Chapter 13 A View Between Villages by. Noah Kahan
Jackie
The last few hours had been complete chaos.
Following the phone call from Sarah, Will and I packed everything we brought with us and said our goodbyes to Theo and Violet.
The latter was very upset that her Willey (yes, her Willey) was leaving, but we promised to visit her soon.
Will arranged a car for us and we were quickly out the door and on our way to the airport.
I was starting to suspect there was something about New York that Will was hiding from me. He had been on the phone for about twenty minutes claiming to be coordinating our travel.
What was suspicious is that the car he had arranged wasn’t a taxi, but a town car. When we arrived at the airport we didn’t go through the usual front doors but were driven to the plane itself on the tarmac. We were sitting in First Class as well and everyone was referring to Will as Dr. Bly.
It was all just… odd.
I was also very curious who this mysterious Bec we were meeting tonight was. He had never spoken about her before, but I did know he called her to get the information we wanted about Carter.
I had wandered into the house to get a glass of water that night when I heard him on the phone with her discussing Carter and someone named Winnie.
I had no right to be jealous, but I could tell he cared for Bec and Winnie greatly.
I think I was just hoping that maybe Will could care for me that much.
It was a ridiculous notion, but one I had nonetheless.
Slowly the plane descended and we began to taxi towards the gate.
I had wanted to ask my many questions about how he pulled this off while on the plane but our seats were not next to one another.
He claimed it was because of the last minute travel we couldn’t sit next to each other, but I was beginning to suspect he was avoiding me and my questions.
A flight attendant interrupted my thoughts. “Mrs. Bly, please follow me. Your husband arranged a car for you.”
My husband?
Well, this was news to me. I looked around trying to find Will but he must have already exited the plane.
Instead of arguing with the mistaken flight attendant, I stood and followed her out.
She navigated me through JFK airport toward what I assumed was the exit.
As we made our way outside the airport into the New York air, I was taken aback by Will.
He looked at home here. Like a true New Yorker. He was wearing his usual hoodie and ball cap but pulled on a long black coat over the top.
He was… intimidating and powerful.
And also a huge turn on.
Will was standing next to yet another town car, speaking to a woman who looked shockingly like him. She had long brown hair, tied up into a ponytail, and the same startling blue eyes. This must have been his sister. He had mentioned her maybe once before, but I couldn’t remember her name.
I think it started with an R?
“Hey Jackie, this is Bec, my sister. Bec, this is Jackie, the woman I was telling you about,” Will introduced us as I approached the pair.
Feeling stupid that I was feeling jealous of his own sister, I shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Is your full name Rebecca?” I asked.
“Yes, and it’s nice to meet you. Let’s get in the car before we draw too much attention,” Bec responded.
We all got in the backseat of the town car, which looked to be extremely expensive.
Why would we draw attention?
This whole situation was getting weirder.
As we drove away, I turned to Will and finally asked the many questions that had arisen during our travels.
“What the fuck is going on, Will? People are treating you like you’re the goddamn president and then the flight attendant called me your wife and you have failed to tell me even a little bit about what’s happening. Start talking, idiot,” I said as I poked him in the chest.
“Okay first off, ow! That kind of hurt. Second, idiot? Really?” he responded as he rubbed the spot on his chest.
“Yes, idiot, it’s a well deserved name for you right now,” I argued as I crossed my arms in front of me in frustration.
Bec chuckled and turned to her brother. “I like her. She puts you in your place. It’s about time someone did.”
Will rolled his eyes at his sister and sighed as turned to me. “I’m sorry. I should have explained it to you, it just… Well, it was nice to delay it as long as possible.”
“Explain what?” I inquired, my interest piqued.
“Have you heard of Bly Enterprises?” Will asked.
“Yeah, who hasn’t? Massive corporation, run by a notorious dickface. Why?” I asked, and then put it together.
William Bly.
Him being a part of the Bly family that ran the massive business would explain the absurd amount of money this trip alone would cost and the way he was being treated by everyone around him.
This time Bec laughed hard. “Well, that dickface happens to be our father.”
Will smiled at his sister and then me. “Apt description, however. He is a dickface.”
