Chapter 13
Mr. Rabinowitz spoke up with a smile.
"Perhaps it is best to sit for a moment." he said ushering them back to the sofa. Chet and the girls flopped down on the sofa. All three wearing a stunned expression. Chet looked to the two men.
"This isn't a joke then." The two men shook their heads. Lebowitz spoke up.
"You and Miss. Shaw recovered $38,500,000.00 worth of jewels. Tiffany and my underwriter both issued a 5% reward for the full recovery of the lost items. So your total reward is in fact $3,850,000.00." Callie with her hands shaking tremendously looked down again at the checks.
"These are ours to go and cash?" she asked, still in disbelief. Lebowitz smiled.
"Well, they are after you sign these forms anyway." he said offering her and Chet a pen and some forms to sign. With nervous hands she and Chet signed the insurance forms and looked at each other in total disbelief. They looked to Iola who was still wide eyed and in a daze. They handed the forms back to the insurance man. He smiled.
"Well, that does it for me. Again, my eternal gratitude for all your efforts in this matter. I wish you all well. I'm afraid I must now go to keep other appointments." he shook hands all around and walked out of the office. Peter Rabinowitz was smiling to them.
"You are quite shocked, aren't you?" They all nodded. Callie was in tears.
"This is like winning a lottery or something. I am just in shock." Peter nodded.
"You will recover my dear I am quite sure. Now then, I will write down the hotel and address on this paper and you can go and get some rest, if you can. They will be expecting you. You are my guests so all formalities such as charges and so forth have been taken care of." Chet smiled still amazed
"That is quite good of you. You have done so much." Peter grinned.
"Well, it is Tiffany's nature to reward the good in the world. You have saved us greatly and this is the least we can do." A moment later a knock came on the door and Mr. George entered. He carried a large briefcase. He walked over to the group.
"Mr. Morton, I noticed you had a small shortwave set and I took the liberty of getting you this alligator bag to store it in, and in the future your paperwork and other things. He popped it open and took Chat's radio and placed it inside quickly.
"Here you are." he smiled. Chet took the bag and looked at it.
"Wow. That is nice. Thank you, Mr. George." Mr. George nodded. "Not at all." The group rose and exchanged handshakes all around. Peter and Edwin waved the group a cheery goodbye as they left the office barely able to walk straight. Peter looked at George.
"I trust you placed the gifts in the bag?" Edwin nodded.
"I ran into Mr. Lebowitz. He explained the shock of what happened. So I thought it best to sneak in that last surprise for later. I'm not sure the lady could have absorbed receiving a free half million dollar ring." Peter smiled.
"Probably not. I like happy endings."
In the elevator the three were still in shock looking at each other.
"Can you believe this?" Chet asked holding the two checks. He and the girls were in a daze. The elevator bell rang on the main floor and let them out. They walked slowly to the door and exited.
"We need a cab." Iola said. "I don't think we can walk anywhere in our condition." Chet nodded.
"Quite right. There's a cab down the block." They ran for it. Luckily it was on duty and they hopped in. Chet looked at the piece of paper he got from the Tiffany CEO.
"Driver, I need to go to the Ritz Carlton." the cabbie nodded and drove. The group sat back breathing heavy. Chet looked over to Callie.
"So, how does it feel going from $500 in the bank to being a millionaire?" She just shook her head in disbelief.
"I am still trying to figure out what we did to deserve that." Iola smiled.
"You just were at the right place at the right time. It happens. Not very often but now that you have it you can't deny it. Think of all the good you two can do. For yourselves and others." Chet and Callie nodded.
"This is very true." Callie said happily. Five minutes later the cab came up before a grand looking hotel.
"Ritz Carlton, sir. $16.55 please." Chet took out a $50 bill and offered it.
"Keep the change sir. Have a nice day." The cabbie smiled.
"This will help. Thanks!" The three walked slowly into the large hotel. It had a stately, almost majestic presence. They made their way wide eyed to the main desk. A clerk was immediately in front of them.
"Yes, may I assist you please?" she asked pleasantly. Chet spoke up.
"Yes, we have reservations made by Peter Rabinowitz of Tiffany & Co..." without another word, the woman smiled broadly.
"Of course. Chet Morton, Callie Shaw and Iola Morton. We've been expecting you. Welcome to the Ritz." She snapped a finger.
"Front!" she said firmly. A bellboy rushed to the desk.
"Yes, Ma'am." the bellboy said. She smiled pleasantly.
"Penthouse please. Waste no time." she looked back to the group. "I am Miss. Wiss. If I can be of any service, please call down without hesitation. Also, our concierge is on duty 24 hours and will look out for your every desire. It is very nice to have such important people staying here with us. I hope your stay will be most enjoyable." She said. Chet and the girls smiled.
"I am sure we will be very comfortable. Thank you for your sterling service, Miss. Wiss." he said and followed the bellboy to the elevator. He inserted a key into the elevator panel by the box marked PF. He turned to the group, and handed them another key.
