Lavender Is a Harsh Mistress Read online

  “You are right Carney, that is exactly what I should say.”

  “Of course you should but you won’t. Maybe you shouldn’t use the word lobotomy. It might take you half a day to explain it to him.”

  “You know Marcus doesn’t like Patrick at all. Just me mentioning his name makes him mad.”

  “He told you that? Then stop mentioning his name!!”

  “No, but I just know it.”

  When the following morning arrived it looked like the start 145

  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress of a beautiful day. Amanda knew that the first part of this day would be problematic (Having to tell Patrick). But the rest of the day would be wonderful because she would see Marcus at work. Then in a few short hours they would be spending Saturday together. Manny pulled the car up to her apartment and Amanda told him where she was going and why.

  “Not again boss, are you serious this time?”

  “Yes, this time I am for real.” Manny steered the car away from the curb and a sly smile came over his face.

  “Can I assume that you found more than the food to your liking at the Victoria Club?”

  “The food was excellent and the company was even....better.”

  “When my wife got home with the kids I told her how you were snuggled up against Marcus. Do you know what she said?”

  “No what?”

  “She said. “Patrick was a goner!” Within the hour Amanda was walking across Patrick’s living room and sitting down.

  “What’s up Amanda? I am glad that you stopped by because I have to talk to you about something. I might as well come out and tell you right off. I am seeing someone else and you should try and find someone else also.” Amanda didn’t wait for him to go on. She stormed across the room and flung open the door. The force of it hit him in the chest almost causing him to fall.

  “You see, I knew that you wouldn’t know how to take it! That you would freak out!” By now she was already pressing for the elevator.

  Patrick was right behind her.

  “You could have at least told me Patrick!” She tried to make her anger sound as believable as possible. Patrick was now facing her.

  “Look, just to show that there are no hard feelings we can always hook up once in awhile for sex. What do you say? All this means is that you can’t be my main girl anymore!”

  Amanda watched the elevator doors close behind her and went into a laughing fit. She couldn’t believe her good luck. She could hear Patrick’s voice as the elevator started to move.

  “Amanda please give that guy Marcus my number? I have come up with some really good business ideas, and...” Amanda didn’t know how she did it but she made it to her car without falling down onto 146

  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress the pavement, while still under the sway of her laughing fit. Manny turned around to look at her with a worried, and puzzled look on his face. He kept the car parked at the curb as she told him what happened. Manny tried to start the car but stopped as he began to be overtaken by his own laughter.

  “Boss (Laughter), what a putz. What an asshole (Laughter) If you ever go out with that fool again (Laughter). I will shoot you myself.”

  Manny then straightened up his face and pretended to be serious.

  “Now boss, when I bring you back to hook up with him. Do you want me to use the front entrance or the back?”

  Once again he and Amanda erupted into uncontrollable laughter. It was only by a miracle that Manny was able to get her to work without having an accident.

  When Amanda did arrive for work Raz was waiting for her in her office. “Good morning Mandy, I was waiting for you to come in before I checked with Marcus about something.” Since Amanda’s talk with her about taking up so much of Marcus’ time. Raz now always checked with Amanda first.

  “Raz is there something that I can help you with?”

  “Well it’s about something that has to do with the Paris orders.”

  “You are right, we had better speak to Mr. Peterson.” As soon as Raz turned toward his door Marcus stepped out. Amanda could feel her eyes widen and her breathing start to increase.

  “Marcus, I was just asking Amanda if I could ask you a question about our Paris operation.

  “Good morning Miss. Wilcox, Raz. Let me get my Paris Log, so that I can help you. It has all the names, numbers and addresses that you will need. It also tells you which people and companies to avoid.

  I will be right back.” He stepped into his office and quickly returned with the log.

  “Here Raz, it has everything that you need.” By the time that Raz was out of Amanda’s office door. Marcus had gone back into his office and closed his door. Amanda looked down at some papers on her desk and tried to get interested in them. Not being able to get that done she stood up and laid her head against the wall.

  “I can’t do this! I can deal with a thousand Patricks, but I just can’t deal with a man like him. I can see now that it just won’t work. Last 147

  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress night I was Amanda, now I’ve been demoted and I am back to being Miss Wilcox. She sat back down at her desk and looked over at his office door. She could hear his voice thru the door making deals for her. Making her company into one of the biggest fashion companies in the world and making her more money than she could have dreamed of. She tried to get some paperwork done but it was just no use. When lunch time rolled around she grabbed her jacket and called for Manny to take her home. By the time that she had gotten home she was certain.

  “I am not going anywhere with him tomorrow. I am not going anywhere with him ever again! I guess it’s back to Patrick again.”

  Carney was awakened by someone who was leaning on the doorbell. She looked thru the peephole and saw that it was Marcus and opened the door.

  “Good morning Carney. Amanda was supposed to meet me downstairs at ten o’clock. It’s already ten seventeen, she’s late.” Carney fumbled for an answer.

