Chapter 45

 

Gabriel

 

Still fuming from Lexie’s apparent betrayal, I do my best to hide my irritation from the people in attendance. I know several people saw us arguing. Several more saw her running out the door.  And hundreds saw her in that terrible dress. The question is, did the photographers in attendance capture it on film.

As I make my rounds through the massive ballroom of Kenneth Griffin, Sr.’s home, I revel in the wealth around me.  The house is old, turn of the century, and built on the most expensive piece of land in the city.  It overlooks Lake Michigan and rests just north of the Gold Coast area. His lot size totals nearly four acres. To put that into perspective for you, one acre in this area is worth millions of dollars. Maybe more. Granted, that’s not a large sum for a man worth six billion dollars.

That’s all I really know about that man. He’s extremely private. I’ve been to this Gala twice now, and I’ve never gotten a glimpse of the man himself.  Some compare him to Howard Hughes due to his reclusive tendencies.  A few people I’ve talked to tonight said he was here earlier this evening.  I hope I get to meet him. I’d love to talk to him about renovating this home or building him something new.

As I make my way to the buffet table, I hear the tinkling of crystal. My attention is drawn up the large stage that holds the orchestra that is entertaining us tonight.  I see an elderly man in the middle of the stage and a woman in a green dress by his side. “Lexie?” I thought she left.

I walk toward the stage. If I can make it in time, I’ll be able to speak to her before she leaves again.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming tonight. Sheila would be so honored to know you all care so much about our charity.  No doubt she’d look out at all of you in your finery and proclaim, ‘You’re all boring!’” The older man chuckles as the crowd remains silent. “Those of you who remember Sheila know she loved bright color. I mean, look at my home?  There’s not one black, white, or gray thing in the place.”

The crowd nods and laughs right along with the speaker who must be the man himself, Kenneth Griffin.

He reaches out and takes Lexie’s hand in his. “That’s why I’ve asked my friend, Lexie, to wear Sheila’s favorite color tonight. Beginning next year, this event will no longer be the Black and White Gala, it will be filled with color and cheer, just the way my wife would have liked it.  How does that sound?”

The people in attendance all clap at this new plan. Lexie smiles at Kenneth as he lifts her hand to kiss it.  What the fuck? Since when did Lexie befriend the wealthiest effing man in town? Hell, the richest man in the state.

I wait at the edge of the stairs, near the steps.  When she catches sight of me she hesitates. Kenneth must have noticed her hesitation because he looks down at me and scowls. Using his cane, Kenneth takes the steps down cautiously.  I reach a hand out to assist him, but he shakes me off.  Once he’s in front of me, I can’t help noticing how tall and broad the man is. No doubt, in his prime, he was taller and broader than me.

When he says nothing, I say, “Mr. Griffin.”

“You’ve upset my friend twice in two days. I’d prefer you don’t do that a third time or I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

He’s saying it loud enough for the people around us to hear. “Sir? She’s my girl…”

“No. I’m not.” Lexie says coming up behind Kenneth.

“Lexie.”

“Gabriel. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss this. We can speak later.”

“Later? Tonight?”

“No. Not tonight.”

“When?”

“I don’t know. I’m accompanying Ken tonight.”

“Your dress. It’s different.”

“It’s green.”

“It’s pretty.”

Lexie rolls her eyes and follows Ken through the crowd.

The rest of the night, I make it my mission to keep an eye out for her all evening. I’ve watched her meet celebrities, the governor, several professional athletes, a supermodel, and fucking Brodie James, linebacker for the Chicago Bears. Luckily, he seems to be there with a date. A woman who looks suspiciously like Lexie. “He must have a type.”

“Who has a type?”

The voice behind me makes a chill run down my spine. “Christine.”

“Hello, lover.” She coos in my ear as she slides her hand up my back.  “It looks like your girlfriend has thrown you over for someone even richer than you. Too bad he’s one hundred.”

I pull away from her as cautiously as possible. “She hasn’t thrown me over.”

“Well, I don’t blame her after the way you treated her when she first arrived.”

Jesus, is she stalking me? “Don’t you have better things to do than worry about me?”

“But, our baby needs you,” she pouts.

I turn to face her. Stepping close. “I had an interesting meeting this afternoon.”

“Oh, yeah?” she says running her fingers up the front of my shirt. Clutching the lapels of my tux she adds. “What was it about?”

“You.”

“Me? Who were you talking to?”

“My private detective.” She pulls back startled but I continue. “It turns out she’s very good at her job.” I pull her wrists away from my jacket. “Now, we both know who the real father of that child is.”

“Oh, now. You’re the father.”

“Keep it up, Christine. I’ve got a friend at the Tribune who’d love the scoop.” She gasps and steps back, but I move in closer. “Senator Baxter wouldn’t be pleased, now would he?”

“How did you?”

“You put your trust in the wrong people, Christine. They betrayed you.”

“That’s not true. You don’t have…”

“I’ve got everything I need to take it to the press. So, stop harassing my girlfriend and me, or you’ll be in the middle of a shit storm.” I watch her face as it reddens. A tear appears in the corner of her left eye. “Don’t even bother, Christine. Tears from you mean nothing. This is your last warning. If you test me again, I’ll make the call.”

“Fine. But, you should know. You’re a pathetic asshole.”

And you’re a conniving bitch. “Well aware. Well aware.”