One.
One simple test, and I flunked it. Or, if you want to be optimistic about it, I passed with flying colors. It really depends on the perspective. If you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about, let me blunt about it: I’m talking about a pregnancy test. And it came out as a positive.
Now, I haven’t told a soul about this, so I trust you to keep this between just the two of us. I know, I know… I should tell Magnus about it, and I swear I’ll do it soon. I just can’t bring myself to do it right now. I have no idea how he’s going to react and, besides, he’s already too busy with the Equinox deal as it is. He has a lot on his mind right now, and I don’t want to add more drama to the mix and distract him.
But, yeah, I get it. The road I’m walking on has a dead-end. Sooner or later, the world is going to find out about Magnus and I. There’s no other way around it, not with a child in my belly.
I wasn’t exactly expecting for this to happen, and it sure as hell didn’t happen at the best time. My mother and Laurel are sharpening their knives, trying to destroy Magnus’ company, and I’m stuck right in the middle of it. But I guess pregnancies don’t wait for the best or right times; they just happen when they have to happen.
And, between you and me, I gotta say… I had a smile on my lips the moment I held the test in my minds and it turned out positive.
Of course, I know that this changes things. And, sooner or later, the truth will have to come out.
I just hope it’s later rather than sooner.
Magnus
Lawyers, accountants, state legislators, hardened politicians - New York’s finest under one roof. And, of course, two heavyweight contenders sitting across one other, each with their personal armies ready with expensive pens and stacks of documents. I’m talking about yours truly and, of course, Laurel Trask.
This is our most important showdown in months, a meeting where the future of Equinox Tower is going to be decided. And it’s already over; truth be told, it was already over before it even started. I came into this affair prepared, and it showed. Laur
el had her lawyers pull every trick in the fucking book to try and bury the deal, but she didn’t have a chance - Joyce’s leading my legal team, and there’s no beating Joyce.
Things got heated up for a moment as Laurel tried to goad me into arguing with her, but I managed to not fall into that trap. I deflected most of her questions easily, and made her look like an out-of-control psycho. She isn’t too happy about that, that much I can tell. But there’s nothing she can do right now - the committee has already took a break to deliberate, and now all we can do is wait for their response. Which I’m pretty fucking sure is going to be a favourable one.
“Mr. Davion,” the chairman of the Equinox Tower committee starts, clearing his throat and glancing across the room with a bored look on his face. I bet the poor bastard would rather be playing golf right now, instead of sitting here and being hammered from all sides. Not that I give a fuck - I know that it was Laurel who set him up to chair the committee, hoping to tilt the scales in her favor. No such luck. Joyce has been spearheading this effort, and she really brought the whole thing home, devising a bullet proof project that no sane mind would ever vote down. We backed the committee against the wall, and they can’t vote down our bid for the Equinox project without losing face.
“I think there isn’t much to be debated in here. It’s pretty clear to the committee that you’re putting some real effort into bringing the Equinox Tower project into fruition and, as such, it’s my duty to inform you that the New York City has, after carefully deliberating upon the subject, decided to give you the green light.” Then, after a moment’s pause, he pushes the final sentence out. “The contract is yours. Congratulations.”
I don’t mean to gloat, swear to God, but it’s stronger than me. I glance around the conference table and, meeting Laurel’s eyes, I open up into a grin and fucking wink at her. Her face grows red as she holds her breath, her shark eyes spelling out murder, and I wink once more for good measure. Hey, it’s not my fucking fault she’s a sore loser - besides, she was the one trying to cheat me out of this contract. Let her be angry if she wants. I don’t give a fuck.
Feeling pretty happy about the way things turned out, I get up from my seat nonchalantly and head out of the conference room, making my way out of the room. A few hundred reporters are lining the City Hall’s outer steps, and they all stand up to attention as they see me walking out of the door.
“Mr. Davion, Mr. Davion,” they call after me, shoving a few dozen mics in front of my face, “did you get the deal?”
“My friends, this is a good day for New York,” I smile at them and then, opening my hands wide, continue. “New York City is going to be the home for the tallest building in the world, Equinox Tower!”
I’m not even going to lie - it feels fucking glorious to be able to say it. Building the tallest tower in the world has been a dream of mine for God knows how fucking long, and now I’m really going to be able to do it. Soon enough, right between Central Park and Madison Avenue, Equinox Tower is going to reach into the skies.
Besides, this also translates as a few hundred millions in profit which, as you can guess, also feels fucking glorious.
I look around the crowd of reporters, looking for a special someone, and there she is, right in the middle of the fray. With a notepad in her hand, a pencil between her thumb and index finger, Penny’s scribbling away as I speak.
“How does it feel, Mr. Davion? It’s been an uphill struggle to get the city to award you this contract,” one of the journalists closest to me asks, and I turn my eyes toward him and grin.
“It feels amazing, Michael,” I reply, reading the badge hanging from his breast pocket. “This whole deal took tremendous effort to put together, and I owe it all to a special someone.” The journalists start buzzing their questions faster now, just like a swarm of angry bees, and I find myself trying to wave them down. Chill the fuck out everyone.
“Who?” I hear that question repeated ad nauseam, but I keep the answer to myself. I just push my way through the crowd of journalists and walk straight toward Penny. The journalists part before me as they see where I’m heading, and I feel like fucking Moses parting the Red Sea.
Penny’s eyes widen so much it almost seems like they’re going to pop out of their sockets, but I just smile at her and drape one arm over my shoulders.
“Penny Wright, my stepdaughter,” I proclaim, “has been instrumental in all this this. If it weren’t for her advice, I doubt we’d have such a happy conclusion.” She turns to me, slightly flushed, and then smiles. She opens her arms and hugs me tight, her perfume making me feel slightly lightheaded. Fuck, I can’t wait to get home and rip her dress off of her body. I want to fucking celebrate.
Maybe I shouldn’t be this vocal about Penny, allowing the world to shine a spotlight on her, but I just can’t fucking help myself right now. I really feel thankful for having her in my life and, besides, her advice really helped secure this deal. I thought long and hard about what she told me, how people wanted their vision of the world reflected back at them, and that went a long way when it came to my meetings with the board. She was right: once your mirror what’s in people’s hearts and minds, they can’t attack you… Or else they’d be attacking themselves. I know I really sound like a fucking Zen master right now, but I’m not trying to bullshit you.
Holding Penny close to me, her delicate body pressed against my own, I lean in and lay my lips on her cheek.
The journalists go wild, and everyone’s snapping pictures left and right. They start asking me so many fucking questions that I don’t even bother with responding to a single one.