"You will require this key to access the penthouse floor. This is so that you are not disturbed." Chet nodded.
"Great." he said. A few minutes later they were getting off on the top floor. The bellboy showed them into the penthouse. An expansive open floor suite taking up over 4,000 square feet. After showing the group an extensive list of in room amenities. He smiled and excused himself.
Chet, Iola and Callie stood there looking at each other in the middle of what they found to be the finest room they had ever been in.
"This is just too much to believe!" Iola said looking about the open floor. You could live here forever!"
"Oh Chet, Iola, look at the view!" Callie yelled from the open deck. It afforded a full and beautiful view of the city.
"Beautiful." Iola said. She dropped back into a large sofa. Callie also sat down. Chet began to head for the kitchen
"Like a drink, ladies?" he asked.
"Yes!" they said together. Chet sauntered into the kitchen and opened the ice box. He smiled upon finding several bottles of champagne. He removed a bottle and found glasses nicely placed by the ice box. He grabbed three and returned to the sofa. The girls looked up and smiled.
"Champagne!" Iola cried. "Cool." Chet nodded reading the label.
"Bollinger 67, I'd say so! This stuff costs about a grand a bottle." he popped the bottle open and poured three glasses full. He looked to his sister and Callie and raised a glass.
"We are indeed fortunate. May we thank God. But also, let us hope our friends are safe and that this case gets wrapped up." They drank.
"Excellent" Callie said sitting back. Iola looked over to her brother and noticed his back pocket. She shook her head unbelievably.
"Chet, don't tell me that you have those two checks for nearly $4 million dollars carelessly stuffed into your back pocket!?" Chet looked over his shoulder and felt his pocket. He grinned sheepishly.
"I guess I do. Sorry." Callie sat up.
"Say Chet, maybe put those in your new briefcase. They will be safer there until we get to a bank." Chet nodded.
"Right you are Cal. I will do it right now." He sat at the sofa and took out the case. He looked admiringly at it.
"Sure is a nice case. Bet it cost about $500 at least. Sure was nice of them." Callie and Iola nodded with a smile. Chet opened the case and was about to deposit the checks in it. He pulled out his radio then noticed two boxes with the now familiar light blue Tiffany & Co logo on them. They had cards attached. Chat picked one of the boxes up and read the card. He smiled to his sister.
"They didn't forget you sis. Says: To Iola Morton, very best wishes, Peter Rabinowitz." He handed his sister the box. She took it nervously.
"What do you think it is?" she said. Chet shrugged.
"No idea. Maybe a watch or a stationary set. He knew you were the agency's secretary. Tiffany does sell some nice desk sets. Iola undid the white silk ribbon and popped open the box. She gasped.
"Oh, my word!" she held open a large black felt box to show a very lovely necklace made of platinum and diamonds in a leafage motif. As well as a matching bracelet. Callie screamed.
"They are great, Iola. Oh my. When you aren't wearing them, if that ever occurs, I'd love to wear them. They are beautiful." Iola picked up the necklace. She turned.
"Chet, could you help me?" she asked with shaky hands. She handed him the necklace and turned for him to fasten it around her neck. He took it and was about to place it around her neck when he realized there was a small sticker subtly placed under the main strip of platinum.
"Just a second Iola, I need to remove this little tag off it." he said making careful effort to remove the small tag affixed to it. "Oh my." he said. Iola turned around.
"What? She asked. Chet held up the little piece of paper.
"Guess Mr. George was in a rush, he left this tiny tag on it. Care to see how much?" Iola grabbed the tag as any woman would do. She squinted and read. Her eyes rolled back.
"Oh my. $32,900.00!" she fell back a bit. Chet took up the bracelet and looked at it. Sure enough a tiny label was affixed to it also. He peeled it off and scanned it. He smiled.
"This one shouldn't make you feel too bad sis. It was only $18,000.00." Iola held out her hand.
"Put it on me, Chet." Chet affixed the bracelet. Then she turned while he put on the necklace. She turned and smiled to them. Callie had a big smile.
"It's beautiful, Iola. Joe will flip out! Looks like the perfect jewelry to wear with a wedding gown!" She said enviously. Iola looked back at the case.
"Weren't there two boxes in there, Chet?" she asked. Chet looked back in the case. Sure enough another box was there. He picked it up and read it. He got a confused look on his face. He looked up.
"Says: To my Angel, Callie. From your dearest, Chet." Callie looked over to the box. Chet handed her the box with still a slightly confused look.
"You look confused hun." she said, "do you know what he meant by this?" Chet shook his head slightly numb. He pushed the box towards her.
"Open it. Maybe we will find out." he said softly. She took it nervously and undid the white ribbon. Iola looked over at the pair with great interest. Callie opened the blue box to find a smaller black felt box. She took a deep breath. Then opened it. A second later tears flooded her face. Chet and Iola looked into the box to see the very same ring that Callie had tried on in Tiffany's earlier that day!
