Heavy Traffic Ch. 07

"The interrogation caused confusion for you?" asked Amanda.

Sean shook his head and confessed, "No, thoughts of you caused me confusion."

Amanda didn't say anything, but simply waited for Sean to elaborate on his statement. Her patience was rewarded when he continued, "Since my parents died, I have been a very autonomous person, self-contained and self-reliant. This wasn't necessarily by choice, but due to my expectations of others never being met. When you started me talking about my hibernation this morning, I realized that for some time now I have felt like I was trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together using only the memory of the picture in my mind, or maybe what I imagined the picture to be. When I'm with you, it's like you're pointing out all the edge pieces to the puzzle, putting the corners in the right places, and making the picture perfectly clear for me. This morning, I was intent on returning to run the family business alone, but spending time with you today has made me reconsider those plans. Talking about myself has never been a strong suit for me Amanda, but you made it seem as natural as breathing, yet at the same time, I know so little about you. That dichotomy alone confuses me."

Amanda nodded in understanding but didn't interrupt Sean as he continued to gaze into her eyes and speak, "When you left on the bus with the girls and I was driving to the hotel alone, I began to wonder about how long you would remain in the US before returning to Australia. I don't even know if you're married, engaged, if you have someone special waiting for you or are in a committed relationship, but when thinking these thoughts, my heart actually wept."

Sean took a drink of his Scotch, waiting to see if Amanda would say anything, but when she simply held his gaze, he relented and continued, "Knowing nothing about your situation beyond what Mickey discovered, as well as what you told me about your involvement with the orphanage, I am confused on how to act, and what to even hope for where you are concerned. I know that I couldn't pursue anything romantic with you if you were involved with someone else, but when I look into your eyes I can feel the richness, the force, and the permanence that convinces me that I can always trust you. All I know is that I don't want to be that other guy - the guy without you in his life. I'm prepared to adopt you if that's what it takes for me to keep you in my life."

Amanda couldn't believe the look from the man before her. The sincerity, trust and love evident in Sean's eyes were all the proof any woman would ever need to know that she was worshipped by a man. Sean's voice dropped slightly in volume as he continued, "Amanda, I realize that you have only known me for a few hours, but in that short time I have come to believe that you are my 'happily ever after'. Then, what you arranged when you thought that my company was in financial difficulty was beyond amazing. I would understand you doubting my commitment to you after such a short time, but I pray that somehow you will give me an opportunity to prove it, to prove there could be an 'us'."

Smiling briefly at Sean's words, Amanda became serious when she finally interrupted him, "Sean, I don't know what your financial situation is, but if there is anything more you need from me, please know that it would be given willingly to you."

Sean smiled, "Amanda, if what Mickey read is accurate, you have a net worth of around $300 million dollars, right?" Amanda shifted her gaze to her hands and merely nodded. Sean waited for her to raise her eyes to his again before saying, "Amanda, I try real hard to keep my net worth under $950 million. I don't want the added notoriety that would come from being a billionaire. While your gesture means more to me than you could ever know, I have already made arrangements to have all of your funds returned to you tomorrow."

"Can you cancel those arrangements?" Amanda asked.

"I could, but I see no reason for you to tie up your money..."

Amanda once again interrupted Sean, "Please listen to me first. Let me present my case to you before you decide."

Sean saw the anxiety in Amanda's expression and nodded for her to continue.

Amanda reached across the table and took Sean's hands into her own. It was the first time she had touched him since she had left on the bus. At the touch of her hands onto his, Sean felt the tightness in his chest immediately relax, the lights in the room turned their illumination only onto Amanda, and the entire world fell silent awaiting her sweet voice.

With obvious trepidation, she began "My brother told me when I was young that the blood in our bodies was blue, like the color of the veins visible through the skin. He had me convinced that the color of our blood changed only when it was exposed to the world outside our bodies. In some ways, I'm concerned that the meaning of the words inside me may change when I speak them, so please wait for me to finish so that I can be certain that what you hear is exactly what I mean to tell you."

