent cue, they both moved forward and kissed. It was the longest of their three kisses and more intense than any kiss either of them had ever experienced. After several long seconds had passed, they separated.
Neither could speak, at first. Finally Ed said, "Our dinner reservations are for seven o'clock tomorrow night. How about I pick you up at 6:30?"
"That's.... good.," Carol replied, still somewhat lost from the intensity of the kiss they'd just shared.
Ed and Carol smiled at one another.
"Well, then," Ed said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to overdo it on the writing. I don't want you to risk getting writer's block again and then having to kill off my character ..."
"Don't worry", Carol smiled back at him, "I have it on very good authority that he survives. You have a good day tomorrow, too." Then she leaned in and kissed him again.
After they separated, Ed said, "Good night." He turned and walked back to the elevators. Carol said, "Good night" and stepped back inside her hotel room.