  “I think...that....she....ummm, wasn’t feeling too good last night and....” Marcus turned his head to the side and trained his angry eyes on her forcing Carney to stop talking. “Well if she’s feeling that bad she needs to really go out with me today. That way she will feel a whole lot better! Tell her that I am waiting for her downstairs in front of the building.” Carney hustled into Amanda’s room and roughly shook her awake.

  “Mandy, Mandy, you have to get up! You have to get up right now!

  Marcus was at the door and he’s really upset that you were not downstairs at ten.”

  “I left him a message on his phone saying that I wasn’t feeling well and I was staying home.

  “Why would you do something so stupid as that?”

  “He’s the one who’s stupid! When we were at The Victoria Club I was Amanda, but the next day when I get to work I am back to being Miss. Wilcox. He’s upset! He’s upset! Well so am I! I am not going out with him ever again!”

  Carney took both of her hands and banged them on the sides of her head.

  “What! Is that what this is all about, him calling you Miss. Wilcox?

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  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress Call me crazy but isn’t that your name?” She took Amanda’s hands into hers and shook them as hard as she could.

  “Listen to me Mandy! Listen!!” Carney now lowered her voice so that Amanda could focus on her words.

  “Mandy you are in what I call The Red Haze Of Love. It’s something that most women go thru when they first meet a guy who does something to them that drives them crazy. That is what you are going thru. You love him, you hate him, you want to be with him, but you don’t want him around. You want him to kiss you, to touch you, to make mad violent love to you, but if he so much as men-tions sex you will cut his penis off. There is only one way out of this malady. You have to go out with him to get this out of your system.

  He’s downstairs, just go get into his car. Let him take you around the block and bring you back. By then you’ll know how to handle The Red Haze Of Love. Ei
ther you want to be with this man or you don’t. But for the love of God, make up your mind once and for all.

  One more thing don’t ask me to go down and make up another silly reason why you can’t go out. He’s really mad and I am not going to get punched out because of you! Don’t you know Mandy, that when a man is mad because he can’t see a woman. It’s a good thing!”

  By the time that Marcus got out of the city Amanda was still pressed against the armrest on the door. Other than a stiff hello she and Marcus hadn’t spoken to each other at all. After he couldn’t stand it anymore he blurted out.

  “You know if it is such a imposition for you to be with me I may as well turn around and take you back home.” When she still didn’t answer he jerked on the steering wheel and headed for the off ramp.

  Amanda banged her shoulder against the door.

  “Did I say that I wanted you to take me home? I didn’t say that!

  Didn’t you get my voice message?!”

  “Yes I got your voice message and I decided to ignore it because there was no good reason for you not to go out with me. After The Victoria Club and the beach I thought that we were getting more acquainted with each other.” Amanda still leaned hard against the door and refused to look at him.

  “So did I. Then when we got back to work the next day I was Miss.

  Wilcox, again!” Marcus went up the ramp and crossed over the in-149

  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress tersection then got back onto the thruway. Heading in the same direction away from the city.

  “Oh, that was kind of stupid of me wasn’t it? I am sorry about that, it won’t happen again. It was just that I felt a little awkward about what to call you after that night. From now on it’s Amanda, if that’s alright.” Amanda moved away from the arm rest and her demeanor instantly changed.

  “Amanda is fine or Mandy. I have never been one to stand on formality.”

  “Yes I remember you saying that.” Amanda did a double take.

  “Excuse me but I don’t ever remember saying that to you.”

  “You are right, you never did tell me that directly. You said it in an article a few years back.” Marcus reached into his jacket pocket and produced a magazine article. He gave it to her and she quickly read it over.

  “You are right I did say that. Where did you find this piece? Didn’t this magazine shut down because of taxes about two years ago?”

  “Yes they did but I cut out this article before their tax trouble.”

  She let his reply circle around in her head for a few minutes.

  “I don’t understand! You cut this article out about me two years before you even came to work for me, and kept it all this time?”

  “Yeah.” She moved further away from the arm rest and said in all candor. “Why?” Marcus took his eyes off of the road and glanced at her for a few seconds.

  “After reading that article I realized that I liked what you were doing. I mean starting a business and giving it your all. You know, making something out of nothing, I really liked that. Since then I have been kind of following you in the papers and magazines.” Now it was Amanda’s turn to go silent. Not because she wanted to, but because her thoughts were too mixed up to come up with a cogent response.

  “Amanda, before I came to work for you I worked at Blakely and Shade. I was at the Waldorf, when you received the award for the Best New Designer. That was a very stirring speech that you gave when you got up on the stage. Reminding them that they needed to do more when it came to allowing men and women of “Color” a fighting chance of getting into the business. I even remember what 150

  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress you wore that day. It was a periwinkle suit with an off white blouse, a pearl necklace with matching earrings and black two inch heels. You looked absolutely wonderful. Everyone could see that your speech had touched a nerve. You made them all squirm in their seats. Good!