"Oh my!" Chet stammered. He looked at Callie who was weeping with joy. She took the ring and held it between her finger and thumb. She looked at it. Almost mesmerized. Covering her mouth with her other hand as she wept. Chet looked into her eyes and offered her a soft smile. He took the ring. Looked at it for a moment and breathed deeply. He got off the couch and found himself on one bended knee in front of Callie.
"Callie..." Chet began. Iola gasped. Callie still weeping joyfully with a very big smile on her face. "I have no doubt in my mind, after knowing you for so many years and finding you in good and bad times, that I am totally in love with you..." She wept louder and started shaking. "I have loved you for so long I can't think of when those feelings weren't somewhere in my mind. If you don't think it's too soon, would you consider marrying me?" he finished with a kiss to her hand as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Callie looked down at it, and at the man who just asked for her hand in marriage. She smiled deeply and nodded freely.
"Yes... yes of course I will marry you!" she collapsed into his arms and they embraced.
They sat in each other's arms for some time. Iola smiled at them from the couch while she drank champagne. This huge change of events was definitely requiring a drink. She stood up and walked over to the window and looked out over the big city. It was a city of miracles. She stood there gazing out upon the afternoon sun for what seemed like several minutes. She was soon joined by Chet and Callie. They both seemed quite happy. Callie was wiping the tears from her eyes. Chet had his arm around her. Iola smiled at the pair.
"Well hello there. I see that love does conquer all." Chet smiled.
"With a little help from an experienced salesman from Tiffany's." Callie nodded.
"We must remember him always. I think he arranged the ring being mysteriously left in the briefcase. To see that they made a gesture to the tune of half a million dollars in jewelry over the cash reward is simply astounding." She sighed looking down at the beautiful ring as it shone in the bright sunlight. Iola took another drink.
"Well, not to seem impetuous to the newly engaged couple. But don't we have a little shopping and make over business to attend to?" Callie nodded.
"Oh yes." she looked at Chet. "Can you live without me for a few hours? Iola and I would like to paint the town over. Or get painted over."
Chet smiled.
"Not at all, Angel. In fact, I will feel better if I go and do some banking. I'd like to go open an account. If I could get you to come with me as your name is also on the checks, I will gladly cut you loose into the city for your shopping experience." Callie nodded,
"There is a Bank of New York across the street." she said. He nodded.
"Great! Shall we go?" he gestured towards the door. Chet and the two happy ladies walked to the elevator. He pushed the button and within 30 seconds the elevator door opened. They stepped in and were whisked down to the main floor. They exited the hotel and were soon seated comfortably in the Bank of New York office. It took very little time for Chet and Callie to open a bank account. Depositing nearly four million dollars had that effect. They soon left the bank with ready to use banking cards and a letter of credit. Chet grinned to the ladies as he handed Callie her card.
"All right ladies. The moment of truth. You are armed with nearly unlimited funds and a desire. Those are great things. I am going to tend to some business while here. First I will take the bank managers personal advice and see that investment broker he recommended. It couldn't hurt putting a little cash into the market and take a spin. Then I have some other business to attend to." he said without elaborating. Callie and Iola were about ready to burst. Callie wrapped her arms around Chet and kissed him.
"We won't take all day, I promise." she kissed him again. "I love you." she said clearly with an intent look into his eyes. Chet smiled and felt a nervously happy feeling from within.
"I love you too, Angel." he said softly. At this point Iola brushed up against her brother.
"I love you too." she said attacking him with an exaggerated number of kisses. The two girls waved and walked on down the street. Soon, they had blended in with the hundreds of others milling about on that busy New York afternoon.
Chet stood there with a silly grin on his face. Silly perhaps because a short week or so ago he was in a reasonably unhappy relationship with a superficial woman. He was quickly going into debt, though admittedly it was by his own hand. Though he sensed it was an attempt to fill a void. A void perhaps that was there for a long time. A feeling of unhappiness. Callie, in one single swoop had made him happier than he had ever felt before. He walked along, pretty much without a care in the world.
Chet took a cab to the financial district, upon the recommendation of the president of the Bank of New York, who as it had been was a personal friend of Peter Rabinowitz. He sent Chet to the same brokerage office strongly recommending he follow the advice given. After two hours with a broker by the name of Devitch, also the personal broker of Peter Rabinowitz, Chat had made a fair sized investment. He seemed nervous about it. But, not knowing much about the stock market lent him the courage to put his faith in those that did. Given that it was obvious that people like Peter Rabinowitz were likely making good money off the market Chet felt reasonably comfortable that he would at least not be likely to lose money. Chet had also inquired of a reliable real estate broker whom he might see on short notice. He was directed to another member of the Rabinowitz business circle. Chet walked into offices of Hedron Real Estate Services. A middle-aged woman with wire rimmed glasses looked up from her desk to him.
"Yes, may I help you?" she asked. Chet smiled pleasantly.
"Yes, I was directed here to see a Mr. Zimmerman on the advice of Peter Rabinowitz..." The woman looked back up immediately.
