Chapter 6 Inside I’m Crying
INSIDE I'M CRYING
The following day was the start of New York Fashion Week.
From where I stood beside the hot dog cart, I could see the large white tents, so tall they looked like temples.
Crowds surrounded them, many desperate for access or to be seen by paparazzi.
Flashbulbs popped like fireworks, and I rolled my eyes.
I was over pretending that sitting in the front row, or knowing most of the attendees on a first-name basis, was any sort of prize.
I stood next to Freddy, who, if you asked me, sold the best hot dog in New York City.
The secret, according to Freddy, was fresh water.
"The others recycle, but not me. They're too lazy. How can they cook quality dogs in water that is three days old?" Freddy said as he topped my food with ketchup, mustard, and a bit of relish.
"Thanks, Freddy."
"You have a good day, Ms. Olivia."
"That isn’t possible. My life is crazy these days."
"Really? How?"
Whether Freddy really wanted to know or not, I didn’t care. Six minutes later, I had a second hot dog in hand and was pouring my troubles onto the cart vendor. New low.
"If you asked me, I'd swear I knew everything about Luke. How can he really love a woman like Sullen?"
"Maybe he needed a bit of excitement."
I looked at him like he'd gone crazy. "Freddy, no one can possibly be more exciting than me. I can turn Luke's world upside down or inside out. He might pull his hair out afterward, but it would be exciting."
Freddy looked stumped, and I waited for a better explanation. He inhaled sharply, gave a shrug, and said nothing. His gaze locked on mine.
"Well?" I asked eventually.
"Hmm, I don’t know, Ms. Olivia. The only thing I can think is that the man has gone out of his mind. Maybe it's drugs," Freddy said, then shrugged again.
Served me right trying to get therapy from the hot dog vendor.
I shook my head. "Thanks Freddy. See you later."
"Go luck. If anyone deserves to get the guy, it's definitely you."
That's what I liked about Freddy. He was a straight shooter, and one hell of a judge of character, well, most times.
I rushed into the tent. The show would start any minute, so I hurried to my seat in the front row.
Wearing a blank expression, I glanced across and spotted Sullen, sitting like royalty in her chair.
All the celebrities around her desperately clamored to speak to her.
She waved at me like a queen bestowing favor.
I waved back with the same hand I wanted to flip her off with.
"Hey, Olivia."
Looking up, I flashed a genuine smile when I stood to hug Ella Forrester. "Hi. What are you doing here? Where's Vicky?"
"Mom has the flu and told me to take the tickets," she explained as we both lowered ourselves to sit. Ella Forrester, who I often joked looked just like Luke in a dress, smiled. She had her brother’s familiar golden hair, except hers had some highlights added and was cut to frame her sharp cheekbones. Beside me, her almond-shaped eyes scanned the runway eagerly. I noted her fashionable outfit, designer heels, leather clutch, and Fox I saw the line Sullen had crossed when she tried to take Luke from me.
After the show ended, I was back in the SUV driving to work and filling Alex in on my talk with Ella over the phone. "Ella said she’ll talk to Luke about asking for a prenup."
"Why would Luke take relationship or financial advice from his little sister?"
The smile I wore was gone instantly.
"Would you take that sort of advice from Jacqueline?" Alex asked but didn’t let me answer. "No. It needs to be an older adult, like his father."
She was one hundred percent right. "Damn it."
"Can you get a meeting with him?"
Screw a meeting. There was a Yankees doubleheader today, and Kenny Forrester wouldn’t miss it for anything short of death. Just like my dad, he had his own private box at the stadium.
"Hopeton, take me to Yankee Stadium."
"Yes, Miss Olivia."
Alex wished me luck and hung up. However, I was confident I wouldn't need it.
Kenny was a man of a certain generation.
He would protect the family fortune with his last breath, and if Luke was threatened with being disowned, I knew he'd rethink his engagement.
Just like I would. We had grown accustomed to spending money; no one was worth losing our trust funds.
Hopeton got me to the stadium in thirty minutes.
I went through security and up to the private boxes, walking past my dad's to the Forresters’.
Inside, Kenny sat back in a chair, a thick cigar resting between his fingers.
A few stubborn strands of blond clung to the top of his mostly bare head.
His much younger plaything giggled, clutching his arm as if laughter could earn her one of his no-limit credit cards.
She looked young enough to be my sister's age, but Kenny, being a sleazy old man, wasn't why I came.
"Mr. Forrester," I said and entered.
He looked back and scowled. "Who's this Mr. Forrester you speak of, Olivia?"
Showtime.
I flashed a smile, and his young girlfriend must have thought I was competition because she frowned as I approached. Kenny whispered something to her, and she begrudgingly stood and left the box.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was just in the box next door and heard you were over here."
Kenny stared at me, unconvinced, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to peel back my words and see what was hiding underneath.
"Okay, I needed to talk to you about Luke."
"What's the boy done now?"
I braced myself and explained my concern about Sullen, and was encouraged as Kenny nodded as I spoke.
"So, your position is: Luke marrying this girl will result in her divorcing him and walking away with the entire Forrester fortune?" Kenny asked before sipping his beer.
The tone he took made my earlier hopes fade. "Well, Ella and I were just thinking she should at least sign a prenup. Poor Luke isn't thinking clearly, and you might have to get involved."
Kenny watched me with that sharp, suspicious gaze of his. I couldn’t read him at all, so I started to squirm. He smiled like he knew something I didn’t.
"Luke claims to love Solenne. Maybe she isn't his forever wife, but his first one."
Dejected, I lowered my shoulders and sat back in my seat. The trip was wasted.
"Olivia, I thought all along you'd marry Luke and be my daughter-in-law. How the hell did you two manage to mess this up?"
For once, I didn't try to find the answer. The truth was, I didn't know how we’d gotten to this point. Plus, had anyone spoken to Luke about what they expected, or only me?
Kenny continued to speak as I stared ahead. "I wasn't born yesterday. The money is safely kept in a trust, and I already demanded he get his future wife to sign a prenup before marrying her."
My jaw fell open. That was my ace card. "Sullen agreed?"
"She had no fucking choice. It's prenup or no marriage, but no, she didn't put up a fight."
Kenny's girlfriend returned, and I was actually happy, because I had to get out of there.
"You two enjoy the game," I said, then stood.
Kenny shook his head. "You aren't getting away so easy."
I froze and waited.
"I suggest you and my son sit and have a frank conversation before this silly thing gets out of control. You two are some of the most stubborn people I've ever met."
"What does that mean?"
"Go find Luke and talk. End this stupidity," Kenny ordered. And just like that, I was a kid again, being told to clean up a mess, but this one I hadn't even made.
I sighed. "Why does everyone act like I'm the one responsible for the state of things? Luke brought this girl into our lives. He’s the one abandoning me ... I mean, our friendship."
"Have it your way. I'll see you at the wedding."
The way he said it sounded like a threat. I left Kenny's box deflated, my plan to cause a rift between Sullen and the Forresters having made little progress. Fine. I'd go bury myself in work; at least there I could pretend to be in control.