Diana studied her reflection. Make-up perfect, her skin with bronzed tones against thick blond hair, no roots showing, her eyes suitably compelling. A minor adjustment in the angle of her collar, and she was done. Striking as usual. She took a bite of the strawberry toaster pastry she had brought up to her bedroom and then called Roy’s office.
“Advocate Bank! Mr. Hetton's office.”
“Diana Fensby for Mr. Hetton.”
“I'm sorry, Mr. Hetton is out of the office today. May I take a message?”
“I’m calling to cancel my appointment with Mr. Hetton this afternoon. I just can’t bear to have any further dealings with him!”
“I'm sorry, Ms. Fensby. I'm not aware of your appointment. Mr. Hetton hasn't put it on his calendar for today.”
“I’m sure that a number of the meetings he scheduled with me have never appeared on that calendar. I thought he loved me, but at this point it's clear he's just been using me!”
“I'm sorry?”
“I want the name of Mr. Hetton's supervisor, and I want it now!”
“Our regional head of Wealth Management is Grant Brodkey. May I – “
“Brodkey? Fine! I intend to discuss this matter fully with Mr. Brodkey. I’m just too upset to talk at the moment. Good bye.”
Diana clicked off with a smile. That should cause a bit of a stir for the pompous Mr. Roy Hetton! She dialed again.
“Claudia! It's Diana. How are you for lunch and shopping today?”
“I could, I suppose. But I'll need to stop at the shop first.”
“Oh, God, Claudia, I hate antiques, and lately you check your stupid antique shop more often than you check your make-up!”
“I'm sorry my petty capitalism offends you, but some of us like to generate a bit of money from time to time. I'll pick you up around 1:30. Do you want to ask Audrey too?”
“I got off the phone with her a little while ago, and, as usual, she begged off because she has to do something with Charlie, in the middle of the day, on a weekday.”
“Doesn't that man ever work?” Claudia asked. “I'd hate to be one of his patients!”
“Actually, he's not concentrating on endodonture as much as you'd expect, although Audrey doesn't seem to know about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I discovered that he's been looking into developing real estate. In fact, he and his partner were considering buying the property that houses Phrodi's nut group. I had dinner with Charlie's business partner last night. I'll tell you all about it at lunch, but afterwards, I seriously need to shop for lingerie.”
“New lingerie, Diana? With you, that usually means another man bites the dust. Please tell me you're through with Roy Hetton!”
“Precisely. Other possibilities beckon.”
“Anyone I know?”
“We can talk about it at lunch, but I'm not up for anything serious. After dumping Roy, I just want to have a little fun.”
“It’s hard to believe you stayed with Hetton this long! I never thought he was in your league, to say nothing of his being utterly despicable, slimy and reptilian.”
“Oh, I know, Claudia. He is rather attractive, though, except for that little paunch. And he can be amusing.”
“How so?”
“Well, he has the inside story on almost everyone we know. He handles trusts for at least half the people in Inheritance Unlimited! By the way, don’t forget that the Inheritance Unlimited meeting tonight is at Phrodi’s! You know, Roy has told me one or two things about Phrodi that even I didn’t know. He does a wild imitation of her!”
“Roy Hetton as Phrodi? That’s rich!”
“Oh, and he's really scathing about Freddy. You know Freddy detests him, and Freddy has been such an ass about our divorce.”
“You’re always saying that Diana, but what could the poor man do? Freddy gave you everything you asked for.”
“I'm sure the court would have made him give me some money even if he fought me over it. No, the problem is that he's been sulking about the divorce since I first mentioned it.”
“He does pine for you.”
“He'd marry me again tomorrow if he could, and he still whines about it. 'Won't you consider counseling, Diana?' 'Darling, what did I do?' He won't give up! 'Is it too late to salvage things?' As if we had a sunken ship!”
“After the last Inheritance Unlimited meeting, you know, I overheard him say that you and Roy deserve each other. I thought it was terribly low of him.”
“Really? I'll make him pay for it! I knew from the start that this thing with Roy would get under Freddy’s skin, but I can’t keep it up anymore. He’s just as boring as Freddy ever was! Roy's idea of a great evening is to stay home. He never wants to do anything or go anywhere, except for an occasional meal out, and he always suggests diners. I don’t do diners, and I'm not a eat-in, watch old movies kind of person. On occasion perhaps, but not as a steady diet. I’m high maintenance and proud of it! Even if I did cook –”
“Which you don't.”
“Certainly not! And, anyway, my kitchen is being redone. The toaster and the coffee machine work, but the rest is a shambles. Roy wants us to dine from take-out containers for weeks at a time!”
“How is the work on your kitchen progressing? It seems ages since they started!”
“At least light years! Today there's only one person working, and he doesn't seem to be a ball of fire. Roy set the whole thing up with some contractor they use at the bank. I should have known it would be a headache if the bank got involved, but I thought that Roy would insist that my work be given priority. He just tells me to be patient! I've had it with him. But listen, Clau, I have to tell you what I've done.”
“Now what?”
“I called Roy's office and left word that I'm canceling our afternoon appointment.”
“So?”
“So I was making it up; we don't really have an appointment! I told his secretary I refuse to have any more dealings with him. I could almost hear her eyebrows going up. Just so there were no misunderstandings, I told her I had believed he loved me, but I've realized he's just using me, and then I asked for the name of his supervisor.”
“You know the name of his supervisor, don't you? I do, and it's not even my bank.”
“Of course I do. That's not the point. I said that I’m too upset now and I hung up! I wonder how long it will be before Roy gets the message.”
“Diana, you are deliciously cruel! What's your game?”
“I can probably get him fired if I handle it right. Something like, in my distress after my divorce and then Daddy's death, I was just so vulnerable, and I thought Roy really cared for me, but I've come to realize his intentions are dishonorable, and he is handling my trust money. Banks are so nervous about everyone hating them these days that they'll probably drop him like a hot potato. What do you think? Will it work?”
“Well, you know I can't stand the man. I just wonder if he's foreseen this possibility. Give the devil his due: he’s smart. But look, Di, I haven't finished dressing yet, and I have to check the shop. Let's talk later, all right?”
“I can't believe we've talked this long! I have a billion things to do! See you at one-thirty.”
“Later.”
Diana reached for her pastry. Claudia could be so irritating! Delivering a dig from Freddy was pretty low. Diana clicked the mail icon on her laptop. Just the same stupid messages she’d ignored last night. Settling back on her bed, she flipped the remote and took a sip of her cold coffee. What were the morning talk shows doing?
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