CHAPTER 1
Tough-ass attorney Thelma Bush who specialized in defending guys accused of assaulting women was in the city's premiere bar, notorious for its callous indifference at fleecing its patrons.
She stared at the guy leaning on his table alone, chin cupped in his hand and staring at her. She mouthed the words, 'Fuck off'.
God, she thought, what riff-raff they let into bars these days.
Half an hour later she'd had enough. She'd decided to march over and slug the pervert between the eyes with her handbag. Er, no. That would be assault, incapable of being defended in this instance. So she marched over and said sweetly, "Please sir, would you stop staring at me?"
"Nah."
"Excuse me?"
"There are something like fifty women in this bar, most of them hoping to get fucked tonight but none look as good as you and I happen to know you can't hold on to a guy. Further, you are between guys at present and so are unlikely to be fucked tonight or any time in the foreseeable future."
"You are mad and probably are a stalker. I'm calling the cops."
"I'm a new recruit on the 'Daily Beacon'. Here's my card or do you wish to look at my more interesting credentials?"
She thought what a disgusting jerk. "Well just stop staring at me. It's a waste of time. You know nothing about me. I'm married."
She was walking away when the jerk said, "Whatever you say Miss Bush."
She turned to berate him and saw the mocking look. The jerk was winding her up.
Thelma walked back to him and sat down. Her knees touched on of his and she pulled away, almost jumping through the roof. "May I buy you a drink?"
"Thanks, that's real civil of you Thelma. Another Coke please."
Thelma was too smart to express surprise he was not drinking alcohol and knew her first name. She ordered a Coke and a single shot Vodka on the rocks. The waitress making the delivery was not as smart as Thelma; she had to be told three times the Vodka was for Thelma.
"Cheers. What's your name pal?"
"Jervois Rich?"
Thelma looked at him closely and then, "God, you are Jervois Rich. We went through junior high together. I had the hots for you and you just vanished. Was it I?"
Jervois grinned. "Nah, mom left dad and took me off to Europe when she scored a new posting. I finished my education at American schools abroad. She was a senior official working at embassies."
"How exciting. And then you drifted into journalism?"
"Along the way, yeah."
"And now are a crime reporter on the 'Beacon'?"
"No, the first male to be appointed fashion editor."
"Good god."
"It was all wrong for them, tradition and all that crap, but I was the outstanding applicant and mentioned to the interview panel I would sue under the sex discrimination legislation if the appointment went to someone else. So they decided to make no appointment."
"The cowards."
"Yep. So I laid a complaint to start the legal process and hello -- the editor-in-chief called me and congratulated me on my appointment as fashion editor. My mug will be on the front page in the morning with the 'Beacon' crowing it's taken a courageous step, the first metropolitan newspaper in the country to appoint a male as fashion editor."
"Good for you. You should have become a lawyer."
"I was for three years and then decided it wasn't for me."
"Why are you here?"
"To try to date you."
"No, I mean why are you back in this city?"
"I just told you and the fact mom's retired to live here and would like me to drop round now and then."
"I liked your mother. Okay, I'll date you."
"When?"
"I'll think about it and let you know -- fashion desk at the 'Beacon', right?"
"That will do. I haven't settled on an apartment yet. I thought there might be a chance of shifting in with you, sharing your bed and the rent."
"I own my apartment Jervois."
"You probably own the bed as well, but that doesn't mean you can't share."
"I'll thing about that as well."
"Thank you. I'm off to the ballet and will leave you with this thought: "You dress badly, your clothes are ill-fitting but your saving grace is your deportment -- oh and those violet eyes. I've never forgotten those violet eyes and often wondered how life was going for you but knowing professionally you had become rather famous."
"For abusing my clients and judges?"
"That's what the article in a French magazine said. I noticed your poor style of dress in those photographs but admired how well your body had developed since junior high."
"Please shut up about the way I dress or dress improperly. It rattles me."
"Okay, do you wish to hear the equation?"
"Sounds interesting, yes."
"Dress with style plus make up more dramatically plus adopt a less uncompromising attitude equals more men with romance on their mind and with the intention of fucking you."
"Ohmigod, all I can say is you're different. Off you go and I'll get back to my colleagues who worship me."
"Only because they probably work for you."
"God, you are horrible to me."
Jervois winked at Thelma and walked off.
In bed that night Thelma's mind was in a whirl so she got up and sat looking at the city lights. She couldn't believe Jervois had gotten away without being scalped. Even before he'd identified himself he's not been verbally eviscerated. Towards the end he became even more mockingly abusive and she'd taken it like a lamb. She was never like that with men. What was it? Then it hit her: he'd manipulated her with skill. He was provocative, made statements to arouse interest, then drew back just in time and ego-stroked and although being outrageous he'd remained calm and actually appeared to be very non-threatening. God, he'd mentally fucked her and that crap about the way she'd dressed stopped only just short of making her orgasm through being so emotionally aroused. God, was she making this up or had she dissected it accurately? She thought it was the latter. Damn, she wished she hadn't had so many drinks.
Thelma turned on TV and with most stations screening a film at that hour turned to a program she watched occasionally late at night because she loved to hate it and it reminded her people really were stupid. A guy and a woman worked as a team discussing questions posed by viewers who phoned in.
"It's Gladys," said the caller -- none were filmed, for obvious reasons -- and she wanted to know why Sundays were usually rainy and Mondays when she returned to work were usually fine.
The guy thought it might depend where one lived. He thought half of his Sundays were wet and half were dry.
His companion thought half her Sundays were dry and half were wet.
They laughed and Thelma rolled her eyes and then the guy redeemed himself by saying it's possible there would be something in it because he'd heard woman complain it usually rained when she put washing out to dry on Mondays. "Perhaps a weather expert or two who are listening could phone in with their informed views?"
"Hi, it's Mandy. I work in a 24/7 store out of the city and have just received tomorrow morning's edition of the 'Beacon'. On the front page it's announcing it's new fashion editor is a guy. What does the panel think of that?"
"That is sensational news," the woman panelist (Ruby-Mae) said. "Women readers will be in an uproar about that. The fashion photos will be all breasts and butt -- we all know what men are like."
The guy said: "I don't know about that. Men have a fine eye for detail, are not emotional bunnies and don't get confused about color and textures and know that change needs to be incremental, not radical. However, since Ruby-Mae has expressed her sexist view let's open the line for callers to make one sentence statement about the 'Beacon's' move to appoint a female editor. Only twenty or fewer words please.
Male: A brilliant move.
Female: I won't buy the 'Beacon'; not that I've ever bought it.
Female: Fashion is so screwed up these days that having a guy in the supreme position of fashion editor will really screw it up.
Male: Who cares?
Female: A guy wouldn't know about fashion editing even if he tripped over it.
Female: This is a courageous move by the newspaper, so I think this guy is probably more qualified for the post than any female. By the way I'm his mother.
Ruby-Mae cut in. "If you are this guy's mother, please remain online as I wish to talk to you. You are?
"Emily Rich."
"That name rings a bell. I've seen you being interviewed on TV, a trade official perhaps?"
"I was interviewed on TV and by magazine writers quite extensively last year following my retirement after long service abroad that ended as a Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at several US Embassy postings."
"Ah, now I remember -- straight white hair, a rounded face with dimples."
"Do you have my photo in front of you? These days I believe the dimples are buried in wrinkles."
"Is your son qualified for this newspaper post of fashion editor, emphasis I must say on women's fashion?"