"Of course, sir. Please. Just one moment. And your name?"
"Mr. Morton." he said. The woman picked up the phone and after a few guarded words looked back up.
"Mr. Zimmerman will see you immediately." she said gesturing him to follow her. She led Chet through a maze of halls and came to a large oak door and rapped sharply upon it.
"Yes?" came a voice. The woman gestured for Chet to enter. They walked in and found a man in his 30s with sharp features, dark hair and metal rimmed glasses. He looked up. He smiled accordingly.
"Mr. Morton?" Chet nodded. He smiled again.
"Great. Please sit down. That will be all, Sharla." he said to the woman who had escorted him in. She nodded and walked out the door. Mr. Zimmerman shook Chet's hand and took a seat.
"I have heard a little about you, Mr. Morton. You were the detective who recovered the Tiffany jewels. That is quite impressive." he said in awe. Chet grinned.
"Well it was a bit on an adventure but nothing out of the realm of what happens in our business." Zimmerman grinned,
"None the less, it is quite the accomplishment. At any rate, please, how may I assist you?" Chet looked up.
"Well, there is a house I am interested in back home and I'd like to have a broker see if they can secure a better price and then expedite the deal." Zimmerman smiled.
"Of course, of course. Please give me the details. What real estate agent is listing it?"
"Bayport east properties." He went on to add detail to the property Iola had shown Callie and him earlier that day.
"They were asking $399,000 I believe, but I really don't know how long it was listed and so forth..." Zimmerman nodded.
"Should be a simple matter really." he said, "it's when a house isn't for sale that one of my client's must have becomes the difficult part. But generally, all matters can be overcome with the right amount of influence." he said ending the statement by rubbing his thumb against his fingers in a gesture that suggested paying lots of money. He picked up the phone.
"Deborah, get me Bayport East real estate on the phone, yes, in the same city. Thank you." He hung up and looked back over.
"This shouldn't take much time. Do you know anything about the sellers? Well to do? Needing to sell for financial reasons?" Chet shook his head.
"The only thing I know is it was an 1858 home and thus far kept in the same family." Zimmerman perked a little.
"Sometimes that can be a good thing. Often when you have family members that have inherited a home and they don't wish to keep the family tradition; a little cash generally speaks volumes. They have no true desire to keep the house. If it was sentimental to them they wouldn't dream of selling great gramma's house. So, it is likely a family who prizes money greater, or several family members fighting over assets and the home needs to be liquidated to satisfy interests." Chet nodded. It made sense. A moment later the phone rang. He answered it.
"Yes, this is Robert Zimmerman with Hedron real estate in New York City. I am inquiring of one of your properties located on the outer bay road there in Bayport. It is a historical home. Yes, that would be the one. Can I have the MLS number on that please?... yes, 7474505B. Got it. Let me tap it into the system and pull that file up through the central listing computer." he went about changing computer screens and entered the number given. The real estate listing in question popped up on his office computer. He slightly tilted the screen to let Chet see. He picked the phone back up. "Yes, Cindy, I have it up now. It has been for sale for only two weeks? I see. I am noticing here your disclosure of damages cites potential roof concerns. Any other details? Totally original condition cosmetically kept perfect. But you know Cindy, that with a home that old without updates we are talking quite likely to be a need for new plumbing and the home is likely also full of asbestos. Well, I am just pointing out the obvious attention it will need. Yes, well I am glad you concede that. I have a serious client with cash, but we need to find a more realistic price. Good, I am glad the sellers need to sell. But a house that size with a new roof, all new plumbing and the costly job of removing asbestos. Those factors right there suggest to me over $100,000 in repairs. Yes, I know. What can I do as far as an offer..? Well, let's see. I can safely authorize a $300,000 offer. And that would be cash and an immediate sale since no one is living there, all the easier... yes, yes of course. My number here to my office is 212-237-9090. Yes, I will have my client in the office for, say another 30 minutes at best..." Chet looked at the man with an amused, but impressed look. He had apparently been doing property deals all his life. "Yes, you can reach me right here. Yes, thank you Cindy. Bye now." he said hanging up.
"She sounded like she wants a quick sale for her commission. I think she will try to push the offer to the seller. She didn't seem to want to milk the price realizing the repairs would likely be costly. Of course, somewhere along the way it is more likely that they already removed the asbestos and may have updated the plumbing. I was just playing on her inability to know these things. If she were truly a professional, she would know those things without blinking." Chet nodded with a smile.
"Yes, you would think so." he said. They sat around for another 15 minutes when Zimmerman's phone rang. He scooped it up.
"Robert Zimmerman." he said. "Yes, Cindy. Uhm hmm. Yes, I think it's possible. Can you hold a moment? Thank you." He placed his phone on hold and looked to Chet.
"She says yes, if you can guarantee funds within 48 hours to close. Obviously they want it done quick so they can sign off on it and leave town." Chet smiled at his luck, then nodded.
