Annihilate Me 2: Vol. 1 (22 page)

“I’m not that hungry.
 
How about something simple, like the
spaghetti
allo
spugnito
di
pomodoro
?
 
Just
something light and fresh.”

“
Perfecto
.”
 
He looked at our drinks and saw that
while Lisa’s was empty, mine was nearly full.
 
“Another martini?” he asked Lisa.

“Do you mind?” she asked me.

“Why would I?
 
Have another.
 
I’ll just tell everyone that you’re
drinking for two now.”

*
 
*
 
*

When our food arrived, I don’t know
why, but I was feeling increasingly queasy, which I’d been trying to keep from
my friend for the past forty-five minutes while we launched into a host of
gossip, revelations about what it really was like to live with our respective
partners, and my story of running into Immaculata
Almendarez
and
Epifania
Zapopa
at
Barneys.

“
Epifania’s
mother’s name is Guadalupe?”

“
Mama
Guadalupe.
 
I never laid eyes on her—they were
in a different part of the store.
 
But I can tell you this—I actually heard
Epifania’s
mother say to her daughter that she looked like a whore in the dress she was
wearing, which essentially set the place on fire.
 
Defensively,
Epifania
did what she always does—she said that since she was worth half a
billion, she was no whore.
 
But her
mother went for the jugular.
 
She
said that
Epifania’s
dress fit her tighter than the
skin on a blood sausage.”

“Oh no, she didn’t.”

“Oh yes, she did.
 
And it only got worse—
Epifania
actually called her mother out.
 
She said that at least she didn’t wash
up on shore in an inner tube wearing nothing but a banana leaf and a couple of
coconuts.
 
It got ugly.”

“Why couldn’t I have been there?”

“The world should have been
there.
 
Immaculata is as deranged as
she is unhinged.
 
And she totally
set
Epifania
up for failure with that ill-fitting
dress.
 
I can’t stand her.
 
And speaking of
Epifania
,
I should call her today.
 
She’s been
raked through the press since what happened to
Audric
.
 
I’ll send her flowers in a show of
support.
 
What happened to
Audric
wasn’t her fault.
 
She didn’t want to sit in his lap.
 
She tried her best to suggest that she
was too heavy for him, and that it was a bad idea.
 
But he insisted upon it.
 
Epifania
is a
nice girl.
 
She just played
along—and then look what happened.
 
The press is pinning part of this on her—and on Alex and me for
not stopping it from happening, as if we could.
 
But Alex and I can handle the negative
press.
 
I’m not so sure that
Epifania
can.
 
I’ll talk with her later today or tomorrow, and ask her over for coffee
sometime this week.
 
Somebody needs
to get behind her, because I can guarantee you that bitch Immaculata has
already distanced herself from her.”

When the server placed a full plate
of spaghetti in front of me, I knew that I’d never get through it—even if
it did smell good.
 
But when he
moved Lisa’s plate of salmon in front of me and I caught a whiff of the fish,
for some reason my stomach went sour, and I knew in an instant that I was going
to throw up.

“Excuse me,” I said as quickly as I
could.

When I stood up, I stood too
quickly—my chair hit the ground, but I didn’t stop to pick it up.
 
There was no time.
 
I was about to hurl.
 
As fast as I could, I cut through the tables
as people turned to watch me flee to the ladies room.
 
Just in time, I found a stall, dropped
to my knees, and started to dry heave into the toilet.
 
I had nothing in my stomach, but my
stomach didn’t seem to give a damn about that.
 
I just continued to heave until I heard
the bathroom door open and then Lisa’s voice just outside the stall.

“Jennifer, open the door.”

“I can’t.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t know.
 
It’s got to be stress.”

“But we were just having a fun
conversation.”

My stomach clenched one more time,
but only bile came out of my mouth.
 
I felt ashamed and humiliated.
 
Worse, I’d just ruined lunch with my best friend.
 
I grabbed some tissues, wiped my mouth,
and stood once the nausea had passed.
 
I wasn’t sure when I’d ever felt so weak, but I pulled it together and
opened the door to find Lisa standing just beyond it.

“You’re practically white,” she
said.

“That’s not the first time I’ve
heard that today.”

“Come over to the sink.
 
Rinse out your mouth.”

I did as I was told.
 
When I was finished, I looked at myself
in the mirror, and knew that something was wrong with me that went beyond mere
stress.
 
I could handle stress.
 
Moreover, I knew that my gut was made of
steel.
 

What’s happening to me?

“I need to leave,” I said.
 
“People saw me topple over my
chair.
 
