"Is that you Ryan?" Lexie sat in front of her makeup mirror dressed only in black bra and panties. "You're running late. We need to be at the Country Club in less than a half hour."
"Yeah babe, it's me." Answered Ryan in a forlorn voice. He poked his head in to the bathroom.
"Oh no Ryan! What happened to you? Were you in an accident?" He looked like he had been run over by a truck and crawled home.
Ryan wearily shrugged. "Thank God that I have a beautiful, loving wife, because the rest of my world is in the shitter." Ryan sniffed Lexie's perfume lingering in the air. "And damn woman, you do smell good."
"Oh Ryan, you look miserable. What happened hunny?"
Ryan sat down on the edge of the tub. Wringing his hands as he spoke, he began falteringly. "You know that new project in Houston that we were bidding on?"
"Yes. The Samson bridge project right?"
"The very one. Well, you know how much time that we've put in to that thing. Too much really, but with the work orders falling off, it was the last chance for saving the company." His voice trailed off.
"Ryan? What happened?"
"We, umm, well, I really, made an error in the bidding process. We received notice today that they are rejecting our bid. Not even going to consider it." Ryan buried his head in his hands, unable to face his wife.
"Hunny, we've had hard times before and we've always made it before. Don't give up baby, we'll make it this time as well." She walked to him and pulled his head to her chest. "We'll be just fine Ryan. You'll find other jobs to bid on. This is our dream, you'll, I mean we'll make it work baby."
""No, Lexie you don't understand. I've had to beg, borrow and steal to survive the last 3 months. This is it, out of gas, end of the road. I shut the company down today and let everyone go."
"Oh my God Ryan, but it's Christmas. What will they all do?" And what will we do she thought. She fought her panic back.
""I think that they all knew that it was coming. There were a lot of tears, but no anger, no hatred. We tried and didn't make it, which, as the saying goes, is better than not trying at all." A wry smile passed over his face. "In fact, I think some of them were actually relieved. They're free now to find new jobs. And Lexie, I'm going to have to hunt for a job too. Our dream of having our own business is just, well, on the shelf for now."
The drive to the Country Club was abnormally quiet. The young couple was lost in their own thoughts. Their reaction to the failure of the business was consistent with their personalities. Lexie thought for the millionth time in their marriage of how much she loved Ryan and all that he was to her, but how the much better it would have been had she been the business person. Ryan was kind and patient and a staunch believer in fair play. His honesty and integrity made him moderately successful, but he lacked the edge of ruthlessness that a truly successful businessman had to have. Lexie chuckled to herself, but me on the other hand, I cut nuts off when necessary.
Lexie knew that this was likely to be their last Country Club Christmas party. She resolved to make it the best one ever. She knew though that it was going to be difficult to shake Ryan out of his funk. Plying him with liquor would either straighten him out or send him to the car to sleep it off she thought.
Ryan pulled their Jaguar in to the valet line. A handsome young blonde man in a white coat and white gloves approached their car. "Ryan, who is he? He looks familiar."
"Why that's young Jack Stewart, some of Jim and Shirley Stewart, also known as the Stewart who will likely win the bid on my Houston project."
"Oh, that Jack Stewart."
Young Jack Stewart leaned down and opened the door to the Jag. A broad smile swept over his face. "Mr. And Mrs. Lawless, welcome to the Christmas party. I must say Mrs. Lawless, you look fabulous tonight. Well, I mean, you look fabulous all the time, but, I mean, well, wow Mrs. Lawless."
Lexie smiled. She felt stunning in her strapless black dress and high heels. She worked hard to maintain her figure for events such as this. She gripped Young Jack Stewart's hand and allowed him to pull her up from the car. His grip was surprisingly strong and sure for such a young man. But he was a star athlete, thought Lexie. He should be in good shape.