Sean nodded for her to continue. She did so, "I was raised in a world of unconditional love by parents who provided me with the perfect example of soul mates sharing a life together. I witnessed my parents loving and caring for each other as if they were one single entity rather than two separate people. Until my brother died, I had always belonged. First, I was my parents' child - safe to explore life and where I fit into the world without concern for whether or not I had love, respect, and support being given to me unconditionally. Sean, I grew up knowing - not hoping or dreaming, but knowing with absolute certainty that there was someone out in the world that would provide me with the same loving and secure partnership that my parents had, and that I would be inextricably linked to this man for the rest of my life. After my parents died, I was my brother's sister - still secure in the knowledge that no matter what I did, how I failed, or what I needed, he was there for me. It was the loss of these 'anchors' to my life that led me to work at the orphanage. While I knew that there was still someone out there for me, I no longer had the confidence that would allow me to dream of finding him. But, miracle of miracles, like music on the edge of silence he found me, and there is no question in my heart or my mind that I belong with him. Before he found me, it's like my life was in black and white. Now it's in rich, vibrant color."

Sean felt his chest tightening once again at Amanda's revelation, but he just nodded and let her continue. He knew that he should pull his hands away from her, but he didn't want to lose the feel of her touch.

"So yes Sean, I am totally and completely committed to someone, and as long as he'll have me, I have every intention of spending the rest of my life as his partner, his lover, his friend, his wife, and his mate. Our strengths and weaknesses will mesh so completely that just like my parents, we will become more than the sum of our individual parts." While continuing to hold Sean's right hand, she released his left hand and reached into the right pocket of her pants. Returning her hand to the table, she shifted her left hand from his right and used it to take his left hand and pull it towards her. At the same time, she positioned her right hand to slide a Trinity rolling ring onto his ring finger. Sean felt the world shift on its axis.

As she rolled it over his knuckle and into place, she said with a grin "At the very least, I thought this would help us maintain our cover as husband and wife. If you're not comfortable with it, feel free to move it to your right hand. Where you wear it, or whether you choose not to wear it at all, know Sean that it is only a material representation of my commitment to you. I now know that you won't question how someone who has known another person for less than a day would be making a commitment such as I am making to you, making to 'us'. All I can tell you Sean is I just know. I knew it when I saw you for the first time in the cabin. I knew it when I took your hand. I knew it when I saw you fussing with your hair and I just had to cut it for you. Then, when you asked me to impersonate your wife, I knew at that moment that you knew it too. You might not have recognized it for what it is, but I can see in your eyes that you agree with me. We could never be happy with anyone else because we would always be looking for each other. Sean Wallace, you are my 'happily ever after' too."

Sean glanced from Amanda's eyes to the ring on his finger. "It's beautiful," is all he could say without his voice betraying his emotions, although he could feel the moisture growing in his eyes and knew that Amanda would be able to see it too. He squeezed her hands in his and was finally able to say, "I need to get one of these for you too, Mrs. Wallace."

Beaming, Amanda removed her left hand from Sean's right and reached into her other pocket. She brought her hand back and placed the matching ring in her size onto Sean's open palm. Without hesitation, he took her left hand into his and slid the ring onto her ring finger with deliberate and lingering tenderness.

They sat holding hands and just staring into each other's eyes until their meals were served. As Sean watched Amanda begin to cut into her steak he asked, "Does this mean that you have no intention of returning to Australia any time soon?"

"Sean, I am never going to go back to Australia, or anyplace else unless you are beside me," she replied. "Plus, I think our immediate focus needs to be on your company and on getting the girls settled here in America."

"Which reminds me." Sean said with a smile, "Why would you want me to cancel the arrangements to return your funds? I really do have more than enough money of my own."

Amanda finished chewing a bite of her salad before responding, "I think there are a couple of reasons why you should cancel the arrangements. First of all, using my funds shows everyone aware of the transaction that you and I are working together, just as a real husband and wife would do."

