Saturday Evening, Las Vegas

The ride out on the motorcycle was the perfect start to the morning.  Sharing a nice breakfast in a little out of the way diner looking down on the valley was as romantic as it was quaint. Zelda wanted to know more about her big strong man since he barely talked about himself or his life.

“Scott, you never really talk about your family life.  I mean, you know all about my family and my screwed-up life, I don’t really know much about yours other than you were on the road most of your childhood.  That and having sex with grown women,” she said with her nose crinkled.

“Nothing much to tell.  I came home from living on the road and had some trouble adjusting to so many rules, and my Dad brought in Chandler,” Scott said.

“And how did it come about that the two of you ended up pledging Omega Psi Phi in college?”

“I had to teach Chandler how to be a black American man and he had to teach me how to be a white one. My Dad, bless his soul, knew how to run the museum.  He didn’t know how to run the business, so during my teen and college years, my cousin ineptly ran the company until I was ready to take hold of the helm. My Granddad started the Vent Conference and the rest is, I guess, history.  After college, I took over the business, and that has been it,” he said, watching her face closely.

“I know all of that, Scott. What I don’t know about is your relationship with your sisters. You said you have nieces and nephews, but you never talk about them,” she said.

“That’s because they are creepy as hell.”

“You sisters or nieces and nephews?”

“Both,” he said, chuckling.  “The family resemblance is strong, but Rebekah looks more like my mother. Sarah, who is the oldest of the three of us, is a bit of a busybody who thinks that I’m fragile. My dark phase between the ages of 13 and 15 she believed was because I was heartbroken by a lady love.”

“Which was partially true,” Zelda said.

“No, I was stuck in a house with a shrew of an older sister who took all the energy from my mother’s soul and a baby sister who was entirely too clingy.  My dad hid in the museum until dinner time, which left me as the only sane person any of them could talk to,” Scott said. “I resented it, so I hid like my dad.”

“How is your relationship with your parents?” she asked, wondering after spending so much time talking about her own.

“Dad is the proverbial nerd. He knows his way around a hammer much like a rich woman knows her way around a kitchen. He is still cool in my eyes, though.  We like to go fishing although he can’t bait a hook. Grayson, his butler, always has to do it for him,” Scott chuckled.

“Grayson?”

“Yes, he has been Dad’s butler, kind of like Chandler has been mine, since he was about 16 or so.  Technically, he is retired, but he is so comfortable in his life, and my Dad actually just enjoys his company,” Scott said.

“Let me guess...he’s like family,” she said sarcastically.

“He is family.  There is no like. When Dad got sick several years ago, my Mom was out of the country, so was I and Grayson handled everything.  He took care of my Dad until we were all able to get home. He saved my father’s life,” Scott said.

“Cool. For that he gets an eternal bed under the stairs,” she said, frowning.

“Zelda, my world is a little different. Grayson’s father was my Grandfather’s butler and so on.  His son would have been my butler, but Grayson was unable to have children. It is a symbiotic relationship between his family and mine,” he said.

“Oh, so the Berger’s has continued the indentured servant relationship through the millennia, which sucks ass.  I am having some serious reservations about this.  Are you telling me seriously, that what? Chandler’s children will be the servants to our children, Scott?”

“I doubt if Chandler will ever have kids,” Scott said.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said, putting her fork down.

“No.  I am not comfortable with having Chandler myself, which is why he is my brother.”

“Brother, my beige ass! I’d bet my neck that Chandler doesn’t see himself as your brother. Have you ever asked him how he feels about being your brother slash servant?”

“I have. He has been free to leave anytime he wishes, but there is something special about the connection and relationship we have, as is the relationship my father has with Grayson,” Scott said.

“Oh, I have got to hear your explanation of this,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

“Imagine having someone in your life with whom you can be totally yourself.  A person you can tell your deepest secrets to without any judgment or recrimination. To know there is one person in the world with whom you are truly yourself is rare.  Even as close as you claim to be with Michael, he doesn’t know the real you,” Scott said to her with his bottom lip turned down.

“Michael knows everything about me,” she said defiantly.

“No, he doesn’t.  The real Zelda, you hid in the pages of your diaries.  His fear of the real Zelda he had erased from your memory,” Scott said. “Now, you have three parts of your life ensconced in three journals of an existence he had permanently removed from your head.  Technically, you are just starting to live your life.”