"Yes, by all means. I can meet them at closing in day after tomorrow with a check." he said gratefully. Zimmerman smiled and picked the phone back up.
"Yes, Cindy. My client can do that. Fax me a contract and I will return it complete and he can be at closing in two days with a certified check. Yes, it's 212-235-2400. Yes, right. Will be in touch and he will see you on Friday. Thanks again. Goodbye." He smiled, hanging up the phone.
"If only all transactions went so smooth to where I could peel 25% off within half an hour. Of course, here in the city 100k is pretty easy to get taken off many properties. But where you are from, real estate is a bit more modest in price so it was nice to get it done for you for so low. I'm sure it's a great house looking at these photos in the listing," he said studying the listing on his main screen, "This house out on long island would run 3 million easy and you simply couldn't find it in the city. If you ever did, double that figure. That's a great buy, Mr. Morton." he said with compliment. Chet beamed.
"My sister should like it." he said thoughtfully. Robert Zimmerman smiled, impressed.
"Quite a gift. I should be getting the fax within record time and I can send a courier over to your hotel for a signature. Since your closing with the entire amount in certified funds in less than two days you won't need to bother with a deposit." Chet smiled.
"Great, and now, what do I owe you for expediting the paperwork and your services?" Zimmerman smiled broadly.
"That was too easy a deal, Chet. I couldn't charge you a fee in good conscience. All I did was make a phone call. I will send off a fax or two and that will be the extent of my service. It's not like I had to go beat bushes or talk to annoying sellers who quibble over every dime. Peter Rabinowitz being saved so much money is good enough. He's a great man and gives me plenty of business." Chet beamed.
"Yes, he seemed to be very pleasant. So, I should be off. I will be at the Ritz Carlton penthouse for the benefit of the messenger." Zimmerman nodded and the two rose from their chairs. After exchanging pleasantries, they shook hands and Chet departed. He found himself walking down Broadway. He took in the rich cultural scenery and grabbed a bite.
After sitting at a curb side café for a bit, Chet realized he had better get back to the hotel. He hailed a cab. Ten minutes later he got out of the cab in front of the majestic Ritz Hotel. Chet walked through the lobby. A number of employees smiled and said hello to him.
"News travels fast." Chet thought with a laugh. He walked to the elevator bank and inserted the key that was given to him and hit the penthouse key. Soon the express elevator brought him back up to the grand suite which he had been in earlier thanks to the kindness of the Tiffany & Co president. He noted that Callie and Iola had not yet returned. Not especially alarming considering that they were in the largest city in the world with nearly unlimited means of spending. He walked to the icebox and took out a beer. He walked to the outside deck and looked out over the city. He realized quite suddenly that he was now an engaged man. Engaged to a woman he had adored most of his life. The idea of having a wife and maybe even a child brought great contentment to him. He smiled to himself thoughtfully. It had never struck him that this could be possible. He strolled around the deck. Fond thoughts ran through his mind. He thought how happy Iola would be when she found out she was going to live in the home of her dreams. As if to answer the thought the buzzer sounded. Chet looked over and walked to the entry. He opened the double doors. A bellboy escorted a young courier.
"Yes, sir. This courier arrived with a packet for your immediate attention." the bellboy said. Chet smiled and nodded.
"By all means. What do you have for me?" he asked. The courier smiled and handed Chet a packet. Chet took it and ripped it open. It was a signed contract for the home of Iola's dreams. Mr. Zimmerman had highlighted all the spots that Chet needed to fill out. Chet took out a pen and promptly filled out the forms and signed them. He returned them to the packet and handed the courier a $50 bill.
"Here you are. Thanks for coming so fast." He said. The courier smiled.
"Thank you sir!" he said graciously. Chet tipped the bellhop as well and they vanished back into the elevator.
Chet picked his beer bottle back up and took a drink. He walked about the huge suite and looked down at the copies of the contract to see all the info. He was quite happy with the deal he got. He folded up the papers and smiled to himself.
A moment later he heard a door open. He smiled suspecting it was the girls. He turned to see his sister standing before him. Her once long dark hair was now a short pixie cut. Her makeup was subtle, but seductive. She wore a crop top that cut just above her navel. She wore tight jeans and leather sandals. An ankle bracelet adorned her leg. And she of course sported the beautiful necklace and bracelet from Tiffanys. Chet also noted his sister apparently had a black push up bra holding her firm chest in place. Chet's mouth had dropped half open.
"Wow! Hi sis. You are my sister, right?" he asked giving her the once over. Iola smiled.
"You really like it?" she asked. Chet nodded.
"Oh yeah. How could you think I wouldn't?" Iola blushed.
"Well, it's just such a big change..." Chet grinned.
"Joe is going to not be able to keep his hands off you. And by the way, where is my wife to be?" Iola took a breath.
"Well, she's here... just a bit apprehensive. She's afraid she made too big of a change." Chet smiled.
