LOVING THE HEAD MAN (29 page)

       “Hello, Mr. Vice President,” Robert said into his cell phone and Bree and Zack glanced at each other.  The room was now pin-drop silent.

       Bree could tell Robert was looking grave even before the call, but as the call progressed he looked even
more grim
.  When he finished the call and closed his cell phone, he leaned back in his chair and exhaled.  Then he looked at his son and his lover.

       “That was our former Vice President,” he said.

       “What did he want?” Zack asked nervously.

       “It seems that I’ve been replaced as lead attorney for his defense.”

       Zack’s fork that was in his hand slipped out.  Pain appeared on Bree’s face.  “Did he say why?” she asked him.

       Robert smiled a smile so weak that it barely penetrated his gloom.  “They never say why.  They just claim they’re doing you a favor and leave it at that.  Then I’m supposed to issue a press release stating that I’m doing the former vice president a
favor, that
my other legal obligations made it impossible for me to give his case the full attention it deserves and leave it at that.”

       “And they expect people to believe that you have other cases more important than defending the former Vice President of the United States?”

       “No, they don’t care if people believe it or not. They just do it.  Oh well.  It is what it is,” Robert said in such a disappointed way that Bree, for the first time ever, felt sorry for him.

       “It’s
all your
fault,” Zack said to Bree and Bree and Robert both looked at him.  “If you wouldn’t have fired Prudence Cameron--”

       Bree frowned.  “What does Pru have to do with this?”

       “If you wouldn’t have fired her then Warren Bachmann wouldn’t have gotten to the vice president.”

       “Oh, that’s crazy,” Bree said, amazed that Zack was willing to overlook that glaring sexual harassment lawsuit that probably had everything to do with Robert being replaced.

       “Who’ll you calling crazy?” Zack pounced.  “You’re the one who’s crazy!  You just caused Dad to lose the best case of his career,” he yelled, “you’re the one who’s crazy! 
You selfish bitch!”

       As soon as the b-word sailed from Zack’s lips, Robert sailed from his seat, grabbed his son by the catch of his collar and slung him against the dining room wall.

      
“Robert, no!”
Bree yelled in fear, seeing the anger in his eyes.

       “If you ever, and I mean ever,” Robert said, slamming his son harder against the wall, “call Brianna anything but her name, I will kick your natural ass.  You understand me?”

       Zack was at this point in tears.  “Yes, sir,” he said. 

       Bree could see the regret in Robert’s eyes when he realized his son probably was responding more out of love for him than disrespect of Bree.  He released his son’s collar,
smooth
it down, and then backed out.

       “I need some air,” Robert said as he walked toward the French double doors, opened them, and then made his way out onto the balcony to take in the fresh night breeze.

       “See what you’ve done?’ Zack said to Bree, albeit half-heartedly, as he sat back at the table.

       “You are such a kid,” Bree responded, “did anybody ever tell you that?”

       “Oh, so because I care about my dad I’m some kind of a sissy or something?”

       Bree frowned.  “Who said anything about you being a sissy?”

       Before Zack could respond, however, they both heard what sounded like a big fall. 
A hard, solid thump.
  They looked at each other, remembered Robert, and then ran for the balcony, with Bree leading the charge.  When they ran through the French doors and saw that it was indeed Robert, that he was lying on the balcony floor, and that he was unconscious, both of their hearts dropped in a combination dread and terror. 

       “Lord, no,” Bree said breathlessly as she hurried to Robert’s side.  “Call 911,” she ordered Zack.

       But Zack, at first, was immobile.  He’d never seen his father down before, in such a vulnerable state before.  Bree looked at him.  “Call 911!” she yelled so loud that it woke Zack from his stupor. 

       And with trembling hands he dialed 911.

***

The sterile waiting room provided a relaxing antidote to the sense of chaos that both Bree and Zack felt when they saw Robert sprawled out on that balcony floor.  Other than one old lady with a little girl, they were the only pair in the room.  And although others came and went, three hours later and Bree and Zack were the only ones still there.  According to the nurses, the doctors were still stabilizing him and running tests.  His doctor, they kept saying, would be with them soon.

       When the doctor finally arrived, Zack jumped to his feet.  Bree, however, was too paralyzed with fear to move.  She just sat on the edge of her seat as the doctor, an older man with a stethoscope around his neck, his face showing grave concern, approached.

