Chapter 21 YellaWood 500 #5
“Greg said the same thing. I like it also. However, my favorite parts are over there where the studio is, and over this way where the kitchen is,” she said heading toward the kitchen. “The bathroom is just over there on the left,” she said as she pointed toward it. “You can go first.”
“Thanks, V. I’ve been holding it since we got off the plane,” Carry said.
“I thought you were by the way you started to squirm in the seat,” she said with a small laugh.
“I’ll try to be quick.” Carry disappeared into the bathroom while Veronica went on to the kitchen. She quickly prepared a couple of expresso coffee cups for each of them. “I’m done,” Carry said as she entered the kitchen. “Wow, this is a fabulous kitchen.”
“Thank you, Carry. I’ve made you an expresso,” she said and waved her hand back to the table.
“I’ll be back shortly,” she said and disappeared to the bathroom.
Carry moved over to the table and sat down with her expresso, Veronica returned a few minutes later.
“Do you like the coffee? I want us to be fully awake with Greg.”
“I noticed a picture by the stairwell as we came in,” Carry began then sipped on her expresso.
“Greg noticed that as well,” Veronica said. “What did you notice in it?”
“I saw a little girl with her father,” she said slowly. “I’m guessing that is you and your dad.” Veronica nodded her head in confirmation. “But I am wondering, if your mom took this photo or someone else.”
“An astute observation, Carry.” Veronica suddenly had pain on her face and a tear rolled down her left cheek. “It’s the last picture that my mother took of my father and I.” She sobbed softly for a moment. “I’m sorry,” she tried to say.
“It’s alright to get emotional,” Carry observed. “I didn’t know my parents growing up, but losing anyone hurts a lot.”
“She died three weeks later,” Veronica confirmed. “Greg noticed she wasn’t in the picture but didn’t say anything. He observed that my dad and I were very close.”
“I saw that too, but I guess it hits me more that your mom wasn’t there.” Carry sipped on her expresso again. “I think women always look for mom to be there.”
“Maybe. But I think Greg noticed something very different. Men need a dad in their lives, and so do women. But for men, it’s much harder without a father, and he noticed that Jacques was looking at me like a proud dad does.”
“I’ve never thought about that,” Carry mused. “Grandma Grace did her best, but I think not having a dad around made it harder for me to believe in myself.”
“Oh, Carry. Don’t you see just how talented and special you are?”
“Not really,” she admitted slowly. “I’m still overwhelmed by being the Face of Veronique, or even just Miss Vanilla Rose,” she softly added.
“Greg and I both can see that potential in you,” she observed. “I think that’s what attracted him to you. The possibilities of what you could accomplish with the natural talent within you. You are born to lead, whether or not you know it.”
“Do you really think so?” Carry said humbly. “I’ve never thought of being a leader. I always thought it was enough just to be good at my job.”
“Carry, I’ve asked you to step up in to several roles. Most importantly, Veronique.”
“David, I’ve got news for you,” Keith said as he entered the office. “Do you want the good news or bad news first?”
“Might as well give me the bad news first. I’ll need the good news to lighten my load afterwards.” David motioned for Keith to take a seat.
“It seems that Jenny is working with Taito-San. Jack has a new text message she received today from Japan that states they are days away from taking over Tashugi Enterprises.”
“Days?” David said in shock. “How?”
“Apparently, Taito-San has some way to pull money out of a shared account and he’s fixing to use it to drive the price of the stock down and then grab the lions share before it can recover.”
“How could he drive it down?” he asked, stroking his chin. “That is a solid business in place.”
“From the text message exchange, Jenny is commanding him to make sure that Tashugi Enterprises doesn’t have working capital, and as the advisor on Nobuko’s last will and testament,” Keith began before shifting in his chair.
“He’s been directed to advise that Noboko has been spending unwisely and isn’t ready to receive the remainder of the Tashugi Enterprise funds that are frozen pending final findings on the murder of his father, Nobuko. ”
“That is definitely bad news,” David said shaking his head. “Have you told Greg or Fred?”
“No,” he said slowly. “This was a come to you first as you ordered when we extracted Jack.”
“Okay, then how about your good news?” David queried.
“Jack is being transferred down to Roddy’s house in Texas. They leave tonight, and will be driving during the night time only, and staying in a safe house during the day. They should make it to El Paso in about three days.” Keith looked down.
