Chapter 10
Ralph awoke, turned to his side, and put his hand on the silky skin of Rebecca’s bottom.
She was sleeping soundly as they had made love well into the early morning hours.
This was wonderful while it lasted, he thought as he slipped out of bed, glancing at the clock.
It was six thirty, and he had to meet Mario at Lou Mitchell’s, where many important business decisions were made over a huge breakfast.
After showering, he left a note for Rebecca, letting her know that he had had a wonderful evening but that they still needed to talk.
The relationship he wanted to be in was with someone who wasn’t married, someone he could take to the galas he attended and even travel with at some point.
While he knew he could never replace Alice, he hoped someday he could find a companion who had some of her qualities.
Rebecca had been fun. But he was getting the idea that she wasn’t exactly faithful companion material.
No judgment—he was a willing party in their arrangement.
He couldn’t help thinking that Alice wouldn’t approve of his compromising ethics, not to mention the risks of their affair affecting his business if anyone found out.
As he walked to the elevator, tears started to stream down his face, his legs weakened, and he had to sit down on a chair for fear that he would collapse on the floor.
He buried his face in his hands and began to sob.
This had happened several times after Alice’s death, and he had hoped that, with time, the intensity of his tears might have disappeared or at least lessened, but he knew by now that grief had its own timeline and that he had no control over when or where it might emerge.
Just let it out, a voice inside him said gently. Let it out. It’s okay, Ralph.
When he was finally able to take a deep breath and blow his nose, he knew this wave of weeping had run its course.
Thankfully, Eunice had coached him on how to manage these waves of grief when he broke down in front of her at the office over a year ago.
He sat for a few more minutes, continuing to focus on his breathing, until he was ready to stand up.
His doorman had a cab waiting for him downstairs. “Lou Mitchell’s on Jackson,” the doorman instructed the driver.
As the cabbie pulled away, he glanced back at Ralph. “Love Lou Mitchell’s. Been going there for years before I start my morning shift. You know that place has been around for over ninety years.”
“That’s the word on the street.” Ralph already knew this; he nodded and started reading his Wall Street Journal.
Once inside, he saw Lou, the owner, speaking to several businesswomen in line for a table.
“Good morning, you beautiful ladies, would you like a sweet treat while you’re waiting?
” He held out one basket with small-sized boxes of Milk Duds and another with hot donut holes.
Ralph watched as they smiled and declined his offer.
Lou recognized Ralph right away. He held out both options and Ralph chose the warm donut hole, popped it into his mouth, and followed Lou to a booth.
Peggy, his favorite waitress, approached holding a stainless steel coffeepot. “Hello, handsome. Coffee?”
Ralph smiled. “You bet, Peggy. You look fabulous as always.”
“I know you’re full of shit, but I’ll take that. Waiting for someone?” Peggy poured his coffee.
Ralph could see Mario approaching the booth. “Here he is.” Mario looked disheveled; part of his comb-over was sticking up and his lower shirt button was undone, exposing his beer belly.
Peggy turned the other cup over and poured some coffee for Mario as he slid in, opposite Ralph. “I’ll be back in a minute for your order,” she said.
“Thanks for meeting me, Mario. I know you must be busy taking care of everything now that Vinnie’s gone.” He took a sip of his coffee.
“It’s a shitstorm as always at the city. Vinnie was not good with paperwork, and now I have to manage all his jobs, complete that backlog, and keep things moving. I don’t need to tell you the city never stops.”
Mario’s eyes were bloodshot with heavy bags under them. Vinnie had mentioned that Mario liked to knock back a few—or frequently more than a few—every night after work, and he looked the part.
“I’m not here to talk about all my jobs with the city,” Ralph said. “I’m here to talk about Angie. She’s in real danger.”
Peggy was back, standing at their table. “What’ll it be?”
“I’ll have two eggs over easy, bacon, and rye toast,” Ralph ordered.
“I’ll have the three-cheese bacon omelet and an English muffin, extra strawberry jelly.” Mario glanced at her and then took a big slurp of his coffee.
“You got it.” She refreshed their coffee, headed to the kitchen, and yelled out the order.
Mario snapped at Ralph, “I don’t know what deal you made with Vinnie, but consider any past agreements, and I mean any, null and void.
As far as Angie goes, I don’t need your help watching over her.
