The Carmichaels

Chapter Three

The moment that River stepped out of the cab, she saw Hannah standing at the entrance of La grand Cuba, a cell phone pressed to her ear. She was pacing back and forth, her blonde bob shining against the lights of the hotel. She ripped the phone from her ear, pressed something on the screen, and pressed it to her ear again, her motion jerky.

“Gracias,” River murmured to the driver, closing the door of the cab behind her.

As she walked forward, Hannah’s head turned automatically, and when her wild eyes recognized River’s face, the relief on her face was clear and the phone in her hand almost slipped through her fingers.

“Miss. Carmichael,” she said, her voice was rough. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling…” Hannah’s eyes swept over her, then, landing on the new shoes. “Are those new?”

“They are,” was River’s only response as she moved forward. She passed through the automatic doors of the hotel and into its luxurious lobby of crystal chandeliers and well-kempt furniture, and for a while, Hannah followed silently behind River without saying a word.

It was only after they’d gone to the concierge to get a new key for River’s hotel room—who greeted them eagerly when he spotted River—and were on the elevator, heading back to their respective rooms, that Hannah spoke again.

“Your car wasn’t outside, you don’t have your hotel key or your cell phone, and your wearing new shoes which wouldn’t have been possible for you to buy since you don’t have your purse on you.” Hannah let that hang in the air and when River didn’t respond, she asked, “Did you meet someone?” in a suggestive tone that caused the hairs on River’s arms to stand up.

“I meet people every day,” said River evasively.

“Yeah, but not people who have you making that face.”

“What face?” River’s hand shot up to touch her face as if her fingers could help her see whatever expression Hannah had claimed her to make.

“It’s a guy, isn’t it?” Hannah continued, ignoring the question. “Well, look at you, River. I never took you for the type to hook-up. Not that I don’t think you should, because I do. You’re allowed to have all the fun you want since you probably won’t get to have fun for a long while.” She clapped her hands together, causing River to jump in surprise. “So, who is he? Who’s this hot Cuban flame who’s making the Ice Queen of the Carmichael family turn into an infatuated mess?”

The elevator opened on their floor and River stepped out with Hannah following eagerly behind. The woman sidled up to her as River searched for her room, desperately trying to appear completely unfazed.

“I’m not infatuated,” she insisted. “My shoes got stolen and someone ended up helping me. That’s all.”

River didn’t know why she wasn’t telling Hannah everything that had happened to her. About Seo-Jun’s infectious smile, his handsome face, his dimples, and the sparks that seemed to flow from his hands to hers when he had helped her off that concrete wall. She wasn’t sure why she was keeping it all to herself.  Usually, she would have told Hannah everything and had Hannah settle a reward for him.

What was it about this time that made her want to keep what had happened between her and Seo-Jun?

“Really? That’s all?” Hannah sounded skeptical.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s no great vacation fling, or whatever it was you called it.”

“Cuban flame,” Hannah corrected her, “and I’m not so sure about that.”

River’s room was just up ahead and she turned to Hannah before they got to it, giving her friend and assistant a blank look. She didn’t ask what Hannah meant by not being so sure because, in truth, she didn’t want to know.

“Goodnight, Hannah,” she said.

Hannah grinned. “’ Night.” And then she walked off in down the hall opposite to where River’s room was.

Once River had made the trip down the long, plush carpeted hall and into her penthouse suite, she switched on the light. The Tiffany chandelier in the center of the room gleamed as she made her way to the couch situated almost directly underneath it.

Once her body was enveloped in the softness of the couch, she reached down and unstrapped the sandals Seo-Jun had bought her. She could recall his face perfectly under the city lights as he had leaned into the cab to ask her to meet him tomorrow.

River sat there for a moment, thinking about him and wondering why he was so hard to get out of her head after a single encounter. She stared at the shoes for a moment longer before hoisting herself up and out of the chair.

A shower was in order.

“Your schedule’s free today,” Hannah was responding to a question River had asked, looking down at the iPad in her hands and scrolling through it with a look of intense concentration.

She was sitting in the chair River had sat in last night before she had showered and fallen asleep, her blonde hair was pulled up into a neat bun and she was dressed in black slacks and a silky white blouse.

Hannah looked up at River who was across from her, and River saw the flicker of awe that passed over her face. It was the same awe that passed over everyone’s face the moment they saw her. River’s dark hair hanging in perfect coils down her back, the white pantsuit she wore held a hint of both elegance and s*x-appeal. Every part of River Carmichael—from the crown of her head to the soles of her designer shoes—was well put together. Perfection in its truest sense.