“There’s a down side to this?” David asked.
“Though it frees up some guys, Danny and Brick are the ones traveling.”
“Meaning you won’t have them for the YellaWood 500,” David finished the thought Keith didn’t voice aloud.
“I understand that drawback, but you have to remember that Brick doesn’t have jurisdiction outside of Kansas City except in cases where he’s transporting a prisoner or protectee.
” David got up and moved to the window, peering down at the scenery below.
“You and Greg are too much alike,” Keith observed.
“What are you talking about?”
“Going to the window, clasping your hands and staring at the scenery because you have something on your mind.”
“I picked that up from him,” David admitted. “It does help. My mind gets lost on the beauty of everything and the subconscious mind can work the problem.”
“So, that’s how that works,” Keith said finally understanding. “I always wondered, but never asked because I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Is that the entire update?”
“One last thing,” Keith said somberly as he got up and moved to the window. “The Enforcer is back in town. We still don’t know what he’s planning or who he’s been tracking.”
“Are you going to be able to meet with Cassie?” David asked somberly.
“I don’t know. She said she’d text after meeting with her mom, which should be happening now. I’m just waiting for word from her.” He stepped up closer to the window. “D-54 is still in play, but our window is closing.”
“And Brick’s plan is still the back up?”
“Well,,,,,” he said with a screech in his voice. “I’m thinking of something a little bit different, but I haven’t flushed it out entirely yet. What’s this thing you said you needed to update me on?”
“We’ve found a financial drain on Tashugi Enterprises. I have a file for you to review in your secure office. Take care of the instructions as soon as you can safely do them.”
“That sounds a bit intense.” Keith looked at David. “I’ll take care of it!”
“Boss?” Harry called. “Are you needing me to drive you anywhere tonight?"
“No, Harry. I’m off with Veronica tonight. She’s coming by to pick me up, so you have the night off. I’ve already made arrangements with Ron for you to take your mother to the Black Angus. I saw how much she loved it when we were there together.”
“Greg,” Harry began and nearly choked up.
“I,,,” he started and had to breathe in deeply.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough. You are already paying for her in home nurse, Frieda Nowak.
You’ve paid for us to dine out nearly every night.
” He paused. “I can’t pay you back for the kindness you show me, Greg. ”
“I’m just taking care of my brother financially, because he takes care of me in every other way.
” Greg moved over and hugged Harry. “We might be born in different families, but you are my brother in so many other ways Harry. And to be honest, I’m still in debt to you for pulling me back from the road when that car came speeding by. ”
“Greg, I keep telling you that I didn’t save your life.”
“Yeah, I know. You keep saying you just kept me from doing something stupid that would have gotten me hurt,” he said waving him off.
“I know how close I came that day. My mind was on Erica and Graduation, but you saw that car coming and ran to pull me back. You might not want to admit it, but you did save my life.”
“Fine, Greg. Since it’s clear you are never going to change your mind on that, then I’ll ask one thing of you.”
“What’s that Harry?” Greg said with deep curiosity.
“Make a choice. Those two women need to know who you want to be with.” He let out a frustrated long breath.
“I know you love them both, but one of them has to be the one that you also need. The one that you can’t be whole without.
Don’t keep stringing them along. It’s not fair to them or yourself. You need to decide.”
“Veronica wants to do a Veronique shoot at the YellaWood 500, and Ben has arranged for it to happen. I’m paying for Tina to fly over from Dallas after visiting her parents.
That girl is the only one of the Veronique models not from Kansas City, and she became one because of me, so I owe it to her to be able to spend some time with her family like the rest of them are doing on this mid-tour break. ”
“I’m glad liked seeing the upstairs and the studio,” Veronica said to Carry as the came down the main staircase. “I’m thinking about finding something smaller though.”
“You mean like Greg’s house?” Carry suggested, and they both laughed for a moment.
“You know,” Veronica said. “If I didn’t know you were joking, I’d think you did that deflection out of jealousy.”
“Honestly,” Carry said as they stepped off the last stair together. “A part of me did feel the jealousy in that moment.” She looked at Veronica with apologetic eyes. “I didn’t mean to be spiteful.”
“I don’t think you were,” Veronica assured her. “We’re going to be friends no matter which one of us Greg chooses, Carry. I think our friendship can withstand this. I can’t blame you for a little jealousy because I feel it too.”