Читать книгу Lyza's Story: Book One of The Lane Trilogy - Vicki Inc. Andree - Страница 5

Lyza shook her fist at the darkening afternoon sky as a fat raindrop smacked her between the eyes. Muttering, she shook it off and trudged down a street littered with rubbish. Wearing a dirty black coat, she pushed a grocery cart filled with trash bags. Her filthy face and cracked hands yearned for soap and warm water. A gust of wind blew a ragged scarf off her itching head. As raindrops splashed on the pavement, people hurried past, not seeing her. She seemed invisible. Heaven and Earth ignored her. The air reeked like the dress she wore, and her stomach grumbled. A volunteer nodded a familiar hello as he opened the door to the rescue mission.

Lyza Lane jolted awake, gasping as if the nightmare threatened to drown her. The dream always stopped there. Horror choked her. She looked frantically around her elegant bedroom, assuring herself of reality. No! I’ll never be a bag lady. She caught her breath. This is ridiculous. We have more money than some countries. Even so, the nightmare reminded Lyza she had no control over the future. As hard as she worked and as successful as she was, there were no guarantees. Fear gripped her core.

Throwing back the silk comforter that covered thick Egyptian cotton sheets, Lyza Lane slipped into her Claire Haddad peignoir, stumbled to the master bath, and glanced back at the clock on the bedside table. Bright red numbers spelled 3:16 a.m. Polished marble floors, walls, and countertops, designed to her specifications, reminded her how removed she was from the poverty of her nightmare. She turned the gold knob, and water flowed from the mouth of a golden dragon. She chose a crystal decanter filled with lavender bath salts and poured a measure of bubble bath into the tub. She focused on the vase of fresh-cut flowers at the far end of the Jacuzzi; the white orchids were her and her mother’s favorites. With a deep sigh, she sank into the tub. As she relaxed in the warm water, her mind wandered, eventually landing where it always did—business.

She hadn’t chosen the business. She’d succumbed to the unquestioned expectation that she and her twin sister, Leesa, would carry on the family enterprise.

Why couldn’t we have had a brother? Father would’ve loved having a son amongst the good old boys I have to work with every day. On the other hand, she enjoyed the perks, like the mansion she shared with Leesa. Her mind flashed back to the nightmare. No bag lady would live in the estate she and her sister had designed. Their six-bedroom, eight-bath estate nestled in the foothills of Southern California near the sea afforded special considerations for comfort, privacy, and security.

The main floor consisted of a spacious foyer with a library to one side. The other side opened to a formal dining room, formal sitting room, and kitchen with an enormous marble bar dividing the work area from the informal family room. Staff quarters positioned across a generous courtyard offered privacy for the twins and their employees.

Lyza smiled and shook her head at the ridiculous thought of the bag lady in her dream, picturing herself walking up the wide teak staircase dividing the two wings that mirrored each other. They consisted of large entryways with sitting room, smaller kitchens that were never used, and two large bedrooms with enormous walk-in closets. Lyza and Leesa cared deeply for each other, but they treasured their personal space and maintained separate living quarters, visiting each other when they so chose. Besides the main house, two guest houses and an Olympic-sized pool completed the fifty-acre estate.

Lyza turned on the jets and added more hot water. Trying to collect her thoughts, she prioritized the half-dozen real estate projects. I should look over the paperwork on the Nuremberg deal. I’ll work on it tonight. Too bad Leesa’s in Vegas. Not that Lyza would have confided her personal fears or the recurring nightmare to her sister anyway.

I’m not alone. Cook is sleeping in her quarters. Lyza’s mind switched gears again. The Nuremberg deal will net a hefty profit. A half-billion dollar transaction might impress Father! Wonder how Leesa’s deal is going in Vegas?

Lyza stepped out of the tub and dried with a bath sheet from the towel warmer. She slipped on her designer robe and padded to the ornate cherrywood desk to open her laptop and scrutinize the listings. An island property jumped out at her. A casino consortium came to mind. Representatives from both had communicated with her earlier that month. She considered some creative negotiations. When I get back from Germany, I want another iron in the fire. Switching to her online calendar, Lyza confirmed that morning’s meeting with her father for a working breakfast before her meeting with all the agents. Normally her sister led the weekly status briefings, but Lyza had agreed to fill in while Leesa was in Vegas.

What were my parents thinking when they named us — Leesa and Lyza, Lyza and Leesa? It makes me crazy. When we were little girls, it was cute, but now… not so much. Years ago they considered changing their names, but once they understood L. L. Lane Unlimited was named after them, they knew it would never happen.

Lyza looked at the inviting bed, considered the time, and lay back down. If only I could catch a couple more hours of sleep.

***

At four o’clock in the morning, Cook rested her head on the table in the dimly lighted dining room of her friend.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Beverly, wake up.”

Dazed, she looked into Doris’s concerned eyes, noticing the gray strands of hair slipping out of a tight bun at the back of her friend’s head. “I can’t believe I fell asleep.”

“It’s no wonder, as hard as you work for those people. The others left hours ago.”

Cook rubbed her eyes. “I’ve got to get back. Lyza will soon be up.”

Doris nodded. “You are amazing. In more than thirty years, you’ve never missed a day.”

Cook took a small note pad and pen from the table in front of her and placed them in the purse on her lap. “You know as well as I do that when God calls you to serve, it can be difficult, but I’ve never thought of giving up.”

Doris sat down in the chair next to her. “Didn’t you tell us you started working for the Lanes before those girls were born? Honestly, I was surprised they let you go to work for the twins when they moved into their ivory tower. I guess they knew the girls needed you. No one else could run their estate as efficiently as you do.”

