Chapter 5

“Merry Christmas,” Tony Greco said.

“Merry Christmas,” Susan DeVoe Singleton responded. She had just entered the red room of the capitol building. A small buffet luncheon was set up for the governor’s immediate Albany staff. The main office Christmas party was scheduled for the following Sunday evening in Manhattan, but the Albany staff had a little party on the Thursday afternoon in the governor’s Capitol office.

Susan as the new PR person was invited and had come as a courtesy. She brought chocolates from Kruse’s Confectionary. Tony was quick to greet her, and there was simply no way to avoid him completely. She had been ducking him for days as he was pressing her for a definitive answer to his marriage proposal. She had done everything to dissuade him, but he would not be deterred.

“No alcohol I’m afraid, against the rules, but the food’s good,” Tony said.

“I’m fine. I just came by to wish the staff season’s greetings. Is the governor not here?”

“He has a meeting with the speaker, but he’s stopping by after. He’s leaving for the city tonight. I’m staying through tomorrow. How about a drink after?”

Susan had heard the rumor that the speaker was stepping down. Jose Martin-Prez, the majority leader, was planning to step up to the power position of speaker in the state assembly. Kincade opposed Prez for speaker, but Prez was likely to get it because he had the powerful Black and Hispanic Caucus supporting him.

“Sorry, I have another Christmas party at the Fort Orange Club, Steven’s law firm,” she said.

“Really, you need to go to that?”

“You know how those firms are, and they’re talking about making him a partner after this last win.”

“I see, apparently helping criminals go free has its rewards, but why must you go in the circumstances?”

The circumstances were the very reason she must go. She strongly suspected her husband was having an affair. Suddenly, there was a real danger; she might lose him. She needed to enlarge her footprint as Mrs. Steven Fitzgerald. That meant appearing on her husband’s arm at every opportunity and making herself indispensable.

Susan bit back a caustic reply and simply said, “Wifely duty.”

Fortunately, at that moment the governor’s personal assistant, Carrie Wilson, came to say, “Happy Holidays. It was kind of you to come to our little party. I know how busy you must be.”

Carrie dragged Susan off to introduce her to those members of the governor’s staff she had not already met. “Thank you,” Susan said, “It’s good to have someone to do the introductions. I do want to get to know everyone.”

“Tony would have done the honors, but you have him a bit distracted.”

“I guess I do. I don’t mean to,” Susan sighed.

Carrie smiled and couldn’t quite suppress a laugh, “If only, we all could have such problems.”

“Be careful what you wish for girl,” Susan replied with her own small laugh.

“You’re right,” Carrie said, “I’d don’t think I want to be a married woman trying to fend off Tony’s proposal of marriage.”

“You know!” Susan asked both shocked and worried that the governor’s assistant knew.

“Don’t worry he only told me, and I will tell no one. He can be a big egotistical jerk, but I’m told that is a good part of his appeal.”

Carrie had become a bit concerned. Tony had never been what you would call a friend, but he was a co-worker with whom Carrie had a good relationship. The trouble was that Tony was losing all perspective where it came to Susan. The man had always had an inflated ego, but to a certain extent, it was deserved. As a political operative, there were few better, and women threw themselves at his good looks and charm. But Carrie feared that Susan was way out of Greco’s league and married too. Carrie knew Tony took rejection badly.

At that moment, the governor appeared, and everything turned to him. It was not until sometime later that Tony was able to drag Susan into his own cubbyhole of an office.

She was angry, “You told Carrie Wilson about your proposal?”

“Yes, I was seeking her advice on how the governor might react,” he said.

“And what did she advise?”

“She thought it a bad idea.”

“Smart girl. It is a very bad idea. I’m married already. Can’t you see that makes what you want impossible?”

“I don’t see why you won’t divorce him.”

“On what grounds? What cause has he given me?”

“You don’t need grounds anymore. This is the twenty-first century, and we’re in the State of New York.”

“And I’m Catholic. I’m a DeVoe on my mother’s side, remember. My father would disown me, but my mother would kill me. Steve would merely kill you. Then there is the governor to think of. He would not be very happy to have that kind of scandal mark the opening of his bid for the presidency. How do you think your proposal to a married woman would play in Iowa?”

“But I love you.”

“And I love you. What we have is good. Don’t spoil it. We can go on as we have with one exception.”

“Exception?”

“You have to start using protection. I promised my mother an heir. I’m going off the pill end of this month. With luck, I’ll be pregnant in two or three months, and we can go back to the way we were.”

