Electric Impulse: A Bond UnBreakable

Chapter 40 - S.O.S. Part II

"It seems like forever since we've had dinner together." I wipe my mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah, it does. I've just been caught up in Windsor Court and the merger with Apex."

"So, what's going on with all that?" I ask, cutting into my steak.

"Well, babe, we're making progress." Phoenix eats a forkful of his loaded baked potato. "I sent Leon to dig around. We decided to fund the campaign of Chase Duvall's opponent for mayor. Then Leon met with each member of the Common Council to find out their grievances, what they need for their districts and made deals to help them get it in exchange for their votes to clear the blocks Chase put on us. We've turned his members against him. It's in their best interest. He wasn't doing anything to help the people in their districts. So it's a win-win for them and us. The vote should pass next week, allowing us to finally break ground."

"Phew! Look at you, getting all politically motivated."

He smiles sheepishly. "I'm doing what I got to do. Can't let Windsor Court fall to the wayside because of that little—"

--"Bastard Sebastian! You're absolutely right about that."

He laughs. "That's your little nickname for him?"

I laugh. "Yeah."

Phoenix shakes his head. "After this, his uncle will be out of work. The Duvalls are gonna take major hits when it comes to influence on this city from now on out. Chase is getting voted out of the Common Council altogether. We're putting campaign dollars towards his successor, a woman out the seventh district. What's her name? Norma Powell. Yeah, so we're putting money behind her for the next election cycle. And we're going to make sure he doesn't win for mayor. He'll have to find work in the private sector."

"Damn, babe. You're playing for realsies, huh?"

"No playing here. This is how real it gets when you cross me."

"I get that! Proud of you." I blow him a kiss.

He beams.

"Hey, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"About what?" He asks adding a ridiculous amount of pepper to his Caesar salad.

"This intern. I'm starting to see you everywhere with her."

He takes a bite. "What about it? She works for me."

"I know, it's just that." I shrug. "I don't know . . . I don't trust her."

"Trust her? You don't know her, Ari. Brooke's great. She's doing an awesome job. The girl is so cold, she helped me capture the last Basquiat on the market! If that's not stellar I don't know what is."

"So cold, huh?" I close my eyes and lick my lips. "That's just it. She's done this huge, magnanimous thing and you can't seem to see past it for who she really is."

"How would you know anything about Brooke?"

"You're calling her by her first name? You call me Ms. Davenport."

"Yeah, so what? YOU wanted to keep things formal at the office." He frowns at me. "You saw her once in passing in my office and you think you know the girl?" He frowns. "Listen, I need her right now. I need someone in my corner that's sharp, on top of all the latest news and keeps their ear to the streets. She's been indispensable to me."

"Indispensable? Maybe that's because you tell her EVERYTHING! She's in EVERY meeting. She's on your arm AT ALL TIMES! Of course! It's because you let her in on EVERYTHING you're a part of!" I yell.

Phoenix throws his napkin at the plate. "I don't need someone to tell me how to run my business, Ari. I know what I'm doing. I didn't get here with your help. Brooke is what I need right now!"

"What you need right now? What is that supposed to mean?" Tears blur my vision. "What are you doing, Phoenix? Don't you see? Something's not right with her."

"I have enough on my plate right now, Ari. You're just adding more weight and I can't handle this right now." He stands up from the dining room table. "Between you, this merger, Windsor Court, keeping my distance at work, but at the same time giving you what you need. What do you think I am, Superman?"

"I heard her—"

"—I can't believe you." He yells.

"I heard her say something—"

"—How jealous you are!" He goes to get his coat.

"She was talking on the phone to someone. She said, she . . ." Trying to remember her words, I grab my forehead. "What did she say?"

"I'm not doing this with you. I love you, but I can't go there with you. The stress alone is too much, we've got to stay levelheaded. If it's just for the baby's sake." He shakes his head as he opens the door.

"No, wait." I grab at his coat. "Wait!"

He pulls away angrily. "I can't!" He slams the door shut.

The wind has been knocked out of me. I stand at the door, staring at the wood grain, dazed.

It's so pretty. How it naturally goes around and around. Trees do this naturally. Effortlesslly . . .

What just happened?

Pregnant brain! Fuck!

He chose her.

He chose her over me!

He chose her over me and he thinks I'm a burden.

He chose her over me and he thinks I'm a burden and thinks he needs her.

He said he needs her.

He needs her and not me!

My throat is closing. Breathing is more and more impossible. It's a tornado. It's touched down, tearing its way through a charming small town, leaving the residents helpless and in complete devastation as it carves out its' path of chaos and destruction. My heart aches in a way it never has before.

He rejected me.

For her.

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Seems like the more Aria tries to control things, change things, she gets more entangled. Nothing seems to be working in her favor. If she was your girl, your friend, 'cause let's be honest, she needs her people in her corner right, what advise would you give her?