Southern Greed (15 page)

He looked at me and dropped his head.  He looked up again and acted like he was going
to say something and then gazed
off into space.

I laughed, “Would you spit it out?”

“Well, it’s just,” He cleared his throat.  He stared again, “I thought I was already the manager.”

“Oh, Eugene, I’m so sorry.  You’ve been just wonderful helping me out
with everything.  I didn’t think this was something you want to keep doing.  Do you want to manage this place, really?”

“I really do,” He said. 
“
I realize that I like what I’ve been doing.  I want to continue to write for fun but I really would like to try my hand at managing this place.”

Without thinking I jumped up and ran around the table and hugged him.  He pulled me into his lap and hugged me back and then we were gazing into each other’s eyes.  I thought he was going to kiss me and I wanted him to but then I remembered where we were.

We had decided to let the staff eat at the table with us and there were servers coming in and out of the kitchen and Ronnie was sitting there watching us and not saying a word which was rare for him.

I got off Eugene’s
lap and went back to my chair, the moment passed and we finished supper, discussing plans for
the resort and getting suggestions from the rest of the staff.

I was sleeping well and I was so happy.  Jeannie was gaining weight like she was supposed to and she was a happy baby.

Ronnie usually came by to see me before going to bed and that night he said, “Why don’t you marry my daddy?  You like him don’t you?”

“Well, we don’t know each other that well.  Why we’ve never even been on a date.”

“Oh, Okay, I’ll tell him to take you on a date.  I’ll
help nanny look after Jeannie, but I’ll let nanny change her diaper.  That’s gross.”

At first Eugene was very shy about asking me out.  I think he was afraid I would think he was after my money.  But after awhile we both began to concentrate on our relationship.  I thought of him as equal partners in the
resort
and I believe that was carried over into our personal relationship.

The role models I had watched growing up had been with the woman looking up to the man and letting him make all the decisions.  Once Eugene and I had started working toward a common goal, that of getting the resort ready, I felt more on an equal footing with him.

It was a new and exciting way of looking at men and women relationships.  Eugene and I were photographed often for the society page of the newspaper and the reporters began to speculate about our relationship and if it would end in marriage.

I thought about it myself and wondered if I could get a divorce from Adam without him.  They still hadn’t found any of my kidnappers.

I went to see Colin and asked him if it was possible to get a divorce without Adam.

“You can get a divorce by publication,” He said. 
“
I’ll take care
of it
for you.  I will need to get an affidavit of Diligent Search which is not going to be difficult at all because there has already been a diligent search done by the police. It shouldn’t even take a month since the first steps have already been done.”

He patted my hand, “Just leave it to me, Kathy.  I’ll take care of it for you.”

“Thank you so much, Colin.  I’m so glad I have you to help me.  I hope you know how much I appreciate you. 
By the way, you do know that you’re invited to the opening celebration of the Southern Comfort Resort, don’t you?  It’s May first.”

He smiled, “Less than a month away!  I’ll be there.”

CHAPTER 3
4

O
pening day for the resort was May first,
and the celebration was covered by all the major newspapers all over the south as well as all major magazines.

It became almost out of control when, two weeks before the opening, a Hollywood producer called and asked if he could come and bring some of his actors.

I was so excited about meeting actors and actresses that I told him to bring as many as possible.  I hadn’t been allowed to go to the movies growing up.  It was considered sinful, but Eugene had been taking me to some and I loved them.

What I had at first thought was going to be a local shindig turned out to be a Hollywood extravaganza.  The grand opening was supposed to be on a
Saturday but stars began checking in on Thursday.

Oleg Cassini, the designer, arrived Thursday ni
ght and brought me a present.  I
t was a beautiful one-of-a-kind evening gown designed by him for me to wear Saturday night.
  It was covered in silver sequins, backless and fit like a second skin, with long sleeves and a slit up the left side that showed my left leg all the way to my thigh.

I had kept a few pieces of jewelry from the hidden treasures, among them an emerald bracelet with matching earrings.  I thought they would add some color to the silver.  My high heels were silver sandals.  We had a beauty salon in the basement that I had decided to add and hired some hair dressers.  I had my hair done down there.

I was star struck as some of my favorite movie stars started checking in.
  I felt like a country hick and I felt
underdressed in my simple white eyelet blouse and tan a-line skirt and flat shoes.

I could see why these people were called stars.  They shined like the stars in the sky.  My guests list read like the guest list for the academy awards.  The first to arrive was my very favorite, Doris Day.  She was accompanied by Rock Hudson and they were getting a lot of publicity for their new movie they were making together.

Sandra Dee was there with her a
gent.  Cary G
rant was there with his wife and the star couple Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.  There were producers and agents, scriptwriters and directors.

They kept coming and I was getting worried.  I finally decided that no one could have a suite and when I told them they were real sports about it
.  By splitting up the suites and using the
rooms with baths on the third floor, we had enough rooms.

When Eugene saw the situation, he suggested that I share their suite and rent out mine.  I had the maid hurrying around remaking the beds in my suite and getting those rooms ready and finally the people quit coming.

I breathed a sigh of relief and escaped to Eugene and Ronnie’s suite.  Ronnie was down at the pool and Eugene and I sat in the living room with our feet up and were getting relaxed when there was a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” Eugene said.  “You just sit back and relax.”

