Back in New York, Lorraine was unpacking and thinking through her alternatives and responsibilities. The bedroom she shared with Griffin was spread out around her, memories of their chaotic, lusty adventures sending waves of pleasures through her body. He’d had her in every position and against every wall, and she’d had him the same way. A glance at the shower in the master bath brought more memories, sweet and slick.

The phone rang, shattering her nasty nostalgia. Lorraine didn’t like seeing the word unavailable on her smartphone screen, but it didn’t stop her from swiping and raising it to her ear. “Lorraine Phoenix.”

After a nervous little pause, the voice on the other end said, “Lorraine, you’ve got to stop what you’re doing.”

“Who is this? Treena?” Her voice was small, metallic, as if it was coming out of an old payphone, which Lorraine suspected immediately that it was; so the call couldn’t be traced back to Treena, a fact that made Lorraine all the more nervous about the call and the content. “Treena, what are you talking about?” Lorraine pressed.

“I tried to warn you. You don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t know who you’re dealing with. But you just wouldn’t listen.”

“Tell me then, Treena. You’re not being bugged, or you wouldn’t have called at all.” Lorraine said annoyed.

“It’s not just the department,” Treena rasped, “it’s going way beyond that.”

“To who? What are you talking about, the pro sports leagues?”

A pause filled the line, and it brought terrible notions to Lorraine’s imagination. All that money, she reasoned, all those people involved at every level. Is that what she’s talking about, is that who’s coming after me now?

“Just drop it, Lorraine, drop it all now … before it’s too late.”

“Treena, are you threatening me?” Lorraine jeered.

“No, Lorraine, for christ-sake pull your head out of your ass! I’m warning you, and I won’t be able to do it again. Leave it alone, Lorraine, for the love of God just leave it alone.” The call ended, a dull buzz settling deep in Lorraine’s heart and in her conscience.

* * *

Jeremy leaned forward, concerned. “Do you really think they would hurt you?” They tucked Kayla into her bed for a nap and crept out of the nursery and down the hall. The hallway was dark, draped in shadow, but the penthouse was bright, sunlight streaming in through the many large windowed walls surrounding the living room.

Lorraine had to say, “I dunno, Jeremy. The police never did find anything conclusive surrounding Albert’s death. It’s possible that somebody did have him killed … ”

“And that means they could have you killed, too.” Jeremy fretted. Lorraine shrugged, unable to contradict her old, dear and very worried friend. They stepped down the hallway and into the living room. “And she’s right about those sports leagues, Lorraine. That’s a big, mean gorilla, and you just had to shake the cage. Why did you post that petition online?”

“Usignit.com is a very effective tool, Jer. I’ve already got a few thousand signatures.”

“Each one another nail in your coffin.” Jeremy said, distress obviously plaguing him.

“What else could I do? That Casper Newkirk really pisses me off. I’m not just rebelling either, Jer. I admit, I hate that self-satisfied grin on that miserable face. But, that’s not what this is about. Hey, the open letter worked in Denver, and it’s working now. I think this could really prove to be a success. Just think of the money that would go to the schools.” Lorraine said trying to steady and squash any thoughts of fear she felt in that moment.

“And right into the pockets of all those corrupt school board jerks,” Jeremy remarked.

This made some sense to Lorraine, but not in the way Jeremy must have assumed or hoped. “That’s probably true. With that much money, a lot of it is bound to get to the campuses where it belongs. But, knowing that, why wouldn’t Casper Newkirk and those others support it? Going against me so strongly doesn’t serve their purposes, not at all.” She considered.

Jeremy shrugged. “Maybe they don’t have a choice.” Lorraine had to think long and hard about that, and she didn’t like where her train of thought was taking her; straight over a cliff.

* * *

Lorraine arrived early for a Tuesday afternoon rehearsal. The technical aspects of the play were starting to come together, and even Lorraine’s own performance was improving. She still wasn’t sure about the song she was supposed to sing, but if it was part of Ashe’s vision, she was ready to go all in, no matter how potentially embarrassing it could be.

Maybe I should take singing lessons, Lorraine wondered, I’ll bet Griffin could just call up Paul McCartney and have him pop by for lunch!

The auditorium was quiet, no actors on the stage, only a few props scattered around while Ashe sat in a chair in the front row. He was still, unmoving in his seat as Lorraine approached from the left aisle. “Ashe? Ashe, what’s going on, was rehearsal cancelled?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of how?”

