Eric rode in the passenger seat next to the driver. In no time they were in the throes of New York City grid-lock traffic. The car traveled in short, accelerated movements.
Claire experienced this traffic from the back of a taxi when she lived with Emily and John and knew that it could stifle travel and wreak havoc on schedules. Tony didn’t seem concerned. Their car pulled up to their destination with minutes to spare. The four associates got out and proceeded through the big glass doors. Claire found herself alone in a large limousine. She didn’t know where she was going or how long she would be there. Her life was no longer in her hands, and she was somehow coming to terms with that.
His apartment wasn’t like any apartment she’d seen before. A housekeeper greeted her at the door. “Ms. Claire, welcome. My name is Jan. Let me show you to Mr. Rawlings’s room. We will put your belongings there and show you around.” Claire thanked Jan and followed her. The apartment filled two stories and the entryway had a staircase that reached a landing on the second floor. It contained a massive sitting room complete with fireplace, dining room, kitchen, and office on the first level. Claire called it the first level, but in actuality it was seventy-six stories from the ground. The sitting room and dining room had floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the city and toward the water. She’d spent many days and nights in NYC but had never seen a view like this.
Tony’s bedroom was large and decorated with dark masculine colors. A large high bed with a leather headboard and complementary leather furniture filled the room. Jan carried Claire’s hanging bag, and two other staff members assisted with the rest of their luggage. Once things were put away Jan asked Claire if she would like some lunch or if she would rather rest. Claire decided a little lunch before a nap would be good.
Tony arrived at the apartment at about seven o’clock. He wasn’t alone. Brent Simmons was with him. They arrived conversing about something that happened during the day. Their conversation continued into the dining room, where they opened briefcases, laptops, and resumed their debate. Jan asked Mr. Rawlings if he would like dinner and he told her to just bring them something they could eat while working. Claire hoped for a night out under the lights of New York. She settled for a night with her book, wearing a black silk nightgown and falling asleep before Tony ever made it to the bedroom.
He left before she awoke. If his side of the bed wasn’t unmade, she wouldn’t have known he had been there. In the morning she found a note next to the bed:
Eric is available to you all day. Have
a good day in the city. Be back by 6.
Do not disappoint me.
And there was cash with a separate note:
For tipping, remember, appearances!
Okay, she thought. I am stuck in New York. I might as well enjoy myself.
After her shower, Jan served her a wonderful breakfast and promised she would be notified as soon as Eric returned from taking Mr. Rawlings to his office. By ten Claire sat in the back of a limousine while Eric drove her to some shopping therapy. She decided if Tony wanted her to shop so badly, this definitely was the place to do it. She always enjoyed shopping in NYC, but this would be a new experience. The vastness of the city, along with the quantity of people gave Claire the feeling of anonymity. A feeling she didn’t have in Davenport. No one would even notice her here. She could do as she pleased.
“To Fifth Avenue and Fifty-first Street, please.” Eric didn’t hesitate. Claire decided she could keep herself busy with Versace, Prada, Bendel, and Louis Vuitton for at least four or five hours. Eric gave Claire a card with his cell phone number and explained that she needn’t worry about carrying any purchases. Tell the clerk to call him, her driver. He would pick up everything she bought. He dropped her off near East Fifty-first and Madison and promised to pick her up near the Plaza Hotel at East Fifty-eighth Street at two. At that time, he would be happy to take her to her next destination.
As Claire stepped from the car with her high-heeled sandals hitting the concrete and her chiffon sundress blowing slightly in the breeze, she felt like a model