Sean was chewing his own bite of steak, so he just nodded for Amanda to continue. She was a bit more tentative with her next statement, "I also believe - believe with all my heart - that you and I are destined to partner in every conceivable fashion, and it is just a matter of time before that includes the consolidation of our two family business operations."

Diverting her eyes from his, she continued in a barely audible volume, "I don't want any of your money Sean, and I'll sign any sort of agreement you want protecting all your assets, but nothing I own has any value to me without me being able to share it with you. I hope you can understand and accept that."

"Amanda, I realize now that from the moment I met you, I started considering everything I have as ours."

He slid his plate across the table, Amanda being forced to move her own plate over to accommodate his. Picking up his utensils, he rose and slid into the bench beside her on the same side of the table. Amanda watched silently as Sean took his position next to her, but she was certain that he would be able to hear the sound of her pulse as it began beating at an increased tempo as soon as his hips touched hers and pushed her farther into the booth.

Ignoring her meal, Amanda turned to Sean as he put his arm around her shoulder and drew her tightly against his body. Instinctively, she raised her lips to meet his as her hands found first his face, and then as their lips parted and their tongues danced with each other, she moved her fingers into his hair and caressed him with all the love and tenderness she could convey through her touch.

Their first kiss was an extended exploration and awakening for them as a couple. It left them wanting more of each other, but confident that there was no longer any need for urgency. They had the rest of their lives together.

***

Tom Folsom waited until he and Kimberly were in the rental car and exiting the Atlanta airport before discussing anything business related. "We better start recalling everything we know about Sean Wallace. I-Bar is going to want every detail we can provide."

"The sad thing is," began Kimberly, "DeMarcus probably knows as much about Sean as I do. He was always so protective of his privacy and shared so little about himself that just about everything I know about him was learned from others or divulged by Sean grudgingly. How about you? His father must have told you stuff about him from time to time. He was very proud of Sean after all."

"He was proud of him, but the details were usually pretty sparse - almost like he was trying to protect Sean's privacy like you mentioned. I remember right after I started the intern program with the company, Sean's dad called me into his office for some reason and after our discussion, he stood by the table in his office that held the wooden chess set that he cherished. I never saw him play chess, but the pieces would change position from time to time and he told me on this day that he was playing through the mail with his son who was in the Marines. He bragged about the fact that the chess set has been given to him by Sean, and that his son had carved each of the pieces by hand and build the chess board from wood he had harvested himself. He then pointed to the picture of Sean in his Marine dress uniform that was always on his desk and proudly stated that Sean had never lost a tournament. When I asked where Sean was stationed, his father told me that he traveled around the world to different US Embassies teaching other Marines."

"And you assumed the tournaments that his father was talking about were chess tournaments?" asked Kimberly.

"Sure, what else could they have been?"

"Tom, even I could beat Sean in chess."

"Then what kind of tournaments do you think his father was referring to?" asked Folsom.

"I'm not sure, but I did hear the occasional rumor about Sean being some sort of World Champion, and there was always some secret concerning him and an encounter with a bear. Whenever people would start to joke about it, Sean or some other member of his family would shut them down."

"A bear?" chuckled Folsom. "He probably got frightened by one once and messed his pants. It's the embarrassment from that which people are trying to keep secret."

"The Sean Wallace I knew never gave the impression that he was afraid of anything. Sure, he was mild mannered and trusting to a fault, but he was very confident at the same time."

Folsom was shaking his head, "Only a weak, insecure pussy would walk away from a woman like you without putting up a fight. Pushing around Mark Morris in a restaurant doesn't raise Sean Wallace to the level of strong and confident in my opinion."

"He can walk on his fingers..." said Kimberly.

"What?" asked Folsom, not certain that he had heard her right.

