Chapter 2

The shrill sound of the phone echoed throughout Jody’s apartment, waking her up from a light sleep. She squinted at her alarm clock and saw that it was after 9 a.m. She jumped out of bed and scrambled to the phone, expecting the call to be from an angry boss. She snatched the phone right out of the cradle, “Hello!” She answered breathlessly, trying to sound composed, and attempting to hide the sleep from her voice.

“Ms. Winters, nice of you to answer the phone!” Said a sarcastic tone on the other end.

“Who’s speaking?” She wanted to know. She then came to the realization that it was Friday, her day off. It wasn’t her boss.

“It’s John Milford. I’m calling on behalf of your father. He would like me to set an appointment for the two of you to speak over lunch.” The voice replied patronizing her.

“My father?” She exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair. “What the hell?” She was outraged! How dare he! She thought to herself, his nerve will never cease to amaze me.

John never said a word; he knew that Jody was a rebellious, independent, and ungrateful woman. His assumption was that she played the stereotypical poor little rich girl role. As far as he could see, her father provided everything that she could have wanted. He only wished that he too, could give his family everything Cameron Winters gave his daughter.

“You can tell my father,” She began, speaking through clenched teeth, “That if he wants to see me and arrange for us to have another one of our warm and loving father/daughter conferences that he can contact me directly. Thank you, Mr. Milford.”

John Milford heard the click of the receiver being placed in to the phone cradle. He knew that Cameron would not be impressed with the result of the phone call.

**

Jody paced the room trying to calm down. She flipped the switch to turn the jug on for coffee. She needed something to calm her nerves. She went to the kitchen sink and splashed some cold water over her face in an attempt to wake herself up.

She was still angry with her father for hitting her, but she knew she couldn’t exactly expect anything less from him. What hurt her the most was the fact that he couldn’t even take the time out to call her himself, although it’s not like she would have listened to what he had to say, anyway.

She poured a black coffee and turned the thermostat on for some cool air, realizing that it was in the makings of becoming a beautiful hot day. She headed back to her bedroom, reflecting back on the previous night.

**

Michael gave a yawn and stretched out. He knew he had some things to do, and should check on the kids, but he couldn’t will himself to get up yet. The sun was creeping in to his bedroom through the crack of the drawn drapes. He rolled over and closed his eyes again.

Minutes later he heard the pitter-patter of sets of feet running across the floorboards. The door squeaked as it opened up and Elyse, Ryan and Chris were whispering loudly to one another.

“Shhhhhhhh!” Elyse hissed creeping towards the side of the bed to check if Michael was still asleep.

“Nooooo!” Chris said grabbing her arm, “Don’t wake Mike up!”

Michael tried not to smile listening to their debate. He let them argue for a few more minutes until he could tell that Elyse was getting a little whiney. Ryan held her arm so she couldn’t move any closer towards Michael.

“Lemme gooooooooo!” She whined, loudly.

Michael took this as a cue to open his eyes and pretend he had just woken. He yawned again, “Ryan let go of your sister.” He said in a tired, croaky, though gentle, voice. Elyse looked up and saw that he was awake.

The three kids began to jump all over the bed bursting in to fits of giggles knowing it was something that they would never ever get away with doing at home. Michael grabbed Elyse who was closest to him. He pulled her into his lap and began tickling her. She giggled uncontrollably. Chris and Ryan took this as their cue to rumble him.

Michael tried to get up. He had Chris on his back, he held Ryan under his arm and Elyse had wrapped herself around his leg. The boys were begging to be set back on the firm ground. He found it extremely hard to keep balance with Elyse wrapped around his leg so he put the kids down.

The phone began to ring. He went to head over towards it but couldn’t exactly move fast enough with Elyse refusing to let go. He walked unsteadily over to the extension on his bedside, dragging her across the floor, trying to stop his own giggles. “Hello?”

Chris and Ryan cheered and yelled noisily as they jumped all over Michael’s black silk sheets turning it into more of a pseudo-trampoline, than bed.

“Mr. Jackson, it’s Lisa Peters calling.” The woman spoke in to the phone. She stopped speaking when she heard the muffled yelling and giggling in the background.

“Uh….” Michael stopped, “I’m so sorry. Hold the line.” He put the phone down and peeled Elyse off of his leg and scooped her up, “Sorry sweetie, I have to take this call.” Michael turned to the two boys, “Chris, Ryan, can you keep it down a little? I have to take this call…It’s important, okay?”

The boys stopped and nodded. They were aware of how to behave when Michael was in the middle of important business. They kept right on jumping though, without the noise and more of a hushed whisper as Michael took the call outside of his room. “My apologies for keeping you waiting, Ms. Peters, I’m sort of babysitting right now.” He explained, “How can I help you?”

Lisa Peters smiled from her desk chair in her office. Michael was definitely the most charming man that she had ever worked with. He was kind and polite and always very thankful. He made her job a whole lot easier. She had just been working for him for a short amount of time as his lawyer “Mr. Jackson…” She began.

“Please, call me Michael.” He interjected.

Lisa smiled again and relaxed back in to her chair, “Okay, Michael…” She began again, “I received a letter this morning from the legal representatives of Mr. Ronald Stewarts, does that name ring any bells?”