"Come on. I can take it. There's nothing that would turn me off." Iola giggled.
"Ok, big boy. Ya better sit down." She gave her brother a mock push and he flopped onto the sofa.
"This is gonna be great!" Chet said with anticipation. Iola looked behind a wall gesturing to Callie. Chet took a breath. His mouth gaped wide upon the site before him, His fiancé, Callie Shaw, stood before him looking self-conscious. Her once long blonde hair was now cut below the shoulder length and color seemed slightly more vibrant. She wore a crop top that was reasonably tight but better fitting than the one she had borrowed from Iola. She wore very conforming, but not overly tight True Religion low rider jeans. Conservative looking black leather boots. She also sported metal framed spectacles. Callie normally wore contacts but had heard Chet mention that he liked glasses on a woman. He looked down slowly at this amazing transformation and stopped short at the belly button noticing that she had indeed had it pierced! A gold ring was in place. And of course the platinum and diamond engagement ring on her finger.
"Wow! And I mean wow! Callie, you are beautiful! I love it! And the piercing. My god that is so sexy! And those jeans. God, I love those hips. It is perfect. The right places exposed and in such a tasteful way. And I love the hair. It is incredible! Do you like it?" Callie gave a giggle and smiled broadly!
"Yes, I love it. I was just hoping you would." Chet smiled broadly.
"It is absolutely stunning, Cal. I don't know how you could improve it!" Iola cleared her throat. Smiling to Callie.
"Well, there is one last thing." Iola said gesturing to Callie. Callie smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Chet, there is one last thing." Chet stood up looking.
"What is it?" he asked anxiously. Callie took a breath and turned her back to Chet. Chet looked to her back. He smiled broadly upon what he saw. Located in the small of her back was a tattoo. A small angel wings tattoo!
"Oh baby! That is hot! And so perfect! Nice and small." he said as she turned with a smile.
"Thank you. Yes, small is good as far as I'm concerned. There were some women there who just seemed to ink every inch of their body. They were all young, and likely had no concept of what all that ink was going to look like in 20 or more years! Those women have my sympathy. I am very happy with my little wings!"
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. They kissed.
"I love you." She told him. Chet kissed her again.
"I love you too, Angel. You are absolutely stunning." he told her. She smiled to him.
"Well, I have always dreamed of a look like this but had never dared it before. And God, that tattoo hurt like Hell. I didn't realize that when you first get one it looks all inflamed like that, but they said it would look like a normal tattoo in a few days." Chet nodded.
"That is so cool! You really wanted to get one, didn't you?" Callie smiled broadly.
"Oh yeah! I just never thought I would actually do it." she took a deep breath.
"I think out of everything the toughest choice was actually chopping the hair. But I couldn't go as far as Iola did." She said running a few fingers through Iola's sparse pixie. Iola giggled.
"I love this. This is so much easier to have I think. And I will guess Joe will like it." Chet nodded excessively.
"If he doesn't I will switch to being an Arkansas Mormon." He joked. Iola giggled.
"You're a sick little boy, aren't you?" she joked. Chet nodded.
"Probably." He walked over to Callie and took her hands and looked into her deep crystal blue eyes.
"Well now. Are you all dressed up with nowhere to go" he asked. Callie nodded. Then giggled.
"Of course, there are about twenty more bags of clothes out in the entryway." Chet nodded approvingly. A moment later the phone rang. Chet walked over and scooped it up.
"Hello?... yes, this is he. Yes. Great.., that would be fine. And thank him for being so expedient and give him our warmest thanks for the suite and the very generous gifts. It was so above and beyond anything we had ever dreamed of. Yes. Very good. Thanks! Bye now!" He said hanging the pone up. He turned to the others.
"One of Peter Rabinowitz's assistants. They said most of the jewels already had ready duplicates and they only have four pieces they need to duplicate, so the fakes will be ready in the morning." Callie smiled.
"So, that puts us out of here a whole day ahead of time?" Chet nodded.
"Which will get us back to the hollow sooner overall." the phone again rang. Chet raised an eyebrow. He picked the phone up again.
"Hello? Yes, speaking." He stood there close lipped as the voice of Robert Zimmerman was on the other end. He was asking if it were possible to get back to Bayport tomorrow to wrap up the deal as the agent had called him back and noted that yes, they did have a signed deal. And contractually, they were obligated to sell to him. But, another party had expressed interest at a higher price and if too much time elapsed they might easily discover the owner's identity and try to deal directly with them. Ethical and contractual obligations notwithstanding. Chet nodded.
"Yes, tomorrow would be fine. 2 PM? Perfect. Will be there. Thanks for the heads up and pass the ok along. Thanks. Bye now." he hung up the phone and turned to the others.
"Just a banker I met today. Wanted to remind me I was needed tomorrow afternoon for some business. Anyway, since this is apparently our last night here, how about seeing a show and some dinner?" The women readily agreed and went for the large quantity of packages in the entryway.