Vinnie was clear with me that if anything happened to him, I was to take, I think the word he used was ‘exceptional,’ care of her, or he would come back from the dead and cut off my balls with a butter knife. ”
Ralph wondered why Mario was so aggravated with him, but he wasn’t going to react. “Good to hear that he was that specific. Then you know the mob is after her for his unpaid gambling debt, correct?”
Ralph leaned back as Peggy placed a small skillet in front of each of them. “Enjoy,” she said as she refreshed their coffee.
“I did know he was into the mob but wasn’t aware they were going after poor Angie. When did this happen? We just buried the guy, for Christ’s sake.” Mario slathered jelly on his English muffin and took a big bite, followed by a forkful of his omelet, oozing cheese.
“I was approached by one of their thugs the night of his funeral when I was having a late dinner with Cookie at Gibsons.” Ralph dipped his rye toast into his eggs and took a bite.
Mario’s face turned red and he slammed his fist on the table. “What the hell were you doing out with Cookie?”
Ralph watched the vein on Mario’s neck pulsating. Mario reached for his pack of Pall Malls tucked in his shirt pocket and then stopped. “I forgot, no smoking in here. That’s bullshit,” Mario said.
“I agree. Nothing like a good smoke with your breakfast,” Ralph said.
“Anyway,” Ralph continued, “me and Cookie had some drinks at Vinnie’s reception at Murphy’s, had a lovely time. I didn’t know she as much as ran the city HR department. A fountain of information.”
“What did you talk about?” Mario kept eating.
“Nothing important, really. I hadn’t realized she reviewed the paperwork for all the developers who work on city jobs, and my company is one of the biggest. They make you disclose everything, including personal information as well as past tax forms. She’s quite a character.
” Ralph watched Mario as he used the last of his muffin to clean the skillet of all the tidbits.
“Well, stay away from her and Angie. I can handle this mob thing. I don’t need your help.” Mario stood up. “I’ve got to go to the jobsite. I’m sure you can afford breakfast.”
“Happy to pay. But before you go, did you know Vinnie was into the mob for a million and half?”
Mario stopped and gaped at Ralph. “That much?”
“Yeah, and if they don’t get it soon, they threatened to go after Angie and, by the looks of things, she doesn’t have a pot to piss in.” Ralph put cash on the table and walked out with Mario.
A line of cabs waited out front. Mario lit a cigarette, hopped in the cab, and looked out the open window.
“I’ll handle this, Ralph. Mind your own fucking business.
You have no idea what Vinnie was into. I’m in charge now, and if I hear of you talking to either Angie or Cookie, your contracts with the city are canceled! ” The cab pulled away.
When Ralph’s cell rang, he heard a familiar voice. “Ralph, this is Cookie. I need to see you now. There’s some weird shit going on and I don’t want to get mixed up in it.”
“Okay, can you tell me what’s going on?”
“I’m not saying anything on the phone. Meet me at the Half Shell on Diversey at noon.”
“Okay, Cookie, see you then. Be careful.”
When Ralph arrived at his office, his executive secretary, Eunice, intercepted him.
She motioned him with her index finger to follow her into her office and closed the door.
Eunice had been with Ralph for over twenty years, always wearing her graying hair in a tight bun, her trim frame professionally dressed, her eyeglasses hanging from her neck on a chain for immediate access.
Ralph knew Eunice prided herself on keeping the office atmosphere extremely professional, which was why Ralph loved her.
“What’s going on?”
Looking up from her short frame at Ralph, she remained calm.
“Rebecca, Alderman O’Brien’s wife, is in your office and she has demanded I close your office blinds, order a bottle of Dom Pérignon, which I won’t do, and let you know she’s waiting for you.
This is very unprofessional. You know we don’t do those kinds of things here, but I didn’t want to ask her to leave until I spoke with you in person. ”
“I’ll take care of this, Eunice. As always, I appreciate your sensitivity and support.” As Ralph walked to his office, he thought, If Eunice knew what I was doing to Rebecca last night, she would have a heart attack on the spot.
Ralph opened his office door and immediately closed it as Rebecca was sitting on his desk, in her white, lacy lingerie and nothing else. “Rebecca, this is so inappropriate. Not in my place of business.”
She tilted her head. “What’s the matter, Ralphie, you don’t like what you see? I bought these just for you.” She reached around and unsnapped her bra and let her pert breasts fall out, nipples hard.
Ralph moved his gaze away from her and walked toward his office door. “You have crossed the line. I need you to leave right now.”