I can’t go back into that
crowd as if nothing happened.”

“Of course we can leave.
 
But something isn’t right.
 
Why did you throw up?”

“I don’t know.
 
When I smelled your salmon, that was it
for me.
 
I just wanted to puke.”

“You threw up this morning?”

“I’ve been throwing up all week.”

She gave me a curious look.
 
“At what time?”

“Mostly in the morning.
 
But one time it happened later in the
day.”

“I’m going to ask you a question,
but try not to freak out.”

“What question?”

“Are you pregnant?” she asked.

“Am I what?”

“Pregnant.”

“God, no.
 
I’m on the pill.
 
You know that I am—and I never
miss a day.
 
Ever.
 
Alex and I aren’t planning on having a
family for another two years.
 
That’s way off the table.
 
It’s got to be something else.
 
I should probably see a doctor, but I can’t because I’m too busy.
 
And I can’t have Alex worrying about me
right now.
 
It would be too much for
him.
 
It wouldn’t be fair to him.”

“He’s your husband.
 
You have to tell him if something is
wrong.”

“How about if I confirm that
something is wrong, and then I’ll tell him?
 
What’s the point otherwise?”

“I think you need to take a
pregnancy test.”

“Oh, come on.
 
It’s not that.
 
You’ve seen what my life has been like
this week.
 
Obviously, for whatever
reason, my body is reacting to it.”

“Fine,” Lisa said.
 
“You’re not pregnant.
 
So, why don’t we just prove it with a
test?
 
What’s the harm?
 
You pee on a stick, you get your
negative, and then you call your doctor to get to the bottom of this.
 
How’s that for a plan?”

“I’m not pregnant.”

I can’t be.

“Besides,” I said.
 
“With the press on my ass, I certainly
can’t walk into a drug store and buy a test anyway.
 
Oh, they’d be all over that.”

“Then let me buy it for you.
 
We’ll leave here separately.
 
I’ll take a cab, buy the test, tuck it
into my handbag, and meet you at your apartment.
 
Then, you’ll pee on the damned
stick.
 
If you’re not pregnant, then
something serious might be wrong.
 
You’ll need to see your doctor ASAP.
 
But if you are pregnant, then you need
to know now so you can see your doctor for a whole host of different
reasons.
 
Either way, Jennifer, I
know you.
 
Stress has never made you
throw up.
 
When have I ever even
known you to throw up, with the exception of that time in college when we
downed a bottle of tequila between us?”
 

She put her hand on my
shoulder.
 

“Can we just do this?” she
said.
 
“Please?
 
I’ll pay for the bill.
 
You text Tank now, and he’ll meet you
outside.
 
Give me an hour, and I’ll
be at your apartment with the test.
 
OK?”

“I’m not pregnant, Lisa.”

“Then prove it to me—and to
yourself.
 
You owe yourself
that.
 
You owe your health that, you
owe Alex that, and if you are pregnant, you sure as hell owe your child
that.
 
So, we’re doing this?”

“What choice do I have?” I said.

*
 
*
 
*

An hour later, when Lisa arrived at
the apartment, I took the test from her hands, read the directions, opened it,
and went into the bathroom.

And then I peed on the stick.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Later that evening, I was feeling
much better.
 
The nausea was gone,
and finally I felt like myself.
 
Earlier that afternoon, I’d texted Alex to tell him that I wouldn’t be
returning to Wenn for the day, and that I’d see him when he came home.

His text back to me was loving and
revealing, especially since he knew how Lisa and I were whenever we got
together:
 
“Too many martinis?
 
I hope so.
 
You deserve them.
 
There’s much to discuss, which will
probably end with a back rub if you’re feeling up to it.
 
When I tell you what’s in front of us
tomorrow night, you might also need one, and I’ll deliver.
 
I love you, Jen—Alex.”

It was almost seven o’clock when
Alex finally walked through the door, his face showing a conflict of emotions that
I’d never seen before—exhaustion, anger, and what appeared to be a trace
of concern, which was likely due to the fact that Wenn’s stock had closed at its
lowest point in nearly three years.
 
It was now down another forty-eight points, thus erasing the gains Ann
and I had seen earlier.

Before he arrived, I’d showered,
done my face and hair, and changed into a sexy red top that did nothing to hide
my cleavage and an exquisite pair of Versace skinny jeans that barely fit my
ass, though I’d heroically thrown myself down on the bed and squeezed myself
into them.
 
On my feet were my
favorite Manolo Blahnik Audi ankle-strap pumps, which were especially hot when
paired with jeans.
 