"I have just the dress for the occasion." Callie said and she took an armful of bags and headed for one of the many rooms. Iola, too, was loaded with packages and smiled at Chet as she made her way to the room. Chet stood around looking over the big city as dusk set. He walked over to the phone and called down to the concierge desk.
"Yes, this is Mr. Morton. I was wondering if I could find a good set of theater seats for this evening? Yes.. That would be fine. Very nice of you. Thanks." he hung up. Within 5 minutes the doorbell rang and Chet walked over to the entryway and was greeted by a bellhop. She brought out an envelope.
"With the manager's compliments, sir." she said. Chet handed her a bill.
"Thanks." he said with a smile. He opened the envelope to find three seats for Phantom of the Opera. Chet smiled and pocketed the tickets. It had just then occurred to him that he was slightly underdressed for the occasion. He knew the hotel had a full-service men's shop. With that knowledge he hopped into the elevator and headed down.
Now, a man could typically pick out a suit within a very short time. Chet walked into the hotel's extensive men's shop. A well-dressed older man, Chet guessed to be clearly of Italian descent, stepped up with a smile.
"May I be of some assistance to you?" he asked. Chet smiled.
"Mr. Morton. I am staying in the penthouse." he said somewhat uncomfortably. The man smiled.
"Of course. I am Angelo. You are in need of a suit, perhaps?" Chet nodded looking down at his casual attire that was looking more out of place in the hotel by the minute.
"Yes, Angelo, that would be very nice." He said. Angelo smiled and looked at Chet from top to bottom for a couple moments.
"We can of course make measurements, but may I speculate you are a 48 suit. 38 waist and 32 inseam?" Chet nodded slowly, somewhat astounded by his accuracy.
"Why yes, Angelo. I see you know your job very well." Chet said impressed. Angelo waved to the side.
"Very easy after 25 years. Come. May I show you some of these..." Chet followed Angelo. Within 45 minutes time Chet had three Italian suits and 3 pair of shoes. Along with shirts, ties and gold cufflinks. Chet stood before a mirror in a very nice dark grey silk suit with black shell cordovan shoes. Angelo looked to him approvingly.
"Very nice, Mr. Morton, Sir. Absolute perfection." Chet smiled as he stood before the counter.
"Thank you! How much do I owe you, my friend?" Angelo punched away on the computer.
"Mr. Morton of the penthouse. According to the hotel computer you are not to be charged for anything you select." Chet raised an eyebrow.
"Really? The gratitude of Mr. Rabinowitz goes a long way." Angelo smiled deeply and handed him the other suits and shoes neatly wrapped.
"Especially at $5,000 per suit. You must have impressed someone very high up." Chet shuddered slightly. He didn't have the slightest clue regarding the price of the suits he had selected. None of them had any price tags.
"Well Angelo, I am beginning to think that." he said with a smile. "It was very good to have your assistance." he said handing him three $100 bills. Angelo smiled gratefully.
"Very good of you, Mr. Morton, sir. Have a pleasant evening." With a wave Chet headed back to the elevator. He turned the key into the panel and was whisked swiftly upward. He looked himself over in the mirror of the elevator. Obviously impressed at his own transformation. The elevator stopped and he stepped into the entryway of the penthouse. He set his packages on the floor.
"Honey, I'm home." he called with an air of humor as he walked into the main living area. He found a sight to behold. His true love stood there in a very attractive black dress. The hemline coming down to above the knee afforded a view of Callie's perfect legs adorned in black silk stockings. She was indeed a sight to behold. Iola wore a very attractive short black skirt with stockings and a silk top. Her diamond necklace and bracelet accenting the outfit to perfection.
"Wow. I am in the presence of the two most beautiful women in the city." He said with awe. Callie and Iola stood with equal smiles on their faces as they saw Chet in a dark Italian silk suit. Callie nodded with a look in her eye that suggested she was totally impressed.
"You are so handsome." she said with a big smile. Iola nodded.
"For sure, bro. You have risen to an all new level. And I think Callie can help make it perfect." Chet looked up sheepishly.
"Oh, really?" he asked, not really used to the compliments. Callie nodded and handed him a small box.
"Here you go, sweetie. I thought of you when I saw this." Chet smiled and took the box. He opened the wrapping quickly and found a hard leather box. He opened it and his eyes went wide. Inside was a silver Tag Heuer chronograph watch. Chet whooped. He took it out of the box and immediately placed it on his wrist.
"Wow, Cal, a Tag! It is great. Thank you, Angel." He said. Callie kissed him.
"I just thought it would be a nice accent." Chet smiled to her.
"This is all turning out so wonderfully. And now, we have tickets to a show. Phantom, no less. Shall we go?" Callie and Iola smiled and took either of Chet's arms and walked out of the suite. Upon reaching the main level they walked across the lobby. A man came out from behind the concierge desk.
"Mr. Morton, would you require a vehicle for the evening sir?" the man, middle aged and very professional and accommodating in nature smiled to Chet. Chet nodded.