Zelda had nothing to say.

Her head began to throb and she wanted to lie down for the rest of the day.  Scott’s words hurt, and the idea of Michael trying to protect her by erasing her memories also blotted out a part of the essence of who she really was as a person.

“Zelda, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not,” she said.  “Can we go back?”

“Sure,” he told her and settled up the check.

They rode back, Zelda gripping his waist as he maneuvered through the mid-morning traffic going back to the hotel. Anger simmered deep inside of her for Scott pushing towards the ugliness of Michael from hiding the truth from her.

“Talk to me,” Scott said.  “Don’t shut me out.”

“I need time to process this,” she said.

“Understood, but Chandler never allowed me to do that...you know, what you are doing right now.  He made me deal with my emotions which forced me to grow up and deal with life. That is why I said the relationship was symbiotic.  As ugly as I was as a kid, Chandler taught me to love and accept myself as I was.  The confidence I have has nothing to do with how I look, but how I feel about the person I am.”

“Whatever, Obi-Wan,” she said, unbuckling her boots.

“Listen to your heart, and follow where it leads you.  Anger is easy. Fear is given. It is how you handle both that will determine who you really are in the end,” he told her.

“Oh shut up!” she snapped at him, anger coursing through her. “And just so you know, that date sucked!” she added, storming off to the bedroom.

Scott was going to go after her, but his phone chimed.  It was Chandler.

“Hey,” he said in the line.

“Are you alone?” Chandler asked.

“More or less,” he said.

“A call came in on your private line from Samantha,” Chandler said. “Should I return the call and patch her through to you?”

“No, call her back and politely tell her to drop dead,” Scott said.

“Certainly, Sir, but might I ask, after all of these years, why she decided to reach out to you.  The settlement, and...why now?”

“I ran into her yesterday,” Scott said.

“Are you okay?  Should I fly out?”

“No, you are on vacation, and I am not a kid anymore.  She is going to show up tonight, I already know it, but it is going to be a rude awakening for her,” Scott said. “I’m not the man she thinks I am.”

“Have you hired security?”

“No, she has to get past not only Pip but also Zelda.  A very pissed off Zelda who is looking for someone to vent her anger on.  Samantha is going to be the recipient,” he said.  “It’s going to be a fun night.”

“Sir, I don’t mean to pry, but you seem rather happy that Ms. Fitzsimmons is angry,” Chandler said into the line.

“Yep. I have jumpstarted her healing process by moving her right into the anger phase.  She has sat in denial and isolation for too long.  The real conversation she needs to have with her brother is up next. There is nothing to bargain with him about so the healing can actually begin, and we can move forward,” Scott said.

“I pray that this does not backfire on you,” Chandler said.

“You and me both,” Scott replied, closing out the line.

****

SCOTT DRESSED IN A black suit with a red tie as he headed out to the West Coast Vent Conference with Danny packed securely in his carrying case. He blew Zelda a kiss as she sat in the corner in a large chair staring out the window with her arms folded across her chest. Her phone conversation with Michael didn’t last very long and by the looks of things, didn’t go quite the way she’d hoped.

The same could be said for Pip, who entered the door just as he opened it to go out. She actually growled at him as he walked by her. Halfway to the stairwell, Scott stopped, did an about face, and returned to the room.  Cracking open the door, he peeped his head in, looking at the two women who were both deep in their own feelings.

“Hey, I hope you guys come over to hear me speak,” he said softly. “I am kind of worried that since my name is on the program, I may attract some unwanted fans.”

“Fans?” Zelda asked.

Scott arched one well-trimmed, formerly bushy eyebrow.

“You think SHE is going to show up and try to talk to you after you speak?” Zelda wanted to know.

“Who is this she you are talking about?”

“An old woman who molested Scott when he was a teenager,” Zelda said.

“She didn’t molest me,” he said flatly.

“You were younger than the age of consent, she was an adult, and therefore, molestation,” she said and nodded her head at him.

“This woman is back trying to cause trouble?” Pip wanted to know.

“I think so,” Zelda said, rising to her feet.

“Hold up, let me change my clothes and get my knife, and we will slice this bitch to pieces if she makes a move,” Pip said, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

“Whoa! Whoa!” Scott said, sitting down Danny’s case.

