RINGERS

Chapter 23: The Sly One

Chapter 23: The Sly One

The Bedroom, Apartment 21, Brentwood Apartment Complex, West Port Street, Baltiney, New York...

        Near daybreak caught a formerly slumbering Silas Windward II by surprise as he opened his eyes to find that he'd been naked and staring at the ceiling of an apartment that had been familiar but it wasn't at all the bedroom he'd usually pass out in at his estate. He sat up rather quickly checking the nearby end table clock as he scrambled to gather his scattered attire and shoes in a bid to hastily dress. His bedmate shifted some in contented slumber as he leaned down to deliver one last kiss before heading out the front door. Silas II made his way down the winding stairs and out past the apartment complex careful not to be spotted by neighbors given how seeing a man of his status sneaking out of a random apartment would no doubt draw a good deal of attention from the press and his father alike. 

He had done his best to put some distance between himself and the complex before venturing toward a corner coffee shop and approaching a payphone to dial for a cab. 

He opted not to call his driver, whom he knew was scheduled to pick him up at his house for work in a few hours, and elected to catch a taxi. He had enough cash on hand for the ride knowing how pricy it could be and given his being pressed for time, he knew it would only be a few hours before everyone at the estate began to awaken and move about the house. 

Silas II had not been much for personal interaction and opted to finish his call as quickly and efficiently as possible. He had convinced himself that it had been a night well spent given the benefits of making the journey for all the trouble it would cost him but Simone had been pregnant and while she pretended to be in control when it came to her way of life, she'd been a nervous wreck but deeply in love with the father of her children. 

A thought passed about how and when he'd have to explain to his older children how their younger half-siblings came to be and all he kept going back to was the day that Beth told him that she'd possibly been pregnant with another man's child had been the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak and it was no doubt the catalyst for Silas II and Simone's ongoing affair, still, they'd had two younger children and were now expecting a third.

Silas II had taken a moment to collect himself as thoughts of his past encounters with Miss Wells and the subsequent births of their children had replayed in his mind. Unlike when Beth had been pregnant with Kathy, Kelly's birth had been a chaotic and yet oddly welcome affair. Neither of them had known what their next move would be but they found a way to make it work. Beth had been embittered through most of her pregnancies not at all wishing for Silas II to be near her for much of the time until Everette had been born, she'd been more clingy than usual which was quite interesting when compared to Miss Wells who had been unable to go a moment without his being near her. Of course, there had been a fair share of complications for Kelly and Silas III's births while Beth's delivery of Caroline had come right on time.  

While his family had not been much for his company as of late in the wake of Kathy's death he still made it a point to be there at the head of the table for breakfast, a tradition everyone had come to expect from him even when Kathy had been alive. Silas II had never been much for tying his tie as it dangled sloppily across his neck as he filed into the newly arrived cab. 

It smelled of coffee and sugar given the donuts the driver had been eating at the start of the shift. Silas II did his best to hide his annoyance as he had a disdain for public transportation, especially taxis with people always asking too many questions for their good. Simon had known better than to ask him questions and his further grouchy mood had been increased by the fact that Simon had not been the one driving him. 

He knew better than to involve his assistant in matters that had not concerned him, especially with his father possibly monitoring his activities following the meeting with Jeb Westbrook. He had not put it passed his father's stooge to have attempted to speak with the business model behind his back only to be met with fierce rejection. 

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The Dining Hall, The Windward Estate, Southbound, Hillcrest Way, Baltiney, New York...

        Silas II had made it home in record time with no one seeming to be any the wiser as he filed into his usual seat and cracked open the latest newspaper which he had picked up on the way in. None had even noticed that he'd been wearing the same suit from the day before and everyone seemed to have been preoccupied with their own respective routines for the morning. Silas II had been convincing enough in his usual morning candor that no one even looked his way aside from Everett who had remained silent about what he did notice about his father's oddly wrinkled appearance. 

It wasn't the first time that he'd noticed this odd occurrence with a man who had been as neat as one could get when it came to his appearance. Everett just quietly ate his breakfast cereal as his sister babbled insults toward his father and made mention of her plans for the afternoon. His mother seemed to be casually sipping her glass of orange juice as she too opted to focus on her own plans for the afternoon, her focus already off the table and onto her seemingly endless catalog of "pool boys" to take back to her favorite hotel suite. 

Both Carrie and Beth headed upstairs to get dressed and Silas slipped from the table and out toward the front door as he'd always done with Everette trailing behind him. The lad had already been dressed and prepped for school despite dreading every moment of it. He had wondered what had happened to his father the previous hours but kept his pondering to himself lest he upset the man for daring to question him. 

They filed into the car when it arrived with Simon looking no worse for wear. He smiled at Everett and arched a brow at Silas II but said nothing about his appearance before they all got into the car and took the familiar route to the boy's school. 

Once Everett had been out of the car Silas II instructed Simon to take the long route and head back toward the house knowing all too well that his wife and daughter would have been gone by the time they arrived and that he was very much in need of a shower before heading toward the office. 

The driver had been all too happy to oblige his boss, as far as he was concerned the longer it took to get to the office with Silas Sr. possibly hanging about the better.