When he opened the door I was surprised to see Mrs. Hildebrandt.  She had never knocked on my door before.

“I’m so sorry to bother you,” She said and she was fanning herself with her apron.  Her face was red and she was sweating.

“
It’s
okay, Mrs. Hildebrandt, come on in.  What’s wrong?”

“I don’t mean to complain,
mam
, but it’s that blond young woman that I heard someone call a starlet.  I don’t know what that means.  Her name’s Janet and
she’s
here with that fat producer.”

“I know the one you mean, what about her?  What did she do?”

“Well, she acts like she owns the place.  She’s bossing everyone around.  That bothered me some but when she came into my kitchen and started telling me how to run my kitchen, I won’t put up with that.  She’s trying to tell me what to cook, how to cook it, when to cook it, and like that.”

“I’ll go talk to her,” I said putting my shoes back on. “Where is she now?”

“Well, that’s the other thing.  When she left my kitchen she went into the red parlor and crawled on that fat
producer’s lap and he has his hands under her panties.  She’s going to ruin the reputation of the place.”

I told Mrs. Hildebrandt to go on back to the kitchen and I started toward the red parlor.  I could hear her before I got there, “You going to give me the part,
Hermie
?”

“
Of course, darling, j
ust make me happy this w
e
ekend
.  Oh yeah, baby, just rub ri
ght there.  Let me see those
tit
ties
.  I need to nurse.  I’m hungry.”

She giggled and I walked in.  They were so involved they didn’t see me at first.  “I want y’all to leave,” I said and he stood up and started zipping up his pants.  She fell on the floor when he stood up.

“I’ll ruin you, little lady.  Do you know who I am?  One word from me and this second rate resort will never make it off the ground.”

“If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.  I know them well.  Just get
your thing and get out.  I’ll give you a refund for your room.”

I didn’t wait for their reply but walked out.  I felt so proud of myself and the person I was becoming.  I felt powerful.
  I never gave them a second thought after I saw them get into a taxi and drive away, but I should have.

The rest of the weekend went by without a hitch and everyone seemed to have a good time.  All of the amenities were used.  There were people sunning by the outdoor pool, playing tennis, and golf, swimming laps in the indoor pool, getting messages, getting their hair done, enjoying wonderful meals and shopping in downtown Savannah.

I hoped by this time next year I would have a boutique in the basement with some of my own designs there.

When everyone left on Sunday, they all thanked me for the wonderful time.  Doris Day and Joanne Woodward both hugged me.  It had been exciting but
after they all left I breathed a sigh of relief.

CHAPTER 3
5

My divorce had gone through, Eugene had asked me to
marry him and I had said yes.  T
he baby was toddling around all over the place and was the center of attention with all the staff.  The resort was doing great and my designing classes were coming to an end.  I was ready to get experience.

I had everything I could possibly want in life and never thought it could end.  Then one day my mama showed up.  Not my real mama, of course, the one who raised me.

I was playing with Jeannie on the floor in my suite when Mrs. Reese, my housekeeper knocked on the door and told me someone was there to see me.

“Just bring them on in here, Mrs. Reese.”

She hesitated and then sai
d, “She said she was your mama
.”

I only nodded and Mrs. Reese went to get my mama, the woman who had raised me.

My heart started beating a hundred mi
les an hour.  What was my mama
doing out of jail?  I got up and paced until they came in.

It hadn’t even been three
year
s
since I had seen her but she had aged about ten.  Her hair was completely white and terribly thin.  It used to be dark brown and thic
k.  She was always a tiny woman
and stood just
under
five feet tall, but she looked even smaller.

“Do you know what they do to small people like me in prison?” Were the first words out of her
mouth.
  And then she looked around and said, “Well, looks like you landed up i
n the lap of luxury.  ‘Build not
treasures on earth
where thieves will break in and steal,’” She quoted and looked at me with hatred in her eyes and continued, “But build treasures in heaven.”

My speeding heart slowed down as my eyes were opened and I saw her for what she was, an angry woman who thought life ha
d cheated her and she used the B
ible to get even.  I was supposed to, once again, feel guilty for having what I was supposed to have had all along before she, in fact, had cheated me out of my birthright.

I realized I was no longer intimidated by her as I asked her, “What do you want, old woman?  How did you get out of jail?”

She looked shocked.  She used to be able to manipulate me with fear of hell fire by quoting what she called God’s word.

Jeannie had toddled over to mama and was holding out one of her toys to
her.  I picked her up and put her in my lap and kissed her cheek.

“So, this is my granddaughter?”

I didn’t even answer her, I just stared at her.  Then I asked, “How did you get out of prison? 
I know you don’t get less than three
year
s
for kidnapping.
  Did you escape?”

She looked at me and smiled, “Did you know that quite a few of Jesus’ disciples were in prison?  Did you know that, if you’re a Christian, you will be persecuted?  But God always wins out.  I didn’t have to escape, my behavior was spotless, and I brought many women to the lord.

“
He answered my prayers.
  My lawyer appealed and the judge said due to my good behavior and the fact that I had done a good job in raising you, I was free to go.”