Pay Off
It was there for the taking.
The reward.
Now the pay off.
Scene I: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - London flat of Robert Lancaster II
It was early morning and Robert still wasn't back from seeing Seamus, although he had called to say he was on his way. He had given me the keys to his London apartment - which is of course, stunning, although it could use my fashion sense and brilliant decorating touch - and allowed me to fly ahead here to London after leaving Toronto, while he went to console and check on his friend in Belfast.
I felt bad for the bastard. I didn't know him much. He seemed a bit of an idiot to be hanging around my sweetie, but shit, he was his loyal friend. And he and Robert haven't had as much time to see each other as they used to, for some reason. All the better then that he's still in the air.
Because I had to call Paulus. And see how our little arrangement was coming along...
I sat there nervously, with a glass of wine, milling over in my mind what exactly Paulus was trying to execute here.
It was obviously grossly illegal. Shit though, the law is meant to be broken if you can get away with it. And I knew Paulus and I could do it. Besides, my sweetie would blindly believe anything I said, even if I told him that my fucking, oh, Tom Cruise was only an expression of my love for him, he'd believe it.
He's such a sweetie.
And he'll make a great ignorant accomplice in this swindling of one of the largest banks in Asia.
Shit this is scary. But so damn exciting too.
I need to do this. If I can get that sort of money by doing nothing, I can marry Robert, dump his ass, and bleed him dry in the divorce...ooooh, life would be sweet.
Or then again....
Lady Marissah Whitely-Lancaster, Duchess of Wessex.
Mmmmmm.
Aw. But I like Robert too, just for who he is. I really do. And that title would look so fucking awesome on a business card.
I grinned as I swished the wine around in my glass as the phone rang...
I jumped in surprise and nearly spilled wine all over the goddamn place.
It must be Robert.
"Hello? Sweeeeeeeeeeeeetie....you're where? Shit, at Heathrow already?"
SHIT.
"Aww, can't wait to see you either honeybuns...kisses!"
SHIT SHIT SHIT.
He was going to be home in like thirty minutes.
I'd better get on the phone now, and get this over with.
I got on my cell. I breathed deeply.
May fortune favour the foolish?
And of course, the fucking hot and brilliant...
Scene II: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - on the streets of London, around 3PM GMT
"Ugh, I forgot how fucking terrible the traffic is in this city..."
I turned my head to glance and Marissah, who stared sourly at the compressed mangled assortment of traffic that ruled the streets of London at this time of day - or any time of day, come to think of it.
I rolled my eyes at her consistent whining.
"You, who come from New York City, are complaining about traffic?"
She pulled down the vanity mirror - emphasis on the vanity - and began to apply a fine coating of lip stick over those succulent lips. Despite her shortcomings, I always took notice of the things that mattered...
"Please. Everything is on the wrong fucking side of the road here anyway."
A predictable and lamentable "come back" indeed. I expected more from a PhD, but.
She leaned forward a bit, emphasizing her cleavage.
Ahhhh.
Yes.
We pulled into a red light and sat for a moment, the engine of my Jag still purring softly.
"I hope you're not going to use that language around Eddy...I don't want him growing up hearing such language, not at this stage."
"But seeing his father smash people with chairs and Christ knows what is all right?" She gave me a condescending smirk.
"He doesn't watch me in that capacity...although I might give him a display by sending you flying out the window."
Green light.
She giggled and leaned forward, grabbing my groin and kissing my neck.
I'm lucky I didn't crash head on into the car in front of me, as my foot slipped on the accelerator.
Marissah composed herself and checked her lipstick again to see if it smudged at all.
This was going to be a fun afternoon...I could tell already.
Scene III: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - London flat of Stephanie Erin Dynasty-Lancaster
"DADDY!"
My pride and joy, the greatest achievement of my life.
My heir.
My son.
Edward James Lancaster.
My Eddy.
I ran forward as he lurched with waving arms and a smile I had not seen in what felt an eternity.
I picked him up and squeezed him tight, giving him a big kiss on his cheek as the maid who welcomed us in smiled.
"Eddy...how's Daddy's big boy...being a good boy for Mother?"
I held him up in the air and made various air plane sounds as I whirled him about, much to his delight. The maid excused herself and left the apartment, stating she needed to get something quick from a shop.