“Gone ‘bout your business! Me and Pip, we got this,” Zelda said, heading to the bedroom to change. “Pip, be ready to roll in fifteen.”

“On it, doggone it,” Pip said, flashing gang signs from some imaginary group she belonged to in Fairy Land.

Scott worried he had activated two monsters, picked up the case and made his way back to the elevator.  By the time he reached the conference hotel, the thoughts of the two gangsters he left in the hotel suite all but faded as conference attendees and dealers flanked him.  Questions started before he even took to the stage as the afternoon commenced with eager learners that he was more than excited to teach.

It only took twenty minutes before the ladies walked into the hotel conference room one block away from the suites where they were staying, while Scott stood on the podium taking questions. Only a few minutes were needed to spot Samantha, who raised her hand to pose a question which probably had nothing to do with the care of the wooden friend Scott was holding. Zelda tapped Pip on the leg, pointing to the lady with her arm in the air. On a silent count of three, the ladies broke left and right coming into the seating area, one on one side of Samantha, one on the other.

“Put your arm down, you old pedophile,” Zelda said.

Samantha’s body tensed as Zelda poked her with a pen in her ribs. “Put your flabby arm down,” she said through tight lips.

“I’m not sure what you are doing here,” Samantha said, trying to not appear rattled.

“You know, I was thinking the same damned thing. Years later you run into your first victim and decide to what, buy him a drink and talk about the good ole’ days?  It’s actually kind of sick,” Zelda said.

Samantha turned in her seat, making eye contact with Zelda. “So what are you supposed to be, his great savior?  Trust me, Honey, based on what I know about that man, he doesn’t need any saving.”

“You don’t know that man. You knew a lonely boy starved for his mother’s affections.  He was a child that you took advantage of with your horny misguided desire to be loved. Scott, a young boy at 13 he didn’t understand his body and you used that for your dark, demented pleasures,” Zelda said to her in a whisper.

“Little Ms. Goody Two Shoes, you think you know all about it. You know nothing,” Samantha hissed.

Zelda pulled her by her arm, up from the chair, while Pip followed them out to the hallway.

“Tell us what happened to you as a child.  Did your Daddy’s friend prey upon you to make you think it was okay to do the same to a kid, scared, alone and trying to figure his way through an adult world?”

“Just back off,” Samantha said.

“No, you back off,” Pip said. “If you think for one moment it’s cute to have an adult screwing with your head and using your body, you are wrong.  I didn’t find it amusing when my Mom’s boyfriend did it to me.”

“And I didn’t find it slightly interesting when my stepfather wanted to use sex as a form of punishment to my 13-year-old body either.  You being here, coming after him for whatever reason, whether it be to spark up old times or for him to make you feel young and desirable again, is sad.  You are a withered old woman dressed like a stripper turned showgirl at the worst casino in town.  Go find a corner and sit in it,” Zelda said, pulling out her phone.

She snapped a picture of Samantha.

“What are you doing with that photo?” Samantha asked.

“Times have changed.  You open your mouth or even take one step closer to him, and I will buy as many ads and billboards as I can labeling you as a pedophilic child molester.  Samantha, I also want you to know there is no statute of limitations on rape in the state of California. Charges can still be brought against you for your definition of taking little Scottie for a ride to Disneyland,” Zelda said.

Samantha stormed away with Pip throwing up her gang signs to the back of the lady’s head. Scott left the stage and walked up to join the ladies.  “Is everything okay?  Was that Samantha?”

“Yes, we had a friendly chat, getting a few things cleared and out of the way. We even came to an understanding,” Zelda said with a smile.

“See, it does help to talk about it and get it out,” he said, placing one arm on her shoulder and the other over Pip’s.  “Tonight, dinner is on me, wherever you ladies want to dine.”

––––––––

PIP, QUIET DURING MOST of the meal, ate in near silence. A vent dealer hyped up and excited after Scott’s presentation, sought him out, pulling him away from the dinner table to talk business and place a large order. Zelda used the free moment to address the sullen Pip.

“Penny for your thought?” Zelda said softly.

“Nope, this is going to cost you a twenty,” Pip retorted.

Zelda pulled a crisp ten dollar bill from her wallet, laying it on the table.  “Half now, the other half if the information is any good.”

“So, what? I am your informant now or something,” Pip said almost laughing at Zelda.