Cook paused before answering. The remark about the ivory tower made her want to defend the twins. Instead, she said what she considered truth. “No one is indispensable.”

“Do they ever ask you to spy on the twins?”

Cook wondered why Doris always tried to extract more information than necessary. Cook glossed over the details. “Oh, once in a while, Mrs. Lane asks how they’re doing. But, Doris, they’re all so busy, so caught up in their projects, that they have little time for one another.”

Doris voiced Cook’s own thoughts. “Ah, yes. All the more reason for your mission.”

Cook’s heart lifted at the thought of why she had stayed with the Lanes for so many years. She blinked away a tear of sadness and compassion, then smiled. “Exactly. I believe with all my heart these years of service will pay off one day.”

***

Leesa thought about the previous day’s consultation as she rode the early-morning shuttle to the Las Vegas airport. A naïve young couple like them shouldn’t get into the casino business unless they have unlimited funds. I couldn’t let them get caught up in an investment that would eventually wipe them out.

She pulled out their file and thumbed through it. Leesa had been surprised by how young they’d looked as they sat around the conference table waiting for the attorneys. The tattooed young woman had looked even younger than Leesa, perhaps twenty-five. While they sat around the conference table, she’d noted their finances and spoken to them directly about their proposed venture before the attorneys arrived.

“This is an impressive undertaking for an independent couple. I take it you looked at the projections for the year.”

“Oh, yes.” The young man, flush with excitement, pointed at Leesa’s file. “This casino’s going to make a lot of money. I’m looking forward to working with the other casinos here in Las Vegas. We’ll be one of the smallest, but we’ll be in the game.”

The young woman smiled brightly and proudly announced, “This money is from my inheritance, so it’s free and clear. We haven’t borrowed anything.”

Leesa couldn’t count on both hands the number of times that casino had been bought and sold in the past decade. “And what about employees and maintenance? Do you have a director or manager in place?”

“We don’t need all that. We plan to do all of it ourselves. We’re young and energetic. We can handle it until maybe next year when we have all that money that’s going to come in.”

Leesa mentally slapped her forehead. “You understand what I said about this property being sold several times in the past, don’t you?”

“I saw that. It looked like such a good deal that we couldn’t afford to pass it up. I mean, that’s probably why they dropped the price.”

“I don’t mean to dash your hopes, but I see here that your entire income will come from the casino.”

The young woman straightened defensively. “That’s right.”

Leesa shook her head. “That’s not how it works.”

The young man pointed at the numbers on the page in front of him. “The figures show a profit.”

“Projections aren’t guarantees. Not that you can’t trust the seller I represent—but you can’t count on those figures. No one knows the future. What will you do if they don’t come to fruition?”

The young man confidently leaned back in his chair. “They will; I know they will.”

Leesa sighed. “I could sell this to you today and walk out with your money. I refuse to do it because I have your best interests at heart. This property has been sold more than a dozen times in the last ten years.”

The young man slapped his hand on the table. “Did you say you refuse to sell it to us? Can you do that?”

“Save your inheritance. Las Vegas is famous for cashing in on people with money burning holes in their pockets. It’s not a good investment for you now. You may be upset today. Trust me, one day you will thank me.”

Father will be furious with me, but I don’t need to tell him. I simply couldn’t take advantage of that sweet couple.

***

It seemed as though only a moment passed before sunlight poured into the room and awoke Lyza. She quickly dressed and ran down to the kitchen where Cook had Lyza’s cup of hot coffee waiting.

Lyza took a seat at the long bar in front of her cup. “Good morning, Cook. Those muffins look good.”

Cook brought her a plate of fresh-baked muffins. “Blueberry, your favorite.”

Lyza chose one and took two bites. “Yum! These are hard to resist, but I’m meeting Father for breakfast. I need coffee.”

She took another sip before putting the half-full cup back down on the bar.

Cook smiled. “You have a good day, girl.”

“Oh, I intend to.”

Lyza, ready to face the day, picked up her attaché case and sauntered to the garage. She climbed into her gray Mercedes-Benz and drove thirty minutes to the Lane office building downtown. She met her father across the street at Cecconi’s restaurant.

She gave him her best smile. “Good morning.”

“Lyza, you look especially beautiful this morning.”

She laughed at the thought of her father looking beautiful and filled her cup from the carafe. “Thanks, Father, so do you.”

Not amused, he opened his day planner. “Let’s begin.”

Leesa appeared at their table. She gasped, “Hi there,” likely winded from dashing to the restaurant.

Lyza jumped up to give her a hug. “I thought you were out of town until tomorrow.” She hugged her again. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Leesa grinned. “I know you are.” She laughed. “And I also know how you hate to lead these meetings. That’s why I hurried back.”

Their father plunged straight into business. “Leesa, how did the Vegas deal go?”

“Oh, it didn’t. They didn’t understand what they were getting into.” Leesa shrugged. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. Anyway, I rushed back in time for the staff meeting. You can catch me up.”

She sat and turned toward Lyza with a big grin. “I thought you were going to Germany.”

Lyza suppressed a jubilant smile. Thank God I don’t have to stay another minute in a boring office. Thank you, Las Vegas! And thank you, Leesa, for liking this part of the job! “Always glad to hold down the fort for you.” She gathered her papers and stood. “But now that you’re here, I do have a flight to catch. I’ll keep you posted.”

Leesa’s tone changed slightly. “Oh, I know you will.”

As Lyza turned to leave, she caught an uncertain expression on Leesa’s face that vanished when their eyes met. Curious. What are you up to, Miss Goody Two-Shoes?