“Holy crap,” I responded as more and more pieces fell into place. I turned to Will with wide eyes. “You’re a billionaire, then, aren’t you?”
Will nodded in response.
“I let a literal billionaire sleep in a five year old’s princess-themed bedroom!” I exclaimed, mortified by my behavior. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Will shrugged. “People don’t really know. I don’t advertise it and honestly actively distance myself from it. Sarah is the only one who does know.”
Will was an enigma to be around. He acted as though being a Bly wasn’t a huge deal. They were as famous and respected as the Kennedy’s. Many people assumed that someday William Sr., Will's father, would run for President.
Bly Enterprises was the largest investment firm in the world.
I myself had written a couple articles about it and the suspected criminal wrongdoings of the company.
I found the stories odd because they were very different from what I usually wrote about, but Fai had given me the cases.
Nowhere in my research did Will come up.
It was almost as if he was erased from the family tree.
I did read about Bec, or Rebecca Court Bly, the current COO and future CEO of Bly Enterprises.
She was powerful, but kind. She was also akin to royalty here in New York. She seemed to have a bright future with the company. William Sr. was different. Something about him made me uncomfortable, and knowing that he was abusive to Will and Bec made it even more obvious he was not a good guy.
Before I had a chance to respond, we pulled in front of a beautiful brownstone. I had no idea where in New York we were, as this was my first time here, but even I could tell this home would have been extremely expensive.
“Home sweet home,” Bec said as she got out of the car and Will and I followed. “My mom is very excited to meet you. There are apparently already rumors that Will is back in town with his secret wife.”
I turned to Will. “What was that about anyway?” I asked in a hushed tone.. “They called me Mrs. Bly and you my husband.”
“They assumed. I didn’t correct them.”
With that, he walked towards the house.
He seemed different in New York. He was more closed off here and came off almost sauve. Yes, he was charming, but here he almost seemed to embody the bad boy persona to an extreme.
As he approached the top step, a woman came bursting through the front door with the same dark hair and blue eyes as her children, and wrapped Will in a hug.
“I can’t believe you’re here. I made up your room and have all your favorite foods.
How long are you here? Do you have everything you need?
I can do your laundry if you need more clothes. ”
“Mom, let him go! He can’t answer if you’re suffocating him,” Bec chastised as she walked up the steps, with me following close behind.
I was nervous to meet her. I had never been good with parents.
I was a technical runaway who was raised by my brother and sister, who then fell into alcoholism.
Most people wanted better for their kids.
Even Oliver’s mom had reservations about me initially and she was the nicest person on this planet.
“Of course, I’m sorry,” Will’s mom stated as she finally let him go. “I am just so glad you’re here.”
“Me too, Mom,” Will stated, and then turned to me. “This is Jackie, is it still okay if she stays here as well?”
“Of course! It is so nice to meet you. I never get to meet Will’s girlfriends, he likes to keep them hidden from me. My name is Winnie,” she exclaimed and then took my hand to shake it.
“It’s nice to meet you as well, but I am sorry to disappoint you. I’m not his girlfriend, just a work colleague,” I explained.
Winnie waved away my response, “Whatever you say. Sarah told me everything I need to know.” With that, she turned and entered her home.
I turned to Will. “What does that mean?”
“Her and Sarah talk on the phone once a week, about me. It could honestly mean anything. Come on, I’ll show you around.” Will then took my hand and guided me into the house.
House was not a great word to describe the opulence of the home.
There were beautiful original wooden accents throughout the home.
The front of the home housed a grand living room that had a fire already going in the marble fireplace.
The couches belonged in a castle. The dining table looked to be able to fit up to sixteen people and had a true crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room.
When we entered the kitchen I was taken aback by the top-of-the-line appliances, as well as one of my closest friends.
“Sarah?” I asked as I walked right into her open arms.
“Hi, Ophelia,” she whispered just for my ears to hear. “I missed you.”
I broke the hug and looked at my friend. She looked exhausted but as beautiful as ever. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just tired and feeling a bit weird about this whole case, but that can wait until tomorrow. Okay?” she responded.