The Country Club was a winter wonderland. Ryan quickly pulled away to find drinks for them. Lexie feared that Ryan was going to bury himself in a bottle. Lexie heard her name called out through the Christmas music. From across the room, a woman's voice called out again to her and a couple made their way over to her. As they drew near, she recognized Jim and Shirley Stewart. Oh my lord, thought Lexie, here we go.
Jim Stewart wrapped Lexie up in a bear hug, holding her just a little too tight and a little too long. Shirley was prattling away at her before they were within conversational distance.
"Lexie, Lexie, Lexie, we are so glad that you are here. What, with all that is happening to your husband's company and all, well, frankly, we just didn't think that you'd be in a festive mood."
Lexie practically pried Jim Stewart off of her, only to be replaced by and equally long and unnecessary embrace from Shirley Stewart. So this is how it is going to be thought Lexie. They've probably already told everyone of the Houston bid results and of the imminent demise of our company.
Anger swept over Lexie. She fought to control it. She wasn't going to let this bastard and his bitch wife get the best of her. ""Oh, well, thank you so much for your concern. You are so considerate to be thinking of us, especially as busy as you are going to be since you won the bid. But Ryan and I have some other things in the works. We'll be just fine."
"Oh I'm sure you will dear, I'm sure you will." Shirley patted Lexie's arm, as if calming a mad dog. "If there is anything, just anything that we can do for you, just give me a call" concluded Shirley in her most patronizing voice.
When hell freezes over thought Lexie. Her poker face concealed her anger. "You know that we will, and the same to you as well, if we can ever help in any way." An evil thought popped in to her mind. "Oh, and I must say, keep an eye on that handsome young son of yours, I could just eat him up." For emphasis, Lexie ran her tongue slowly over her ruby red lips.
Lexie's meaning sunk home to the doddering Mrs. Stewart, but was lost on Jim Stewart, who was having trouble lifting his gaze from Lexie's cleavage. Lexie briskly excused herself as she saw Ryan approaching.
"What did that asshole want?" Ryan had two drinks in his hands, but from the liquor on his breath, Lexie suspected that he had taken a couple of shots at the bar.
"Same old same old Ryan. Just let it go. We need to put this behind us and pull together. This isn't the time to wallow is self pity." She wanted to add "man up" but this wasn't the time or the place to focus on Ryan's self doubt. "Let's just enjoy our last Christmas Party as this snob hole." She took Ryan's head in her hands and kissed him, long and hard, like the kiss of lovers during lovemaking. All of the men in the room watched them with envy, lust in their hearts for the beautiful Lexie.
Despite Ryan's protestations, Lexie pushed him out the door to go to work the next day. She knew him well enough that he was likely to sink in to depression and would spend several days sleeping or otherwise being useless. She needed him to keep trying and, more importantly, she needed time to think. She had worked most of her life and was not afraid of work. What she weighed in her mind was how to start a business enterprise that would put money in the bank, but would give her the flexible schedule that she desired.
Fate is a funny thing. Sometimes all of the scheming and plotting in the world is wasted by an innocent act of another. As Lexie stood in the warm sunshine of her large bay window overlooking her front yard, she was nearly blinded by the light reflecting off of a metallic silver Mercedes pulling in to her driveway. She recognized the car. It belonged to Brian Peterson, a stockbroker who she and Ryan had used when they had been more successful. Although he was happily married to the Country Club's biggest flirt, Lexie had always felt that Brian's interest in her was more that business.
While he made his way up the winding path to her front door, she realized that she was still in her dark blue robe. Underneath she wore a lacy teddy in a matching color. The thought of changing in to something more suitable flashed through her mind, but before she could move, the doorbell rang.
What the hell, thought Lexie as she pulled the door open. "Brian! Why, what brings you out this way." Ryan and Lexie had been to several parties with the Petersons, so they were acquaintances, but not close friends. More like friends of friends thought Lexie.
"Good morning Lexie. I'm sorry to intrude on you so early in the morning. I do hope that it is all right that I stopped in." Brian had an English mother and had a trace of an accent, and was always impeccably polite.