I looked fresh
and ready to greet my man when he walked into the foyer.

And when he did, he just
stopped.
 

“Look at you,” he said.
 
“Jesus, you look good enough to eat.”

“Dinner’s served whenever you’re
ready to dine.”

He smiled at that, but behind the
smile, I could sense a strong element of distress.
 
I went over to him, kissed him for a
long moment, took his briefcase from his hands, and then asked him for his
jacket and tie.

“You need to relax,” I said.
 
“I’m here to help.”

He shrugged out of his jacket and
removed his tie.
 
“You’re the best.”

“And you are tired—I can
tell.
 
So, let’s talk about all of
it.
 
To say the least, I’m curious
about what’s happening in Singapore.
 
But first, let me get you a martini.
 
Sit over there on the sofa—go
on.
 
Right over there.
 
I’ve got this.
 
Have you eaten?”

“I don’t feel like eating.”

“I’d be happy to make you
something, Alex.
 
It’s not a
problem.”

“I’ll get my grains through the
martini,” he said.
 
“And thank
you.
 
You have no idea what it feels
like for me to come home to you tonight.”

“Fill me in on everything in a
second.
 
I’m also going to grab you
a snack.
 
I’ll be back before you
know it—but first, take off your shoes.
 
I want you to be comfortable.”

“You look smoking hot,” he said.

“I gave it my best shot without
Blackwell and Bernie at my side.”

“Then you won, Mrs. Wenn.”

“Maybe you can take advantage of it
later,” I said.
 
“You know, to work
off any frustration you might want to get rid of.”

He shot me a look.
 
“You’re in a mood.”

“I’m just horny.”

“Then we’ll take care of that.”

I gave him another kiss, and
slipped into the kitchen to make his martini.
 
In the refrigerator, I’d already made a
cheese plate with grapes, strawberries, pepperoni, crackers, and hummus.
 
When I was finished making his drink, I
brought it and the plate of snacks to him, and was happy to find him sitting on
the sofa.
 
He’d unbuttoned his
shirt, thus revealing his chest to me.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Fuel.
 
You’re going to need it.”
 

“You made it that fast?”

“I might have made it for you
earlier.”

“What did I ever do to deserve
you?”

“I ask myself the same thing about
you every day.”
 
I gave him a
look.
 
“Seriously, Alex, you have to
have something to eat.
 
So try a bit
of this.
 
Enjoy your martini.
 
There’s more where that came from.”

“Where is yours?”

I sat next to him and kissed him on
the neck.
 
“I had my share with
Lisa.
 
Enough is enough.”
 
I picked up a cracker and put a slice of
Stilton on it.
 
“But cheese and
crackers?
 
Oh, I can do that.”
 
I snuggled in close to him and placed my
hand on his knee.
 
“So, tell me,” I
said.
 
“What happened today?”

“Besides our stock tanking?”

“That’s right—and that will
recover.
 
What happened with
Singapore?”

“After spending hours on the phone
with Wei
Jei
, let’s just say that I got nowhere with
him, which isn’t acceptable.
 
He
says that the manufacturer who supplies our memory chips is nearly out of
stock, yet I know for a fact that that manufacturer isn’t the only one who
makes the chips we need to manufacture our phone.
 
The real issue is price.
 
Wei
Jei
doesn’t want to spend what it’s going to take to keep the
SlimPhone
coming off the line, even though he’s contractually bound to it.
 
I tried to walk him through that fact,
but he kept throwing up barriers.
 
Which means one thing.”

“What?”

“We need to confront him in
Singapore.
 
We leave tomorrow
night.
 
We can’t let production of
our phone halt now, for obvious reasons.
 
I need you and Blackwell there for consultation, as well as Tank,
Cutter, and Max for security.
 
We’ll
take the Boeing.
 
The Lear would
necessitate too many stops to refuel.
 
We’ll fly into Los Angeles, and then make the fourteen-hour flight to
Manila.
 
We’ll refuel there, and
then complete the final eight-hour leg into Singapore.
 
You remember the drill—this isn’t
our first time there.”

“So, it’s that bad?” I said.

“I need to put a stop to this
before a word of it leaks to the press.
 
Wei
Jei
knows that we’ll be there in two
days.
 
Because we’ve done business
before, and out of a sense of honor to me, he’s agreed to keep all of it
private—which frankly also serves him.
 
This trip is about as covert as it
gets.
 
I need to get ahead of this
before it becomes a real problem.
 
If the media catches a whiff that we might be having manufacturing
difficulties with our phone, what do you think would happen to our stock then?”