I put him down on the ground for a moment to remove my jacket as the maid left and closed the door, and found him clinging to my leg, his big bright blue eyes still staring up at me, his blond hair flopping about.
Marissah looked as if she were about to burst at the seams, her smile was one that I had never seen.
"Awwwwwwwwwww sweetieeeee..." she tugged at my sleeve.
I look wide eyed at her. She seemed to be more in love with him than I.
"He's ADORABLE." Marissah immediately knelt to the floor to see Eddy eye-to-eye.
"Well hi there Eddy...I'm Marissah..."
"You want to say hi to her Eddy?"
Eddy bashfully stuck his face into the leg of my trousers.
BRILLIANT.
I tried to contain my laughter, as I reached down again and took him into the living room area, to sit and have a chat.
Marissah followed behind, I'm sure seething inside that she was spurned by my little boy. I'll have to make her feel all better later on.
"So what's Eddy been doing...do anything special?"
"I...I got a new car."
"Oooh, a new car...what kind of car did you get," asked Marissah. Obviously trying to curry his favour.
I placed Eddy down off my lap as he was obviously excited to show me his new prize. He scampered over to his toy chest in the corner and pulled out a nice new toy Jaguar.
That's my boy...
"I make it go...vrooooooooommm..." he began to race it around the Persian carpet making car sounds. His innocence and purity was so refreshing and cleansing, compared to the filth that I had to encounter in the ring.
Eddy happily played with his car as Marissah whispered to me.
"Ever thought about giving your little sweetie a brother or sister?"
Oh?
I was more than inquisitive now. "Why, do you want to give him one?"
She giggled. "You think you're worthy to mix your DNA with mine?"
Shit, sounded like a eugenics expert from the Third Reich.
"Let's get a few drinks into you first, then we'll discuss that."
Marissah got off the couch and sat on the carpet next to Eddy. This time he gave her a nice big smile.
That's better. I wanted to see now how she was around him.
If she could handle him well...perhaps the bells in the chapel at Wessex might, dare I say, be ringing in the future?
I decided to join the two of them on the carpet, Armani suit be damned.
I heard the door open, expecting the maid had returned from her errand.
Expecting.
Eddy perked up and ran to the door.
"MOMMY!!"
No. Please...
no.
My pulse began to accelerate, not knowing what to do. I made no mention of bringing Marissah along to this visit.
I was fucked. Easy as that.
I covered my face and panicked. Around the corner I could hear her. Marissah sat there, emotionless.
"Eddy...how's mommy's baby..."
"Daddy's here!!"
"I know honey."
There was nothing I could do. Her high heels echoed on the hard wood floor as she stepped in, seeing us sitting on the floor.
"WHO...what...what the FUCK is this BITCH doing here."
Marissah immediately took offense and sprung to her feet.
"Listen BITCH, don't come in here and start talking shit to me."
"This is my FLAT and I'll have you thrown out of here on your little ASS if you don't get the hell out of here!"
"ENOUGH," I shouted.
Eddy was in tears by this point.
"Marissah get your things, let's go."
I took Eddy out of Stephanie's arms and took him to his room, holding him close as he sobbed. I kissed his forehead and tried to calm him as their verbal sparring continued outside.
"Who the fuck do you think you are, you can't handle the fact that I'm seeing my man's son also!?"
"You have NO right to be here, this is MY SON and I'll be DAMNED if I let a little whore like you even come NEAR him again around these parts."
"Oh don't worry babe, the next time I see him he won't be here, he'll be in New York and I'll be his NEW MOMMY."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
I emerged just in time to stop them from literally hurling themselves at each other.
"GET OUT, NOW, BOTH OF YOU!"
Marissah opened the door and left, turning quickly to give Stephanie the finger, letting slip more expletives fly from her loose lips.
I stood in front of Stephanie, trying to talk regain some semblance of order.
"Stephanie, please...listen to me."
The door did all the talking for her.
It slammed in my face.
"I swear to GOD I'm going to KILL HER babe."
I grabbed her arm and pulled her along hurriedly towards the lift, not saying a word.
I was burning up inside.
It was there for the taking.
The reward.
I took it.
Now I had the pay off.
A grim reminder that the Dark Lord still held power over my life.
And I was his servant.