“Are you kidding me! You’re planning to have his baby?”

“I’m his wife. It has to happen sooner or later,” she said not adding that if she became pregnant that was sure to end any dalliance by her husband. Steven would never abandon a pregnant woman.

While she thought this, Tony had grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to him, “Woman you are crazy if you think I’m going to let you leave me to have his kid.”

“Please you’re hurting me,” she said, but before he could respond the door opened, and Carrie Wilson was standing in the doorway.

“Tony, I hate to interrupt, but the governor is planning on leaving, and he wanted to see you first,” Carrie said.

Tony hesitated torn between shaking some sense into his paramour and answering the call of the man he worked for, but in the end, the politician won. He let Susan go and stormed from his office. Carrie lingered.

“You, all right?” she asked Susan.

“Yes, but he had me worried a moment.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t hurt you. However, maybe it would be better if you weren’t here when he comes back,” Carrie said wondering if she was speaking the truth. Tony was a bit crazy when it came to Susan.

“Yes, you’re right. I’ll be going.”

Carrie watched Susan leave and debated whether she should tell the Governor that he might just have a serious staff problem.

At the Fort Orange Club, Susan was being as entertaining and enticing as only a truly beautiful woman can be. She had, nonetheless, been an attachment to her husband’s right arm the whole evening. Until, she sent her husband to refill drinks, so she might speak to the firm’s managing partner, Mark Tolen, alone.

“It’s a wonderful party,” she told Mark.

The older man was flattered. He was standing in the center of the room with this incredible beauty who had just sent her husband to get them drinks from the bar.

“The Fort Orange Club does a wonderful job. I insisted the partners spring for the expense. It fits our new status as the top litigation firm in the Capital District. As I said, ‘Where else could we be expected to feast our staff and distinguished friends.’ I only wish the governor could have accepted our invitation,” Tolen said giving his firm the status that he insisted his partners live up to.

Susan was a bit amused by the man’s pretensions but didn’t show it. “I’m sure the governor would have come if he could, but he has such great demands on his time now. He’s a national figure if you know what I mean?” she said implying Kincade’s plan for a run at the Whitehouse.

“Yes, of course, and let me say he could not have picked anyone better to help him than yourself.”

“Thank you, but tonight I’m simply Steven Fitzgerald’s wife,” she said attempting to steer the conversation back where she wanted it.

“Naturally, but there is nothing simple about Steven. He’s the bright new star of our litigation department and the newest partner of the Rosewood and Associates team. I hope you didn’t find the partnership buy-in too steep?” Mark Tolen said.

Susan was familiar with the workings of these partnership accounting practices. She, after all, was a partner in a PR firm that was many times larger than little Albany based Rosewood. Had she not been Steven’s wife, she knew he would have been hard-pressed to meet the two-hundred-fifty thousand buy-in. The firm was willing to let him pay the sum in monthly installments over two years. They would subtract the sum from his bi-weekly draw and reconcile the payments each December. The odd fact was that he would lose his salary as he became a partner. He would become dependent on the firm’s accountant and the managing partner, Mark Tolen, for his income going forward. Their estimation of his monthly income would control.

“Dear Mark, you don’t think we depend on Steven’s income for our living expenses?” Susan said with a gracious smile.

“Well no, I didn’t, but I trust our little financial dealings didn’t inconvenience you.”

“I would say they wouldn’t if I was sure that my husband’s draw was, let us say, modest. I would hate to get to next December and find some shortfall. It would be embarrassing to need to go to my father for a loan. If you know what I mean?”

Tolen most assuredly did. Most of his partners fought for a large draw against earnings. Some exceeded their ultimate earnings and were forced to pay back. Next year, thanks in large part to Steven Fitzgerald, was likely to be a banner year. Most partners were already angling for a bigger draw come the January partners’ meeting. However, he understood that Mrs. Fitzgerald wanted her husband kept on a tight budget. It was not an unpleasant request.

“Well, modest might be possible assuming that Steven doesn’t object,” he said. Tolen couldn’t afford to offend his golden goose.

“Oh, I assure you that Steven has no head for finances. He won’t know the difference unless you tell him. But here, he comes with our drinks. Enough said.”

Steven had returned with their drinks. He was having about as miserable a time as any of the young associates stuck partying with their elders, but he was no longer an associate, and he was feeling no longer young. Susan was up to something. She was plotting again. He loved her, and to a great extent, he found her machinations amusing. For such a truly intelligent woman, she was incredibly stupid about certain things. He had no doubt her mental abilities were broader and higher than his own what she lacked was his exceptional cunning.