“No, you are my friend and something is bothering you.  I would like to think that after you helped me, that you would be open enough to share what is on your mind,” she replied.

“Even if that includes your brother?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t want to hear if he is having erectile dysfunction or any shit like that, but a legitimate concern you can share with me as your friend.  Remember, we are BFF’s,” Zelda said.

“I’m not thinking about your brother but that Samantha woman.  You know she is going to contact or come for you,” Pip said.

“Why in the hell would she do that?  I don’t think she is even that crazy.”

“It’s not crazy Zelda,” she said pausing. “Do you remember when you and I met at the conference?”

Zelda nodded wondering where Pip was going with the conversation.

“You think you know everything.  You think you understand him and you don’t.  His world is different and so is he,” she said in hushed tones.

“Pip, I know you think you know Scott...,” she started, but Pip stopped her.

“I do know him, but my fear is that you are so focused on you that you can’t really see him.  Samantha sees him. I see him. Zelda, did you know that I work for Scott,” She said watching Zelda’s surprised face. “Exactly my point. I have worked for him for over four years.  The house I live in, he helped me purchase. These boobs, I scraped and saved to buy so that the one chance I had at that conference to get his attention, I would. Just like Samantha, I took my chance and instead of raising my hand, my boobs were going to speak for me, but Zelda, he still was not interested. He is not interested in her, if he was, he would have reached out to her by now. Scott has the resources and based on how she looks, Samantha would not be hard to find.”

Shifting in her seat, Zelda tossed a strand of hair over her shoulder. “What are you trying to tell me Pip?”

“I’m telling you that she is going to call.  Samantha is going to expect you to be a stark raving bitch, just like I did, but you turned the tables on me and was helpful.  Will you be helpful to her even though you didn’t consider me to be a threat?  She threatens you, Zelda.  What she had with Scott was real regardless if he was 13 or 33. He is a different kind of man,” Pip told her.

“Pip, I appreciate your help and all...,” Zelda started, but Pip slammed her hand on the table.

“Goddammit, Zelda. You need to be a better woman,” Pip shouted, causing everyone in the restaurant to turn around, including Scott and the business owner he spoke to about the potential sales.

“Is everything okay ladies?” Scott asked, giving a slight tilt of his head.

“Everything is fine, Baby,” Zelda said, giving him a shaky smile.

“No, it’s not. You are going to hurt him by being selfish and stupid, then I am going to have to officially break up with Michael, who by the way, fucks like a Greek god, just because you keep getting in your own way. Love is simple. All that is required is for you find someone who loves you and you love them back.  None of this other bullshit you keep dragging under the covers,” Pip said.

“Pip, I’m not sure what kind of person you think I am, but you have me all wrong,” Zelda said.

“No. I have you all right.  The problem is you don’t know what kind of person you are.  Sifting through some old journals is not going to bring back the missing pieces of you. The you that you are, is sitting at this table. Zelda gets to go to bed tonight and sleep next to that good guy.  I, on the other hand, keep picking up my phone feeling like a dumbass because I want to call your brother.  I cried myself to sleep last night in preparation of him showing up and dumping me because my baggage is a going to be a pain in his ass and he is not going to want to deal with me after he has spent his entire adult life dealing with your shit. That why I say no more Zelda.”

“Pip, I am having a hard time here.  I can’t just dismiss my past and move on like it never happened,” Zelda said leaning closer.

“Yes, you fucking can!  Women do it all the time.  Bad shit happens to women every day.  Some wallow in it going poor me, waiting for others to come wipe their noses or their spoiled little asses. Others get counseling, learn to heal and move forward.  When you move forward, the two men who love you the most can move forward as well. I can move forward with Michael as soon as he falls out of his twisted love affair with you.”

“Michael is moving forward, with you,” Zelda persisted, dismissing the last part of Pip’s comment.  Addressing it at this point would lead to a fight and she didn’t want to fight with Pip.

“Your brother can’t have a relationship with me because he is still in one with you.  Let him go, Zelda,” she said softly. “Let go and love Scott so that Michael can love me.”

“Pip?”

“Yes, Zelda?’

“You get on my damned nerves, but that’s why I love you,” Zelda said.

“Girl, you’d better,” she said. “Now, let’s leave these men here and go get some drinking done so I can feel better about myself.”