N. Walters: Past Promises

As clichéd as it sounded, today was the first day of the rest of her life.

Levi stood in front of a high oak desk, face impassive, as he asked to see Austin Fletcher, senior and junior, as well as Simon Dyson. He didn’t have an appointment, but the receptionist had noted his designer suit, linen shirt, gold cufflinks and Italian leather shoes and briefcase. Levi had contemplated wearing his jeans and a T-shirt, but felt this would be more effective.

The receptionist, whose nameplate said she was Marissa Blakely, had also sized him up as she batted her eyelashes and leaned across the desk to give him a better view of her spectacular cleavage. But he wasn’t tempted by her charms in the least. The only woman that interested him was the one he’d left all warm and cozy in the middle of the night.

It hadn’t been easy to tear himself from her bed. But this was for Linda. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to obtain her security and happiness.

“Mr. Fletcher’s schedule is full this morning.” She smiled at him. “I could probably fit you in this afternoon.” The way she said it gave her words a double meaning.

“Tell him Levi Mann is here. He’ll see me.” Levi had no doubt that her father knew all about him. Or at least as much as Levi’s official records showed, which wasn’t much at all.

Ms. Blakely was pouting slightly now, but he gave her credit for maintaining her professional demeanor. “Of course.” She picked up the phone and contacted the next person up the line, Fletcher’s personal secretary.

Levi glanced around the room while he waited. He’d catalogued it all the second he’d walked through the door. He knew the location of all the windows and possible exits. Old habits were hard to break.

The room was decorated in a style that said money without being ostentatious. The carpet was a rich gray that went well with the luxurious cherry wood furniture. Several chairs, upholstered in burgundy, sat off to the left in a well-appointed waiting area. If Levi was correct, the chairs were all genuine antiques. Coffee and tea were available on a Victorian teacart. He knew what it was because Linda had one something like it in her shop. Real china mugs and silver spoons waited beside the carafes of coffee and tea.

Levi turned back to Ms. Blakely as she hung up the phone. She stood, tugging down her skirt as she came around the desk. Her legs were long and shapely, shown off to their best advantage in her high heels. “This way, please.” She led him through the inner door and down a hallway, glancing over her shoulder several times. She stopped at a door near the end. Opening the door, she motioned him in.

“Thank you.” He nodded at her and entered the room. The door closed behind him.

An older gentleman sat in an ornate chair at the head of a long conference table, resting his elbows on the heavy wooden arms of the chair, fingers steepled in front of him. His suit was impeccable, and he had an air of confidence surrounding him. No doubt about it. This was the king of the castle in his own domain.

The room itself reflected the man. Everything about it reeked of money and tradition, from the original oil paintings on the wall to the thick volumes of law books in the floor-to-ceiling bookcase that ran the entire length of one wall. Not a thing was out of place, nor was there a speck of dust anywhere.

Levi saw the family resemblance. The older Fletcher’s hair was graying, but there were still strands of black. His eyes were dark blue, but where Linda’s were warm and welcoming, his were cold and calculating.

The old man was doing his best to intimidate Levi with silence. Levi could have told him he was wasting his time. No one had intimidated him since he was out of diapers. He thought about waiting until Fletcher broke, but decided that taking the offensive would be the most effective tactic.

“Might as well get your son and Dyson in here so I only have to say this once.” Levi dropped his briefcase on the table and opened it, ignoring Linda’s father.

He almost grinned when the old man bristled. Obviously, he was used to giving the orders, not taking them.

“I don’t see the need to involve them.”

Levi drew out a sheaf of papers and laid them aside. He raised his head and stared at Fletcher for a long moment and then shrugged. “I’ll just go see them afterwards then. I’d hoped to save time.” Arching an eyebrow in question, he waited.

Linda’s father picked up the phone and barked at the person on the other end. “Get my son and Simon in here.” He slammed the phone down. “The quicker you state your business and get out of here the better.”

“I agree.”

“I know who you are, Mr. Mann.”

Levi heard the door opening behind him and subtly angled his body so he could see the two other men in his peripheral vision. He recognized Dyson immediately. The other man had to be Linda’s brother. He looked like a male version of Linda. His features were finer than his father’s. They both must take after their mother in that respect.

“What’s this all about?” the younger Fletcher asked.

“That’s the guy I told you about. The local that Linda is shacking up with.”

Levi shook his head and sighed. “You can say anything you want about me, but one more word about Linda and you’ll live to regret it.”

“Don’t threaten me,” Dyson sputtered.

“I don’t make threats.” Levi dismissed Dyson and turned back to the senior Fletcher. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” How a sensitive soul like Linda had grown up around people like this and come out untainted, he’d never know. He figured he had her deceased grandmother to thank for that.

“Let’s,” Linda’s father intoned. He didn’t invite Levi to sit when his son and Dyson took seats beside him. They made a united front. “I had you investigated when I found out you were living with Linda. You’re a nobody who was born in the gutter. You were in the army, but you left that about a year ago. Since then, you’ve drifted around taking odd jobs. You ended up in Jamesville where you managed to get free rent in exchange for services.”

The way he said the word “services” made it sound dirty and sleazy. Levi clamped the lid down on his temper. That wasn’t the way to beat these men.

“Am I correct?” Fletcher looked pleased with himself. Dyson looked smug. The younger Fletcher appeared concerned. For who or what, Levi wasn’t certain.

“Some of your facts are right. But they’re really irrelevant.”

“You think so?” Linda’s father sat back in his chair, a self-satisfied look on his face. “I wonder if my daughter would still sleep with you if she knew where you really came from.”

Levi ignored the barb, even though it scored a direct hit. He knew he wasn’t good enough for Linda, but that didn’t matter. She’d let him into her life and her bed and he’d cherish her for as long as she allowed him to stay. “You can go right ahead and tell her if you feel the need.” He picked up the papers and strolled toward the head of the room. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we. We all know you’re causing Linda financial problems because you want the money left to her by her maternal grandmother.”

“How the devil do you know that?” Dyson demanded.

Levi continued, ignoring Dyson. “When Linda is upset, I’m upset.”

“And this should matter why?” Austin Fletcher finally spoke up. “Look, Mr. Mann, this is a private family matter. Linda’s always been high strung. She needs to be protected from herself.”

Levi laughed. He couldn’t help himself. “Linda is an intelligent, independent woman who is passionate about what she does for a living. Everyone who knows her at all knows that.”