Garbo Towers

Chapter 5

Millicent went over her guest list once more, placing large checkmarks next to those she knew would be at the party, which was all of them. The only question marks were the single residents. She didn't know whether they would bring guests or not, not that it mattered, she had planned and provided amply for far more than necessary. It had always been her habit to see that the catering staff received party baskets to take with them to their homes and Pierre always saw that enough was made available for this to happen.

Her pen hovered over Brenda's name as she mused about the young woman's situation. Certainly no prude, after all, many of her peers from the early days led the clandestine lives that today were quite openly embraced, still, Brenda Carlisle did not quite fit the mold completely.

Her eyes moved down to the single men, Alec and Walter. Walter. His interview had been an interesting one. He avoided the topic of his family but appeared to have considerable funds, more than his position of purchasing agent would provide. He wasn't even the type of person Millicent preferred as a resident yet something about him intrigued her; there was an aura of uncertainty about his character. Her investigations into his unrevealed background proved her to be accurate.

She circled his name along with Regina's. Alec, on the other hand, was pretty much what you see is what you get. She like Alec, he was easy-going, self effacing and refreshingly honest. She scrawled a thin line from his name up to Brenda's and smiled mischievously.

Stanley Whitehouse, now there was her very favourite. Except for Haggis, who left his little deposits about her garden and occasionally annoyed everyone with his barking, Stanley epitomized the era she so fondly embraced. Not extravagantly wealthy, but of sufficient means to, first of all, hold a residency in her home, as well as practice the lifestyle of gentry. She drew another line around Stanley's name and pressed the quill's feather to her lips as she gazed out into the garden.

*****

"I'm tired. I've been on my feet all day and I'm going to have a shower before I have to dress again for this evening." Sophia stripped of her blouse uniform, stepped out of her skirt and went down the hall to the bathroom. Sebastian had gotten on her case the minute she arrived home, complaining about the way she dressed and how she enjoyed having all the men slobbering around her. He marched down the hall after her continuing his tirade.

"It's my job, Seb and you know it. It's what I do to bring home the money. It's what I have to do" She said pointedly, staring him down with her large, brown eyes. "Your lottery win was never going to carry us the rest of our lives but you took early retirement anyway. Well now I have to do this to keep ahead of the rent and all our other expenses."

"You thought it was just fine at the time." He countered.

"Sure, but I didn't think you really would just stop everything to watch soccer and drink beer." She leaned into the shower and turned on the taps, adjusting the water temperature. "It wouldn't hurt for you to find a job yourself, give me a break for a change." She stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain.

Fuming, Sebastian ripped the curtain back and grabbed her by the hair. "You don't speak to your husband that way, bitch, you understand? I run this family. I say what happens and if I say you work, you work. And if I catch you with that creep down the hall..." He pushed her head back and she slipped against the wall, bruising a hip then he turned and slammed out of the room leaving her shaking and hurting, her tears washing away in the streaming shower.

Alec was arranging the clothes he would wear that evening when he paused, listening to the shouts from across the hall. He felt sorry for Sophia, coming home night after night to face that. He hoped they would still show up at the party, he would pay a little more attention to Sophia than usual—give her morale a boost.

******

In the front apartment, Wally flexed himself back and forth in front of the mirror in his black silk briefs, mumbling about the snotty broad his firm had hired as receptionist. He stopped and faced the mirror, swallowing the last of his drink and holding himself. "Don't know what your missin', bitch." He scoffed aloud. He set the glass on top of his TV and did a few bends and stretches.

Wally developed, as most do, from his upbringing, but most have an upbringing that is based on the usual, mundane family principles; Wally's family principles were anything but usual or mundane. Right from the start he learned that he was better than anyone else, smarter, stronger and entitled to whatever he wanted.

When he finally left home, it wasn't with trepidation; Wally couldn't stand it anymore. He was the product of his training and that meant he was better than even those in his family. There was no way Wally was going to become part of his father's new conquest; he would keep the lines open with his mother though, she had Wally's ingrained sense of survival.

With an arrogance born of ego and the subsequent inheritance he and his mother scooped from under the nose of the new wife when his father died, he swaggered into the world he felt had been created just for him. As the reality of life gained on Wally, he realized, unhappily, that he needed to conform in some ways to ensure the security of his exclusive path; not everyone was ready to bow down to Wally Spade.

He settled into the compromise of steady employment and from there he launched his assaults on the weak and the unsuspecting. Cheryl was both, and when she arrived at his apartment, she accepted the snubbed welcome and settled on a comfortable sofa to wait while Wally casually moved about the room, getting dressed in front of her.

"You better not sit like that in the garden." He sneered. "Old lady Degrew'll have a fit if she can see your crotch."

"I thought you liked me in short skirts." She made a moue.

"I like you better outta them." He reached down and grabbed his shirt from the chair and swung it over his back. "Speaking of which, you can grab a cab in the morning, I'm takin' the day off."

"Do I get cab fare?" She asked, looking up from under her long lashes.

"Probably, we'll see." Wally strolled over to the mirror and tucked his shirt in, making sure his package was prominently displayed. "Get me another drink, we'll go down after some of the others are down there."