Two hours later, Beth unfurled her lithe form from her chair and picked up the house phone. She placed an order for a light supper for two with a bottle of champagne to be delivered with the meal. Theresa meanwhile, was sitting on the sofa still looking floored. Theresa was not looking anywhere near as fresh or put together as Beth. She had the wrinkly, frumpy, had too much to drink too quickly look that served only to highlight her age. Beth was not what she expected her to be and she had been right earlier in the day when she said there was much she had to learn from her. Theresa was still reeling from the sheer amount of information Beth had shared in such a short time about her family and let’s be blunt, reeling from how deeply she now trusted Beth.
Beth looked like she had not a care in the world and she sat back down and waited for Theresa to respond to her earlier proposal. Beth evaluated the younger woman, she looked shell shocked but she also had that predatory gleam dancing in her eyes. Theresa understood the ultimate prize and was willing to play her part. Beth had taken a gamble on trusting Theresa but something in her personality made Beth see a kindred soul when Theresa so rudely introduced herself that afternoon.
There was a knock on the door and Beth answered, shamelessly flirting with the bellhop as dinner was served and champagne uncorked. The smell of food seemed to rouse Theresa from her thoughts and she ambled over to the table.
“Smells delicious, thanks for ordering I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“My pleasure. I trust this afternoon has been enlightening.”
“Beth, I am honestly at a loss for words. I think I’ve learned more in the last two hours than I have in the last twenty years. But I’m curious, why? Why take the risk? Why involve me? Why share your lifetime of knowledge with me a stranger who just happened to bump into you today?”
“Smart questions Theresa, smart answer because my dossier on you indicates that you are intelligent and would be open to the things discussed here today.”
Theresa pushed back from the table and clutching her champagne flute, walked over to the windows. Admiring the stunning view of the glittering city spread out below her, she thought carefully about how to phrase her next question.
“No, I get that Beth. I mean why now? You’ve had plenty of time, so what made today different?”
“Another simple answer Theresa, you stank of loneliness and desperation.” Beth watched as Theresa’s defenses came up. Her shoulders tensed, she stood a little straighter, and without seeing, Beth know she had a death grip on the stem of the champagne flute. “It isn’t an insult Theresa. But let’s be honest, before today you weren’t ready. You thought yourself above everyone and impervious to hurt. Something snapped inside you when you saw the way Jack responded to me and you yearned to know my secrets.”
Theresa spun around, her face once again screwed into a mask of barely contained fury. “I am impervious to hurt, I do the hurting not vice versa.” Her tone was bitter, cold, and dejected.
“Maybe when you were younger, but admit it Theresa you no longer have the blatant power over men you once had. It’s time to play smarter and win more in the process.”
Theresa’s shoulders slumped and the fight seeped out of her like a balloon losing air. “Are you sure your plan will work? I need money Beth, I’m not going to sugar coat things. Ben has it and I want it. I made some foolish investments and lost the comfortably large nest egg I had hidden away in the last four years. If Ben walked out on me right now, I’d have to go crawling home to Daddy and that would not end well.”
“As charming as your father is, I can’t see him welcoming you home with open arms to live off of him either.” Beth agreed easily, knowing full well that Theresa would be back home soon enough playing off her father’s sympathies.
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