“Nothing good.
 
So, we go.
 
Have you told Blackwell yet?”

“Yes.
 
She’s on board.
 
So are Tank, Cutter, and Max.”

“How long will we be there?”

“I have no idea.
 
We’ll either be there until he bends, or
until I have to threaten him with a suit.
 
I told Wei
Jei
that I wouldn’t bring legal
with me because I thought that if we all got in a room together and discussed
this face-to-face, we could come to terms.
 
Does he want to face a lawsuit that he will lose?
 
No.
 
Do I want to sue him?
 
Obviously not.
 
It will just
hold up production.”

“If this is all in the contract,
then why is he balking?”

“He’s saying that he can get the
memory we need in two weeks, which won’t be soon enough given how swiftly the
phone is selling.
 
He thinks that a
brief cessation of our phone on the market won’t cause us a hitch.
 
I’m sorry, but we both know that’s
bullshit, particularly given the scrutiny we’re under right now.
 
What all of this comes down to is that
he didn’t plan correctly.
 
He didn’t
think that the
SlimPhone
would sell as many units as
quickly as it has.
 
He was
unprepared for it, but that’s his problem.
 
Unfortunately, it’s also become mine since he’s giving me push
back.
 
He needs to get his act
together, face the fact that he’s going to have to spend more money than he’d
originally planned to, and make this happen for us, or there will be a lawsuit,
which would only hurt his reputation, not to mention Wenn’s.
 
I have to prevent that from
happening.
 
So, we go to
Singapore.
 
Are you with me on
this?”

“Is that even a question?
 
You know I am.
 
I’m with you whenever you need me.
 
I know their culture is different from
ours—I get it.
 
Women in big
business don’t exactly rest well with them.
 
But I’m not blind to what I can do to
him, and to others.
 
I can charm
them.”

“In the right situation, you can be
far less abrasive than I am.
 
Please
don’t take this the wrong way, but you will be able to beguile him.
 
And his team.
 
You have a way with businessmen that I
don’t.
 
When we first went to
Singapore, you were a hit.
 
You know
that.
 
They not only saw your
beauty, but eventually they also saw your intelligence.
 
I hate that they don’t immediately look
beyond your appearance to hear what you have to offer to the conversation, but
we both know that’s just how it is in that culture.”

“I understand that.
 
Look, Alex, I get these people.
 
And I love playing chess.
 
So, you know, let me have at them.”

“I need all the help that I can
get.”

“And you’ve got me.
 
But I have to ask—where does
Blackwell fit into all of this?”

“Her instincts are critical.
 
She’s probably one of the smartest
people I know.
 
Do you know of a
sharper person who is as intimate with Wenn as we are?”

“I don’t.
 
In fact, she’s far more savvy than I am
when it comes to Wenn.”

“Which is why we bring her with
us.
 
She charms people in a
different way than you can—in that culture, her age is seen as a
plus.
 
She also knows how to work
behind the scenes, and bring things around to our favor.
 
My father used to use her for situations
such as this.
 
If you get Blackwell
in a room filled with resistant men like Wei
Jei
, she
somehow can tap into whatever vibe they’re giving off, and use it against them
to disarm them.
 
She knows how to
bait a hook.”

“I can see that.”

“I see you both as a two-pronged
attack.
 
Blackwell is older and, to
them, wiser.
 
So, we’ll use
that.
 
You are young, beautiful—and
disarmingly smart.
 
We’ll use that,
too.
 
And we’ll use my
influence.
 
Hell, we’ll use whatever
we’ve got to get what we need.
 
But
I resent having to use you as a showpiece.”

“Let’s get real—I know how
they value women there.
 
I’m just
glad that I can still be a showpiece.
 
And besides, we need to win.
 
For me, you go into business with whatever you’ve got.
 
To some women, all of this would be
insulting.
 
To me, it’s a game that
I want to win.”

“God, I love you,” he said.
 
“I was worried about this talk.
 
I didn’t want to offend you.”

“Why would you?
 
Actually, it will be kind of
fun—I’ll have Blackwell make me look especially attractive in ways that
their culture appreciates.
 
Nothing
too brazen—but everything left to the imagination.
 
Physically, I’ll do my best to give them
what they desire.
 
But between the
cracks, I’ll make sure that I help to get us what we want from them.
 
Blackwell will work her own magic, and
so will you.
 
We’ll be a great team.
 
Now, have a sip of your martini before
it gets warm.
 
I know what’s ahead
of us, but I have a few ideas I want to run by you first.”