  All those fashion icons, those bigwigs, sitting there thinking that God, gave them a magic wand when it came to fashion.” Amanda sat up and looked at the on coming road.

  “You are right Marcus, I did give that sort of speech. I am sorry that I don’t remember seeing you there.”

  “You and Patrick were sitting three rows in front of me. I thought it a trifle odd that....” Marcus broke off the sentence. Amanda turned to look at him.

  “You thought what odd?” He once again glanced at her before looking back at the road.

  “That at the end of the ceremony it was your boyfriend that was accepting all the congratulations and shaking everyone’s hand. For a brief minute I thought that he had gotten the award and given the speech.” Amanda wished that she could melt into the car’s leather seat. Marcus was right about everything that he had just said. Right down to what he said about Patrick and what she had worn. Suddenly her mouth felt parched and she needed something cold to drink. She put her fingers to her mouth and ran them across her lips.

  “I wished that you had introduced yourself.”

  “No that would not have been right because you were there with another man. Listen Amanda and I mean it. No more about Patrick!”

  Amanda replied in a tone whose inference escaped Marcus.

  “You are so right, no more about him ever again!” Marcus stepped on the gas and the car picked up speed.

  “From now on we are moving forward, alright?”

  “Yes Marcus, forward is always the best direction to go in.”

  Amanda quickly shifted gears.

  “So you have been watching me?”

  “Let’s not say watching you, let’s say that I have been paying you very close attention whenever you came across my radar.”

  “You mean for business reasons?”

  “No! Business had nothing to do with it. I wanted to get to know you better, maybe even meet you. Does that come as a surprise to 151

  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress you?” Amanda rested her head back against the seat and looked at him.

  “Yes a little.”

  “Why.” It wasn’t hard for her to come up with an answer.

  “Marcus I have to be honest, you have it all. I am sure that there are at least ninety percent of the men in the world that would die to have what you’ve got. On top of that you are a woman magnet. It doesn’t matter their race, age, weight, religion, they don’t care. What Alvin said about you at his Street On The Street Party, was correct. You have that certain something that makes the world revolve around you. I think that is how you became a member of the Victoria Club. Whoever vouched for you saw that special something and that is how you became a member. Other than me being successful in business, women like me are a dime a dozen.”

  “Do you really believe that? If you do then it only means one thing.”

  Marcus hesitated for some seconds before he continued.

  “It means that you have been involved with the wrong kind of men.

  It also means that they are hampered by the same affliction that most men have.”

  “What affliction?”

  “They are blind.” With her courage mounting by the minute she asked.

  “What do you see in me?” Marcus answered in a nanosecond.

  “I see the future.” She knew he was talking about taking this relationship to another level. She wanted to say something pithy but when she started to answer everything came gushing out.

  “I was hoping that you would be interested in me. I don’t know if you have noticed it but I am totally turned on by you in every way that a woman can be turned on by a man. But I could never find the right time to tell you. I tried to tell you the morning after Alvin’s party but you and Willis were already in the air and on your way to Paris.

  I wished so very desperately that it was me instead of him.” Amanda had been unable to stop herself. It seemed as if the words had a mind of their own. This was the fist time in her life that she had ever been so open with a man about how she felt about him. The shock of what had just happened pushed her back into silence aga
in. Marcus reached over and held her hand.

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  Lavender Is A Harsh Mistress

  “Right now I feel the same way that I did the first time that I saw you at the Waldorf. You look and sound wonderful.”

  Marcus turned off the thruway and the BMW knifed thru a rustic back road that was covered with wood chips and some gravel.

  The warm sensation that had started to built up within her body now began to intensify. She didn’t know how everything had suddenly happened with him. She was just crazy with joy that it had.

  She couldn’t stop her eyes from dancing across his face. The car kept gliding across the wooded landscape as a rising sun bathed them in a golden hue.

  “We are going to a small country fair that I read about in the papers. I like going to fairs. I think that there is something profoundly American about them. I hope that you will like it.” Amanda felt emboldened enough to reach over and pat his hand on the steering wheel. “I don’t mind anywhere that you want to take me Marcus. I just love being with you.” Once again she had no idea where those words had come from. “

  “After that I am going to take you to The Castle. It’s a small diner that isn’t far from the fair and the food is very good.” They drove for another three miles before they pulled into a dirt parking lot.

  Amanda looked around and saw that everyone seemed to be dressed in jeans.

  “Marcus, do you think that we are a little over dressed?”

  “Listen you are with me now. As long as I like what you are wearing no one else matters. From now on we are going to be spending a lot of time together. What ever you wear will suit me just fine.” It was heading toward the later part of the afternoon and she and Marcus had stopped at every booth to buy small trinkets and to play every game of chance. Marcus held up a plastic writing pen.

  “Look, I bet that this is the most expensive pen in the state. So far it’s only cost me about two hundred dollars, I hope that I can afford the ink.” Their last stop was at an archery game. Amanda tried to beg her way out of it.

  “Oh no, you have no idea how much of a klutz that I am.”