“The whole play was cancelled.”

A cold nausea turned in Lorraine’s stomach, making the quick and easy logistical leaps to make the obvious assumptions. “Ashe, why?”

He frowned and shrugged, “They say the subject matter is too intense for a school play.”

“But … they already approved it.” Lorraine said confused.

“They cancelled it anyway.”

Lorraine sighed and sat down next to Ashe, putting a comforting hand on his. “Where’s Rachel?”

“Gone. She blamed me for writing it that way in the first place. She said she told me it was too intense, we should just have written a musical about the Gold Rush or something.” He tried his best to conceal his utter disappointment.

“No, Ashe, no. You followed your artistic vision, into dangerous and risky places, that’s what a real artist does. That was a bold, gutsy play.”

“I guess.” He said disheartened.

Lorraine gave it some thought, quickly finding a reasonable solution. “What if we rent a little theater, produce the play ourselves?”

“Nah, just forget it,” Ashe said, pushing himself up and shuffling up the aisle and away from the stage, perhaps for the last time. “Let’s just go.”

* * *

Lorraine and Griffin took a stroll down Fifth Avenue just as the sun was going down, sparkling with white lights against the purple sky, chrome and glass and steel and brownstone. The world’s most treasured trinkets were on display beyond those spotless shop windows, pedestrians crowding the sidewalk, milling about in each direction. Cars crawled down the packed avenue, headlights rising to greet the coming gloom, and Lorraine knew just how they felt.

None of that was of any interest to either Lorraine or Griffin, though the spectacle of that fanciful illusion of happiness couldn’t help but catch their eye.

There was so much to talk about, to worry about, Lorraine hardly knew where to begin. She asked Griffin, “So … we’re going to have to settle that law suit, aren’t we?”

“I think it’s only a question of how much. Problem is, once he smells blood in the water, it could get ugly.”

“Just make an offer with no counter. He’ll take it, a grubby little bastard like that.”

“It’s not him we’re worried about, it’s his lawyers. Once those shysters got wind of what the case entailed, how much money there was at stake, he was able to get the best there is.”

A handsome cab rolled by, horse huffing, the woody smell of hair and hey lingering behind it.

Lorraine trying to lighten the situation said, “Maybe we could get a handsome cab, give tours of the city.”

“What’ll you do while I drive?” Griffin smiled.

“You? I drive, Grif … you’re the horse!” They both chuckled, stopping with a thick crowd of pedestrians to wait for the light to change. “Maybe we could move, start a new life … selling souvenirs from a roadside stand in Arizona or Nevada or something.”

Griffin snapped his fingers with the wide-eyed air of inspiration. “What’s the matter with me? We’ll just ride Ashe’s coat tales. He’ll be a big Hollywood film director — ”

“Oh, no question about that.”

“So, he’ll set us up. One thing about us Phoenix men, we stick together.”

“One thing?” Lorraine smiled and they neared to a tender kiss, light and loving. "What about Rachel, you think she'll mind?”

Griffin chuckled. “With all those Grammy awards and world tours and chart-topping albums? I think she’ll have other things to worry about.”

Lorraine chuckled with him, the two savoring the moment of togetherness, the chemistry which only they two could create, and which only they could share. The light changed and they crossed the street with the rest of the crowd.

Griffin sighed, car exhaust heavy in the intersection. “Honestly, I could leave this town, never look back.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course! Sure, it’s one of the world's great cities, this is where the action is. But I’ll find a way no matter where we are, we'll find a way together. You’re all I need, Lorraine, you and the kids, some way to put a roof over your heads.”

“That may be enough for you, but I need diamonds, Big Spender.” They laughed again, and Lorraine went on, “Maybe we go back to Denver, work with my folks at the learning center down there. Maybe I could become a teacher … ” Griffin looked at Lorraine with an expression she only saw on his face when he was looking at her. It was an impressed smile, brows arched, blue eyes twinkling. “Hey, we had a lot of fun in Denver.”

“Yes,” Griffin simply said, “yes we did. We fell in love in Denver. You saved my life in Denver.”

“We saved each other.”

They stopped walking, pausing on the crowded sidewalk for another long kiss. Lorraine’s hands rested on his broad, iron chest, his tender lips possessing every bit of his strength and using none of it to a terrific effect.