And still I burn.
The reward.
Now the pay off.
Scene I: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - London flat of Robert Lancaster II
It was early morning and Robert still wasn't back from seeing Seamus, although he had called to say he was on his way. He had given me the keys to his London apartment - which is of course, stunning, although it could use my fashion sense and brilliant decorating touch - and allowed me to fly ahead here to London after leaving Toronto, while he went to console and check on his friend in Belfast.
I felt bad for the bastard. I didn't know him much. He seemed a bit of an idiot to be hanging around my sweetie, but shit, he was his loyal friend. And he and Robert haven't had as much time to see each other as they used to, for some reason. All the better then that he's still in the air.
Because I had to call Paulus. And see how our little arrangement was coming along...
I sat there nervously, with a glass of wine, milling over in my mind what exactly Paulus was trying to execute here.
It was obviously grossly illegal. Shit though, the law is meant to be broken if you can get away with it. And I knew Paulus and I could do it. Besides, my sweetie would blindly believe anything I said, even if I told him that my fucking, oh, Tom Cruise was only an expression of my love for him, he'd believe it.
He's such a sweetie.
And he'll make a great ignorant accomplice in this swindling of one of the largest banks in Asia.
Shit this is scary. But so damn exciting too.
I need to do this. If I can get that sort of money by doing nothing, I can marry Robert, dump his ass, and bleed him dry in the divorce...ooooh, life would be sweet.
Or then again....
Lady Marissah Whitely-Lancaster, Duchess of Wessex.
Mmmmmm.
Aw. But I like Robert too, just for who he is. I really do. And that title would look so fucking awesome on a business card.
I grinned as I swished the wine around in my glass as the phone rang...
I jumped in surprise and nearly spilled wine all over the goddamn place.
It must be Robert.
"Hello? Sweeeeeeeeeeeeetie....you're where? Shit, at Heathrow already?"
SHIT.
"Aww, can't wait to see you either honeybuns...kisses!"
SHIT SHIT SHIT.
He was going to be home in like thirty minutes.
I'd better get on the phone now, and get this over with.
I got on my cell. I breathed deeply.
May fortune favour the foolish?
And of course, the fucking hot and brilliant...
Scene II: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - on the streets of London, around 3PM GMT
"Ugh, I forgot how fucking terrible the traffic is in this city..."
I turned my head to glance and Marissah, who stared sourly at the compressed mangled assortment of traffic that ruled the streets of London at this time of day - or any time of day, come to think of it.
I rolled my eyes at her consistent whining.
"You, who come from New York City, are complaining about traffic?"
She pulled down the vanity mirror - emphasis on the vanity - and began to apply a fine coating of lip stick over those succulent lips. Despite her shortcomings, I always took notice of the things that mattered...
"Please. Everything is on the wrong fucking side of the road here anyway."
A predictable and lamentable "come back" indeed. I expected more from a PhD, but.
She leaned forward a bit, emphasizing her cleavage.
Ahhhh.
Yes.
We pulled into a red light and sat for a moment, the engine of my Jag still purring softly.
"I hope you're not going to use that language around Eddy...I don't want him growing up hearing such language, not at this stage."
"But seeing his father smash people with chairs and Christ knows what is all right?" She gave me a condescending smirk.
"He doesn't watch me in that capacity...although I might give him a display by sending you flying out the window."
Green light.
She giggled and leaned forward, grabbing my groin and kissing my neck.
I'm lucky I didn't crash head on into the car in front of me, as my foot slipped on the accelerator.
Marissah composed herself and checked her lipstick again to see if it smudged at all.
This was going to be a fun afternoon...I could tell already.
Scene III: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - London flat of Stephanie Erin Dynasty-Lancaster
"DADDY!"
My pride and joy, the greatest achievement of my life.
My heir.
My son.
Edward James Lancaster.
My Eddy.
I ran forward as he lurched with waving arms and a smile I had not seen in what felt an eternity.
I picked him up and squeezed him tight, giving him a big kiss on his cheek as the maid who welcomed us in smiled.
"Eddy...how's Daddy's big boy...being a good boy for Mother?"
I held him up in the air and made various air plane sounds as I whirled him about, much to his delight. The maid excused herself and left the apartment, stating she needed to get something quick from a shop.