Susan fooled her husband, not at all. He knew she was basically unfaithful. It would have been remarkable for any woman of her exquisite beauty who was possessed of the sexual appetite of an alley cat to be truly monogamous. You saw it all the time with movie sirens and actresses. They went from lover to lover and husband to husband. The same was not always true with men. For every handsome actor who had half a dozen wives, there was an equally attractive fellow who spent decades happily married to one woman.

Steven theorized the pressures were just too great on women. Even more so on a woman like his wife. Her social position and fabulous wealth insolated her from the normal repercussions of her actions. At the same time, her very position in society exposed her to a moral laxity that rivaled ancient Rome. What chance did his wife have? She was a creature of her nature and her nurture. However, she was a rare jewel. She had a strange moral innocence. She lacked any guilt because she could not understand the way her actions were perceived by others.

Having a lover was of no significance unless it was public knowledge. Being the talk of gossip was actually desirable, it meant you were important. Having it proved you were cheating on your husband was an unpardonable breach of etiquette, not a moral failure. In some ways, Susan was a remarkably decent member of her class. She went out of her way to help others. She worked at an occupation and strove to succeed for its own sake. She didn’t do drugs or drink to excess. She would see her husband lack for nothing. If you could set sex aside, Susan was the woman you would wish every woman was. She had only one other fault that Steven was painfully aware of; she was outrageously jealous.

For his part, Steven was captivated by his wife. He loved her more for her personality than her looks. He had always had trouble talking to women, especially when they had nothing in common. Steven knew he was one of those good-looking men who were unfortunately decidedly boring. He was excessively shy with both men and women, but women exceptionally so. He had no interest beyond trial tactics. He was no great legal mind like Jimmy O’Reilly or Pat Sullivan. The perplexity of the law simply did not interest him. He was a writer, director, and actor and his playhouse was a courtroom.

Susan was the first woman he had ever felt truly comfortable with, and he had been faithful to their marriage vows until he had slipped. He was still trying to work his mind around exactly what it was about the little prosecutor, Lynda Segal, that allowed her to slip through his defenses so easily. From the first moment that he saw her, he had felt this odd attraction. It wasn’t lust. Perhaps it was the magnetism that two kindred souls felt for each other. They were like two halves of the same coin. When they were together, there was no awkwardness. They had a mutual interest that was all consuming. They could talk and talk trial tricks for hours, laughing at each other’s war stories.

Lynda lived and breathed trial work. He knew without being told that her social life was a series of casual and meaningless encounters. Nothing was important beyond the courtroom and the preparation for it. No trick was too low or unethical. Winning was everything because she had persuaded herself that she was always in the right. When she had discovered the fallacy of her position in the Wheatmore case and how far she had deluded herself, she had come close to a breakdown.

Steven himself was tortured by the guilt from an onerous secret. He, therefore, felt a peculiar bond with Lynda as she suffered the pangs of her conscience for her action in Mrs. Wheatmore’s case. Perhaps this is why, he let himself be seduced, and why he longed to continue the relationship despite the clear indications that his wife was suspicious. It bothered him that he was cheating on Susan. One part of his brain reasoned that he had every right to do as she did, but something about it seemed so wrong.

Sex was the bane of Steven’s existence. Female secretaries and clients flashed him. Court clerks openly flirted. A certain type of man eyed him with a hungry look. That last sent a chill up his spine and drew a dark shadow over his soul. In his heart, Steven Fitzgerald knew that he would never be able to pull off the trick of being with two women at the same time.

For her part, Susan had always been a jealous person. As with most women who engage in marital infidelity, she was unwilling to grant her partner the same sexual freedom she accorded herself, and like every beautiful woman, she had her insecurities and a strong fear of abandonment. She could no more tolerate her husband bedding another woman than she could give up her own extramarital liaisons.

It is a curiosity of the human animal that a promiscuous woman demands a monogamous partner whereas the monogamous woman will sometimes accept a polygamous male. Steven had failed Susan, and he could tell she was if not certain of his failure highly suspicious. Her actions over the last weeks had been designed to exert the maximum pull toward the marriage while making it difficult for him to wander. She left him little time to himself away from work. It was her fear of losing him that was driving her now, and he wondered how she was keeping up her own affair. That is until tonight.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.