"Why certainly. Thank you very much." He said. The concierge snapped a finger and directed a man in a cap to their direction.
"Mr. Morton would require a car this evening, William. Please take him wherever he desires." The driver tipped his cap.
"Yes, sir." He turned to the group. Then smiled.
"Please come with me." Chet and the ladies followed him out of the front door and to what appeared to be the largest limousine they had ever seen. He opened the rear door and gestured to them, helping them in. Chet and the ladies looked about their posh surroundings with approval. Callie was shaking her head.
"This has to all be a dream! I just can't believe it." Iola nodded somewhat in shock.
"When Tiffanys wants to show their gratitude, they certainly do so in grand style." She said sitting back. Chet picked up the phone.
"Yes, Majestic theater please, driver." he said and replaced the phone. The limo pulled out into the evening traffic and headed towards the theater district.
The evening was quite an experience for Chet and the ladies. They enjoyed a show and one of the finest dinners they had ever experienced. At one in the morning the limo brought them back to the hotel where they alighted. Slightly tipsy from the 4 bottles of Bollinger champagne. They headed directly up to their suite. The elevator started moving. Callie, feeling a little dizzy ended up leaning into Chet's arms for support. She looked into his eyes with an evil grin.
"Chet, my sweet Chet. Can I ask you something?" Chet smiled.
"Of course, angel." he said. Callie grinned. Looking about. Seeing Iola who was also somewhat buzzed grinning at her.
"Chet, have you ever done it in an elevator?" she asked with a giggle. Chet smiled, then shook his head.
"That has never happened, Cal." he said. Callie gave another giggle.
"You want it to happen?" she asked. Chet cleared his throat, then smiled. He wasn't intoxicated enough to appreciate the thought completely. Though it was intriguing to him.
"Well Cal, much as I'd love to... For one, this elevator is probably in pretty high demand. And another, I doubt Iola would enjoy it." Iola gave a brief giggle.
"Don't mind me bro. Though you're probably right. We'd likely get in trouble of some kind and I'm not quite sure how I would handle watching you do my best friend. Pretty intimate idea. I guess I'm a bit of a prude." she smiled. Chet laughed.
"I can understand that Iola. Mom would freak if she even heard us discussing the theory of it." He smiled. A moment later the elevator stopped and the doors opened. They got off and walked into the expensive penthouse suite. Iola raced for the restroom.
"Too much champagne." she said over her shoulder. Callie turned to Chet.
"Well, now that we are alone..." she said wrapping her arms around him. She kissed him deeply. Chet kissed her back passionately. Without any hesitation he picked her up and carried her into one of the bedrooms.
Five minutes later Iola emerged from the restroom feeling much refreshed after processing so much champagne. She walked into the main living room looking for her brother and Callie. No one was present.
"Now where did they go?" she mused softly to herself. As if in answer she heard a rocking sound coming from the bedroom and Callie moaning softly. Iola half grinned.
"That's where." she said with a slight grin. Though she wished more than ever that Joe was there with her now. She tried to put it out of her mind. But, hearing them in the other room did make it somewhat difficult for her not to think about the intimacy she desired with Joe. Iola went to the ice box and took out a beer, then walked back to the sofa. She sat back and tried to rest a bit, taking a long drink and picked up a book off the coffee table. She began reading. A few minutes later Iola noticed that the sounds of pleasure had abated. She smiled to herself.
"That was pretty short. But alcohol has that drawback with most men." she giggled to herself. She took another drink. A few minutes later Callie came out wrapped in a sheet. Iola looked up.
"Hey girl. Have fun?" she asked with a twinkle. Callie pursed her lips.
"Sorry about that. But he was pretty tired and excited both it seems. Which is probably good because we were not thinking of how uncomfortable that it likely made you." Iola smiled and waved to one side.
"Don't think about it, girl. Though, God, I wish Joe was here." she said in a semi frustrated tone. Callie smiled and plopped down on the couch as well.
"Can I join that club?" She said. "I guess the day and new look was too much for him. He took about 4 minutes." She caught herself. "Sorry, probably more info than you wanted." Iola grinned.
"It's ok. You're probably right. That new hair, and the piercing, and the tattoo probably sent him over the edge. It is pretty hot." she said. Callie grinned.
"Thanks. But you don't have to say that." Iola smirked and shook her head.
"I'm not just saying that. All the while we were growing up, I was really envious of you, Cal. Especially the blonde hair. I always thought you got more attention from guys." Callie giggled.
"I don't know about that. I was pretty envious of you with your size 4 body. I always thought I was fat next to you." Iola snorted.
"You fat? I don't think so." she said reaching over and pulling Callie's sheet down. Iola looked at her best friend's nude body. Then looked up into her eyes.
"See," she said softly. "Perfect." Callie took a breath and looked at Iola's gaze upon her. The sensual expression on her face was rather telling. Callie smiled.
"Oh my, Iola. Are you checking me out?" Iola cleared her throat. She looked up and smiled.