I put him down on the ground for a moment to remove my jacket as the maid left and closed the door, and found him clinging to my leg, his big bright blue eyes still staring up at me, his blond hair flopping about.
Marissah looked as if she were about to burst at the seams, her smile was one that I had never seen.
"Awwwwwwwwwww sweetieeeee..." she tugged at my sleeve.
I look wide eyed at her. She seemed to be more in love with him than I.
"He's ADORABLE." Marissah immediately knelt to the floor to see Eddy eye-to-eye.
"Well hi there Eddy...I'm Marissah..."
"You want to say hi to her Eddy?"
Eddy bashfully stuck his face into the leg of my trousers.
BRILLIANT.
I tried to contain my laughter, as I reached down again and took him into the living room area, to sit and have a chat.
Marissah followed behind, I'm sure seething inside that she was spurned by my little boy. I'll have to make her feel all better later on.
"So what's Eddy been doing...do anything special?"
"I...I got a new car."
"Oooh, a new car...what kind of car did you get," asked Marissah. Obviously trying to curry his favour.
I placed Eddy down off my lap as he was obviously excited to show me his new prize. He scampered over to his toy chest in the corner and pulled out a nice new toy Jaguar.
That's my boy...
"I make it go...vrooooooooommm..." he began to race it around the Persian carpet making car sounds. His innocence and purity was so refreshing and cleansing, compared to the filth that I had to encounter in the ring.
Eddy happily played with his car as Marissah whispered to me.
"Ever thought about giving your little sweetie a brother or sister?"
Oh?
I was more than inquisitive now. "Why, do you want to give him one?"
She giggled. "You think you're worthy to mix your DNA with mine?"
Shit, sounded like a eugenics expert from the Third Reich.
"Let's get a few drinks into you first, then we'll discuss that."
Marissah got off the couch and sat on the carpet next to Eddy. This time he gave her a nice big smile.
That's better. I wanted to see now how she was around him.
If she could handle him well...perhaps the bells in the chapel at Wessex might, dare I say, be ringing in the future?
I decided to join the two of them on the carpet, Armani suit be damned.
I heard the door open, expecting the maid had returned from her errand.
Expecting.
Eddy perked up and ran to the door.
"MOMMY!!"
No. Please...
no.
My pulse began to accelerate, not knowing what to do. I made no mention of bringing Marissah along to this visit.
I was fucked. Easy as that.
I covered my face and panicked. Around the corner I could hear her. Marissah sat there, emotionless.
"Eddy...how's mommy's baby..."
"Daddy's here!!"
"I know honey."
There was nothing I could do. Her high heels echoed on the hard wood floor as she stepped in, seeing us sitting on the floor.
"WHO...what...what the FUCK is this BITCH doing here."
Marissah immediately took offense and sprung to her feet.
"Listen BITCH, don't come in here and start talking shit to me."
"This is my FLAT and I'll have you thrown out of here on your little ASS if you don't get the hell out of here!"
"ENOUGH," I shouted.
Eddy was in tears by this point.
"Marissah get your things, let's go."
I took Eddy out of Stephanie's arms and took him to his room, holding him close as he sobbed. I kissed his forehead and tried to calm him as their verbal sparring continued outside.
"Who the fuck do you think you are, you can't handle the fact that I'm seeing my man's son also!?"
"You have NO right to be here, this is MY SON and I'll be DAMNED if I let a little whore like you even come NEAR him again around these parts."
"Oh don't worry babe, the next time I see him he won't be here, he'll be in New York and I'll be his NEW MOMMY."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
I emerged just in time to stop them from literally hurling themselves at each other.
"GET OUT, NOW, BOTH OF YOU!"
Marissah opened the door and left, turning quickly to give Stephanie the finger, letting slip more expletives fly from her loose lips.
I stood in front of Stephanie, trying to talk regain some semblance of order.
"Stephanie, please...listen to me."
The door did all the talking for her.
It slammed in my face.
"I swear to GOD I'm going to KILL HER babe."
I grabbed her arm and pulled her along hurriedly towards the lift, not saying a word.
I was burning up inside.
It was there for the taking.
The reward.
I took it.
Now I had the pay off.
A grim reminder that the Dark Lord still held power over my life.
And I was his servant.
And still I burn.