BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (50 page)

"That was fantastic! Wow!" Jeremiah clapped unable to control himself.

Deidre turned smiling at him as he stepped closer, leaning down, he kissed Deidre's brow and then stood facing Sylvia. "Let me guess, Sylvia McPherson?" He held his hand out to her.

"Yes, and you are?" She took his hand giving it a little shake.

"Jeremiah Franklin, and I have now officially retired from my position as an attorney and will be managing you two ladies on the road. That was incredible!"

"Doesn't she have the most amazing voice you've ever heard?" Deidre stood from the bench next to Jeremiah.

"Me? What about you, your voice is waiting for the next Broadway musical." Sylvia returned the compliment, surprised by the two before her, yet happy for Deidre, especially by the look in her eyes staring into his, Jeremiah Franklin's.

Before anyone else could say another word, Deidre's butler came back to the room, "Telephone for you Ms. Wherrington, a Mr. McPherson wishes to speak with you, he says it's urgent."

Sylvia winced covering her face, knowing full well what the call was about.

Deidre turned to her, "You dear friend, are in the heat, surely you told someone you were out for that walk?"

Sylvia uncovered her face and shook her head sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, you're in for it, what would you like me to do?"

"I'll take it." She held her hand out for the phone and made her way down the hall towards the downstairs washroom, going in and closing the door, she took a deep breath and put the phone to her ear. "Hi, uh, it's me, I'm here."

"Sylvia?! Wait - until I get my hands - on you!" Shawn bit out and then, turning to the kids, "Relax everybody, I've found her." and back to Sylvia, "Do you know what a scare you gave everyone? Mundo and I get a phone call while we're out, that you're gone and no one can find you! We get home, everyone's scared to death and you're no where to be found."

"Well obviously I was somewhere to be found, because you found me."

"Don't you get smart with me Sylvia Lucinda McPherson! Don't you dare! You left this house while I was gone - told no one where you were going or for that matter, that you were leaving! Everyone was going nuts here thinking the worst! How did you get there?"

"I went for a walk. I am an adult you know, I can do that-..."

"Not - without telling someone you can't! You know nothing about California - you could've gotten lost, snatched, anything could've happened, you didn't even have sense enough to take your purse, your phone!"

"Excuse me? Shawn don't get carried away, I'm fine. Deidre saw me out walking and because she knows you so well-..."

"And so should you! I can't-..."

"Hello-o-o, I'm talking here. As I was saying, she made me get in her car and come to her home with her for a bit and I've enjoyed myself."

"Well thank fuck for that!"

She wasn't sure what made her do it, but she hung up on him and walked out of the bathroom shaking her head, "No no no, not gone be f'in' and blindin' me, I ain't in the mood." She mumbled to herself, walking back towards Deidre and the others that were gathered there. Before she could pass the phone back, it rang again.

She stopped, made a face and put it back to her ear, "Hello?"

"Did you just hang up on me?! I know - you did not - just hang up - on me!?" He demanded to know.

"You used the F-word at me, I'm not in the mood for you using the F-word at me. Use it again, I'll hang up again." She returned.

Deidre covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, she'd heard enough from Sylvia's side to know what Shawn must have said, it was nice to see him getting his back for once, even if he was concerned about his wife. But she knew him, when angry, the F-word flew.

Shawn was smoking mad, "Is Deidre there?"

"Yes she is, why do you want Deidre, she hasn't done anything to you."

"I didn't say she did anything to me, pass her the phone please." Shawn growled low.

Sylvia looked at Deidre, "He wants to talk to you, you wanna talk to him?"

Too tickled not to, Deidre nodded, "Sure, pass me the phone."

Sylvia passed it over and crossed her arms under her breasts watching and listening.

"Yes, this is Deidre."

"I know who you are, dammit! I need your address so I can come there and get my wife!"

"And how am I today you ask? Why I'm just fine and dandy, and you? How are you?"

Sylvia covered her mouth laughing, while sympathizing with her.

"Deidre - not today. I've had a stressful two hours trying to figure out where she could be-..."