“Do you have somewhere you need to be or something?”

River didn’t jump out of her skin even though the question had made her want to do just that. Instead, she said, “I want to do more exploring. I never get to look around at the cities I visit for work. I’m curious.” And she was pleased that it didn’t sound like a lie. For some reason that was unknown to her, River didn’t want to tell Hannah about Seo-Jun.

Hannah looked unconvinced. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with your Cuban flame, would it?” Her voice sounded too smug for River’s liking.

“I don’t have a Cuban flame,” said River truthfully. Seo-Jun was half Korean and half Japanese, after all. “I just want to take a look around.”

Hannah continued giving River that same smug, knowing look. Feeling annoyed and slightly uncomfortable, River asked, “Were you able to get the car back?”

“I was. All your things were still inside, thank God. It’s right outs—” The chime of her phone ringing stopped Hannah mid-sentence and she reached into the purse settled on her lap and brandished her phone, staring at the screen.

When she continued staring at the screen until the call stopped, River thought she knew who it was right away. And when the phone rang again and Hannah paled, she knew, without a shadow of a doubt who was calling.

“Aunt Regina?”

Hannah nodded woodenly.

“Go on. Answer it.”

Hannah swallowed visibly and audibly and pressed the button to answer the call during Aunt Regina’s third time calling.

“Mrs. Carmichael—”

Regina cut Hannah off before she could go on. River could hear her shrill, angry voice throwing out insults and curses even from her spot across the room. Hannah looked equal parts annoyed and terrified as she listened to Regina curse and spit at her viciously.

In response to something Regina asked, Hannah responded, “She’s right here, Mrs. Carmichael,” and then she held the phone out eagerly for River to take.

River pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello.”

“How dare you, you little brat?”

“Auntie Regina, it’s nice to hear from you.”

“After everything I’ve done for you,” Regina went on, ignoring River’s greeting. “After everything my husband did for you before he passed. This is what you do to our family, to the only people who have cared for you.”

River blew out a sigh. “I don’t exactly see what I did wrong, Aunt Regina. It’s high time I took the seat as Chairwoman. You and I both know it’s what my father wanted.”

“Even still, to go around me like this and decide to meet the shareholders on your own—”

“I wouldn’t have had to meet them if you would have handed the seat over to me,” River snapped, tired of this charade. “We all know why you refuse to hand the seat over to me, Aunt Regina. It’s because you don’t want me to have too much power, it’s because once I take over the seat as Chairwoman, I become to head of the Carmichael family. You can’t stand that. You can’t stand the idea of anyone having power over you.”

“You watch your mouth, River,” said Regina. “Before you say something you live to regret.”

“I won’t regret anything I say to you today because, for the first time, I’m not holding my tongue. Do you think I haven’t looked into you? You think I don’t know the things you’ve done. The things you’ve [RGN] do. Extortion, intimidation. Doing whatever you can to keep me from taking the seat of Chairwoman from you. At the next board meeting, I’ll expose it all, Aunt Regina.”

Regina laughed coolly. “Expose what? Your little theories over the things I’ve done. You’ve got no proof—”

“I do have proof, actually,” River said. “You won’t get away with the things you’ve done to this family. You’ve tainted the image. Once the shareholders see this, no manner of extortion, bribery or intimidation will save you.”

“This isn’t a game you want to play with me, River,” Regina told her in a tone so cold and detached, it sent shivers down River’s spine. “I don’t lose at games like this. I never lose.”

“Goodbye, Aunt Regina. Don’t call me again.”

River removed the phone from her ear, pressing the button to end the call. After a few beats of silence, Hannah asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” River said, and it was only a half-lie. On one hand, she did feel liberated. Years of never questioning her step-aunt, years of never talking back no matter how harshly the woman talked to her, years of trying to be the perfect child so that she wouldn’t burden her uncle and his wife further had finally gone down the drain today. And then, on the other hand, she felt terrified. She now knew the things her aunt was capable of, and coupling those things with the tone of voice Regina had taken sent shivers down River’s spine.

River’s eyes trailed over to the clock where it hung just behind Hannah’s head on the far wall. 11:45.

“Well, if there’s nothing else for me to do today, I guess I’ll head off.” She stood, grabbing the blazer that was paired with her pantsuit.

“To explore?” Hannah asked smugly.

River shot her a look. “Yes, to explore. Consider this that day off you’re always going on about.”