       “Hello, Zackary,” he said.

       “Hey, Dr. Luce, is Dad all right?”

       “And you must be Rhianna?”

       “Yes,” Bree said, too nervous to realize that he had mispronounced her name.

       “Is Dad all right?” Zack asked again.  Bree didn’t think it possible, considering how she felt, but Zack was even more nervous than she was.

       The doctor looked at him.  “He suffered a massive heart attack, Zack,” he said, and Zack’s already drawn face sagged even more.  “He’s in critical but stable condition at this point.”

       Bree’s heart pounded.  “It’s bad,” she said.

       “Yes, it is, there’s no way to sugarcoat this.  But he’s in excellent hands, he will receive excellent care.  We expect him to have a full and complete recovery.”

       “Thank God,” Bree said, relieved, and Zack, relieved too, sat back down.

       “But he’ll need to slow down,” the doctor warned.  “I’ve known Robert Colgate for darn-near twenty years and the only speed he knows is fast.  That has got to change.”

       “It will,” Bree assured him.

       “Good,” the doctor said, considering her. 

       “Is he conscious?” Zack asked.  “Does he know where he is?”

       “
Yes,
and yes.  He’s a strong man so he’ll be fine.  But he’ll just have to slow down.”

       “Can we see him, Dr. Luce?” Zack asked.

       “He’s asked to see, Rhianna,” the doctor said and Zack, who was about to stand up, leaned back down.

       Although Bree wanted desperately to see Robert, it didn’t seem right that she should usurp his son.  “Let Zack go first,” she said.  “I’ll go after him.”

       Zack looked at her. 
“You sure?”

       “I’m positive,” Bree said with a weak smile.  “Go see your father.”

       Zack was taken aback by Bree’s offer, but he was still too emotional about his father to turn her down.  He followed the doctor out of the room.

       When he returned, a few minutes later, Bree was already standing at the door ready to go.

       Bree wanted to ask Zack questions, but he had that mean, contemplative look on his face that made her think the better of it.   She, instead, simply moved to go.

       “They said he should get his rest,” Zack said when he saw her leaving. 

      
“And?”

       “And you shouldn’t go bothering him right now.”

       “I’ll be back, Zack,” Bree said, not even entertaining his nonsense.

       “You won’t be able to see him,” Zack yelled as she left.

       “Watch me,” Bree yelled back as she headed up the corridor to Robert’s room.

       Zack, now alone in the waiting area, pulled out his cell phone. 
Called his mother.

       “Dad’s had a heart attack,” he said as soon as she answered.

       There was a hesitation. 
“When?”

      
“A few hours ago.
  I tried to phone you.”

       “I was in makeup.  How is he?  Is he all right?”

       “It was a massive heart attack.”

       “Is he all right, Zackary?”

       “Yes!  I guess.  Dr. Luce says he will be.”

       “Dr. Luce?  He’s still practicing medicine?  He must be ninety by now.”

       “He’s barely in his sixties, Ma, what are you talking about?”

      
“Whatever, Zack.
  Have you
see
him?”

      
“Yeah.
 But they wouldn’t let me stay long.”  Then Zack hesitated.  “His girlfriend is gone to see him now,” he finally said.

       “A heart attack at his age,” Sylvia said.  “He always did work too hard.”

       “You’ve got to come, Ma.”

       “I’ll be
there,
you know I’ll be there.  As soon as I get back I’ll be there.”
       “Get back?  You’re going somewhere even after news like this?”

       “Listen to you. Of course I’m going.  I’m due in Milan, remember?  My flight leaves first thing in the morning.”

       “But you can cancel it.”

      
“Cancel Milan?
  You must be joking!  This is Fashion Week, darling.  You don’t cancel Milan during Fashion Week.”

       “Don’t you care anymore about Daddy or anybody besides your stupid career?”

       “Watch your tongue, young man.  Of course I care about your father, I care deeply about him.  But I know there’s nothing I can do for him even if I did drop everything and run to be by his bedside, which he wouldn’t want me to do, anyway. He knows how rare it is for a model my age to continue to get major gigs. Your father understands.  Besides, he’s going to be just fine.”