"Well calm down, now you know. She's perfectly fine, needed a bit of air, to get away for a few hours, no big deal. Now, if you want my address, you have to do something in exchange to get it."

"WHAT?! What?" He grumped.

"Bring everyone there, here with you, and stay for dinner."

"I'm not in the mood to-..."

"Either that, or I keep her here until she's ready to go home..." She took the phone from her ear, "Sylvia - you ready to go home yet?"

"Nope!"

"Hear that? Now, what's it gonna be?"

"All right! Give me the address."

"Promise me first that everyone is coming for dinner." Deidre loved it, making victory faces to Sylvia and Jeremiah.

Shawn turned to the room at large, "Everyone, get ready - we're going to get Sylvia and while we're there, we're having dinner." He turned back to the phone, "Hear that? Happy? Now give me the address."

On the other side of town...

Moniqua was pissed off as she was forced to race against time. Her friend Julius was the only person she knew who had a really good digital camera. She told him, he had to be there that morning to take a picture of that one of Bea Rose. She told him to be there at 9:30 on the dot. It was 10:00 and no word or sight of him. She'd made the most of a perfect plan that would run smooth as silk if only the persons you asked for help in it, would just do their part, instead of mucking it up and blowing it straight to hell.

"Julius! Where the hell you at? You supposed to been here half a hour ago!"

"I had something to do."

"Ain't nothing you got to do, more important than making some money, fool!"

"Ain't nobody gone pay you nothing for a goddamn picture, you must be crazy! I got a job interview - I can't be messing with you."

"What I'm askin' you to do, gone bring you more money than your first week at that damn job anyway! Don't you want some money in your pocket? All you had to do was let me borrow the camera, I-..."

"Em mmm, Negro you must be out of your mind; you know how much my mama paid for this camera? Thank I'm gone trust it to somebody to keep?"

"Only needed it for a hour, at the most, I told you I was gone pay you for using it, or for doing it for me."

"Two hundred fifty dollars? You gone get two hundred fifty dollars for a picture?"

"No fool, I'm gone get more than that and willing to pay you well for your time."

"How much you getting?"

"Don't worry about how much I'm getting, you getting two hundred fifty."

"Hey, it's my camera! Obviously you have limited options, otherwise you wouldn't be on this phone trying to get me to come, now I wanna know how much you getting paid?"

"Fine, I'm getting seven hundred fifty, and giving you two fifty of that!"

"Hell with that, I want half! My camera, I get half!"

"You know what, greedy ass people get on my very last goddamn nerve - I swear'fo god!"

"Half -or-have a nice day!"

"All right, all right - half! Get here now so we can take these pictures and get out of here, hurry up, I'm waiting!" Moniqua griped hanging up the phone, back to pacing in Max's apartment. She'd taken great pains to find out how to contact his father, Oscar T. Wherrington. But she didn't wish to contact him until she had the pictures in hand. She'd talked Max into giving her the key to his apartment on the pretense of wanting to fix him an incredible dinner to have a perfect evening together. Now that she was in the apartment, she'd found the perfect place to take a picture of his mother's picture and had also gone through his photo album for more pictures of her, choosing the best ones. Four all together, another pretty shot of Bea Rose alone, wearing a maids uniform, standing in front of a stunning brick and wrought iron gate. She wondered if it might be the gate at Wherrington Manor; something told her, it was. Another one of Bea pregnant, a third of Bea holding Max at a year old, and the final one of her and her boys in a studio shot, Max and Jeremiah. With those four extra ones and the one Max had on display that he wanted, she figured on getting a nice amount for them. He offered Max as much as twenty thousand for that one, she day dreamed of getting twice as much for the ones she added.

Julius arrived twenty minutes later.

"My interview is at one o'clock!"

"I'm not the one holding things up."

"Where we taking a picture of them at?"

"Right here."

"Not bright enough, you want good reproductions, we need to get where theirs strong light or they need to be on a white back ground."

"The bedroom, plenty of light in there and the sheets are white."