"Sean Wallace can walk on his fingers. I don't mean simply doing a hand stand or walking on his hands. I spied on one of his workouts once without him knowing it and watched him walking on the tips of his fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world. Do you know anyone else strong enough to walk on the tips of their fingers?"

Folsom thought for a minute. "Not off the top of my head, but I'm sure that there are lots of circus performers or gymnasts who can do it. Besides, physical strength means nothing without the will and ability to use it. As far as I'm concerned, him walking on his fingers is about as useful in life as someone being able to run a marathon. I'll mention it to I-Bar though. He'll love that one."

Kimberly didn't respond to that comment. She didn't want to think about what DeMarcus Steele 'loved' until she had to. "What about after Sean returned and you started working for him instead of his father?" she asked.

"Not much there either. Right after he came back from the Marines, Sean started his Masters program at Vanderbilt and let me and the other vice presidents run things for the most part. I know he trusted Keith Longo and Marilyn Turner since he had known them for years, and I guess he just trusted his father's judgment where I was concerned. I knew he kept an eye on me and always viewed me as a sycophant where his father was concerned, so I never gave him any reason to doubt my loyalty. He does know his business, but I never thought he had the balls to turn his ideas into reality in a competitive business environment."

"I will advise you again not to underestimate Sean," said Kimberly. She then fell silent as they reached their destination. God she hated this place.

Folsom pulled the rental car around the long circular drive leading to I-Bar's riverfront mansion. The house sat along the eastern shore of the Chattahoochee River on the western expanse of metro Atlanta in an opulent neighborhood consisting of some of Atlanta's most influential and wealthiest residences. The bankers, doctors, lawyers, and professional athletes who shared this neighborhood had less in common with DeMarcus Steele than an apple has in common with a fire truck. Colors might match occasionally, but that is where the similarities would end.

The front of the mansion was lined with multiple large SUV's - the vehicle of choice for the gang banger with discriminating taste - and their presence, as well as the loud hip-hop music emanating from the house, told Tom and Kimberly that I-Bar was playing host to some people that they would both rather avoid spending time with, especially Kimberly.

Folsom parked the car around the side by the garages. He didn't open the car door for Kimberly - best for her to start getting into her role before they entered the house. She followed behind Tom as he led them up the paved walkway from the garages to the front door. His knock was answered almost immediately by one of I-Bar's enforcers, who informed Tom that he was expected in I-Bar's office. Folsom headed for the stairs as Kimberly came into the foyer behind him, sank to her knees and bowed her head to avoid looking in the eyes of any of the men in the house and assuming the submissive pose that she knew DeMarcus would demand of her for the duration of her time in his house. She hoped that Tom and DeMarcus would be talking for hours, because she knew that as soon as DeMarcus was done with Tom, he would come for her.

Folsom knew the way to I-Bar's office and was looking forward to getting into it, if for no other reason than to escape the loud music blasting from speakers throughout the house. As he approached the door to the office, I-Bar's bodyguard Q-Tip opened the door for him to enter, and immediately closed it as he passed through.

The sound proofing of the office was amazing. Even the heavy bass beats from the music in the house were not evident in this room. DeMarcus Steele was leaning back in a chair at his desk wearing a powder blue workout suit with the University of North Carolina logo over the left breast. His medium length hair was straightened, slicked back and shiny with the gel that held it in place. He twirled a studded dog collar around the fingers of his right hand as he motioned for Folsom to take a seat.

"Did you bring my pet with you?"

Folsom glanced at the collar spinning around I-Bar's fingers and nodded. "She's waiting for you in the usual place."

"I'll get to her later," I-Bar said. "You and I need to talk first."

DeMarcus Steele could turn his 'Gangsta' persona on and off as circumstances warranted, but he generally kept it up while at home and when talking with Folsom unless there were other people present that he wanted to appear more professional and business like in front of. When they were younger, the homies in their gang used to say that I-Bar only knew six words, as long as you counted 'Mother Fucker" as two of them. The fact that he had abandoned his street identity for this discussion did not bode well as far as Folsom was concerned.