They rushed to the bedroom, pulled the top spread off, smoothed the white fitted sheet, opened the curtains and took several shots of the pictures on Macro setting of the digital camera for close ups. Wasting no more time, they went to the Photomat, had the pictures transferred from the digital camera to be printed out in sets. An 8 X 10 of the best, 5 X 7's of the others and two wallets of Bea alone, and two of Bea holding Max.

They stood looking them over. "I can't believe how good they came out." Moniqua commented.

"When we getting paid?" Julius wanted to know.

"Well, I have to set up the meeting with the person who wants them and then, I'll get paid. You'll get paid tomorrow."

"Hell with that, I'm getting paid today. When you get yours, I want mine. I'm going on this interview - when I get done, I want my money."

"Well first I got to get with this person."

"Who is it?"

"Can't tell you that, I do that, I could lose everything."

"Well I got to go, remember, I want my money. You don't show up with my money, three hundred seventy-five dollars, not a penny less, I'll be talking to Max about this. I know damn well you sneakin' shit, cause you'on want his ass to know. If I'm keeping quiet, pay me dammit."

"I know, I know - I'm gone pay you dog! Drop me off at home right quick so I can change."

At home, Monique dressed in her best outfit, one that looked clean, conservative and boring. She knew not to look gaudy and cheap. She fixed her hair accordingly, happy that it had just been done - so it looked good. She put on fresh looking clean make-up - made sure not to overdue it with that and stood back satisfied with what she saw. She was a good looking young woman, while not skinny, neither was she overweight. She was healthy, attractive and knew how to carry herself if there was something or someone she was after. Taking a deep breath, crossing her fingers, she made her phone call asking to speak to Oscar T. Wherrington, stating that the call was in behalf of Mr. Maxwell Franklin.

She sat on hold for five minutes and then, "Yes? Oscar T. Wherrington here - who is calling?"

"Hi Mr. Wherrington, this is Moniqua Dorsey, we met the other day. Maxwell's girlfriend?"

"You've phoned me at my place of business, why?" He asked with disdain and disapproval.

"You were interested in a photo of Maxwell's mother? Bea Rose Franklin? I have that photo for you, and a couple of more, once you see them, I'm certain you'll want them." She went right to the point, speaking in her best voice.

Oscar T. paused, thinking before he spoke. "Has Maxwell given you the photos to give to me?"

"Uh, no - he uh - didn't, I just thought-..."

"That I might pay you for them." He finished the sentence for her.

"Even though its a copy, its a really good one. You'll like it, had it made, big, small and a wallet for you. Just give them a look over, see if you're interested, can't hurt to see'em."

Oscar T. sat staring around his office and then turned in his chair looking out of the window behind him. Part of him was tempted to turn her down, but then, that something in him made him say instead, "I'll take a look. I'm going out to lunch - meet me at the Quarterly."

"That's - that's kind of far, can you maybe, come by my place-..."

He hung up.

"Shit! How am I gonna get there?" He hadn't told her how long he would be before arriving at the restaurant or how long he would be there. Thinking fast, she went next door to plead enough money for cab fair that she promised would be returned by that evening. Only because the lady knew her grandfather and liked him, did she give her the money. She arrived at the restaurant, which was in a very swanky part of the business district. Looking at the people in the area she was glad that she'd dressed as she did and so didn't feel out of place. Entering the restaurant, she waited until the hostess approached her. "A Mr. Wherrington's table please, he's expecting me."

"Sure, follow me."

She was led to a back booth table where he sat alone, sipping on a Manhattan; didn't look up, didn't stand up, but continued looking over some papers he brought on lunch to look over. She sat in the booth and the hostess placed a glass of water and a menu before her.

"That won't be necessary, she won't be here that long." He finally spoke without looking up.

The hostess looked at her, a young man, he smiled and awkwardly walked away with the menu in hand.

Moniqua burned with humiliation, resenting his gall to treat her beneath him. She couldn't believe that he would be so rude as to not at least invite her to join him for lunch, it wasn't like he couldn't afford to, and of course, her stomach growled reacting to all the delicious smells wafting her way. She realized her best bet was to get to the reason she was there so she could get out of there.

"You want me-..."

"Sht!" He held up two fingers silencing her as he continued on with his reading.