Michael thought about it for a second. Elyse was wriggling around. He put her down and watched her run off. He sat down at his desk. “Hmm… no, I can’t say that it does…” He replied slowly and thoughtfully. He furrowed a brow, still thinking.

“Hmm, well whoever Mr. Stewarts is, he is suing you for plagiarism of Wanna be startin something” Lisa told him gently. “It seems that he believes that he co-wrote it with you in 1982 and wants his cut.”

Michael couldn’t believe his ears. He burst out laughing in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right? That song was written five years ago, even if he did co-write it, which he didn’t, but if he did, then why has it taken five years to come to his attention?” He wanted to know.

“Look,” Lisa said realizing that Michael was getting highly strung. “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Jac- Michael, I don’t know why Winters' & Co. are even taking this case, as Ronald Stewarts doesn’t have a leg to stand on. There’s no evidence and it’s your word against his.”

“Jeez…” He sighed, “That’s so pathetic. I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“I know.” Lisa empathized with him, “Michael, I’m going to contact Winters & Co. and arrange a meeting with their client. I would really like you to attend, will you be able to make it?”

Michael sighed again; he was supposed to be on a holiday. He hadn’t had a break for such a long time and he had basically promised the kids that he wouldn’t be working much and or at all during their stay with him. He didn’t want to break a promise, but on the other hand, he wasn’t about to let someone get away with telling blatant lies about something that never even occurred.

Lisa could tell that he was hesitating to answer. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t I call them with a list of available appointments and then I can get back to you and find out when the time is good.”

“No…” Michael interjected, “No, it’s okay, just go ahead and make an appointment.  And I’ll be there.”

“Thank you Michael.” She said, relieved. It was so much easier to defend him when he was actually around. Since she was still fairly new to her job, she was intimidated by a lot of huge firms that she had never been up against.  Michael took a chance when he hired her, and she was lucky to get such an amazing opportunity. So far, he was more than happy with the job she was doing.

Michael imagined how amusing and intimidating this would be if he attended the meeting. He definitely had to go. There was no way in the world he was going to let someone try to take the credit for any of his work.

“No, Ms. Peters, thank you.” He replied. “Just let me know…”

“Okay, Michael. Sorry to interrupt your holiday.” She apologized.

“Don’t apologize. Have a nice day, I’ll speak to you again later, right?”

“Right. You too, Michael, Bye.” Lisa Peters hung up with a sigh of relief.

Michael hung up the phone and tried to put his annoyance to rest. “Who wants breakfaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast?” He called loudly from the hallway hearing a chorus of “me, me, me’s” followed by thunderous footsteps running down the hall.

He smiled, relaxing again.

**

It was just after lunch when Jody’s doorbell rang. She was expecting her best friend Julia to pop in. Julia had just arrived from her twelve-week holiday overseas. Jody missed her so badly and was so excited to see her. She leapt up from the couch and headed towards the front door.

She swung the door open ready to give Julia a hug only to be harshly disappointed. “Oh…it’s only you.”

Simon looked down upon the pretty young woman that stood before him. Her hair was pulled up in a casual ponytail with her bangs falling carelessly in to her face. Simon smirked at her sloppy attire. She wore an old gray wife beater and a pair of thin cotton pajama pants with animal prints on them.

“Only me?” Simon chuckled, “I resent that!” He remarked adjusting his suit waiting for Jody to invite him inside. Normally Jody would have felt a little uncomfortable with letting someone so highly regarded see her dressed the way that she was, but for some reason she wasn’t slightly phased and ignored his initial smirk and conceited snicker.

“Ha.” Jody scoffed, “Tell me, what do I owe today’s pleasure?” She replied sarcastically.

“You’re so feisty, Jo, I love it!” He joked, “So, are you gonna let me in or do we have to stand out here all day?” He asked holding his arms out waiting for the complimentary kiss on each cheek, something Jody hardly ever partook in.

“Actually, here is kind of good for me.” She glanced at the suit he was wearing and the fake smile that was permanently plastered on his mouth and began to feel almost sick to the stomach. You are just like my father that’s exactly why he loves you. You’re his little robot that he orders around.

Simon scowled feeling a little annoyed himself, “I don’t get it Jody…” He said, dropping his arms by his sides, watching Jody lean up against the architrave of the doorway. “You and I-“

“There’s nothing to get,” She said softly, “I’m sorry…” She sighed, feeling bad,  “It’s just that I’m expecting someone, Simon. Just let me know what’s up and maybe I’ll give you a call later.”

“You’re expecting someone wearing that?” Simon scoffed looking her up and down in the attire that she was sporting.

Jody narrowed her eyes and looked down at her clothes, “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? You know, there are other articles of clothing besides suits and ties and ridiculously over-priced dresses?” She took a deep breath realizing that she was over-reacting. The only reason why Simon was even here was because her father had sent him, like usual. Poor boy doesn’t know how to think for himself. I guess my father had to find someone else to control since I’m way out of the picture. She told herself.

“Jeez, calm down, I was kidding…What the hell is wrong with you? Have I done something to upset you?”

She immediately felt bad looking at the scowl that had formed upon his face. “No. You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m sorry, now is just not a good time, Simon, okay?”

“You could have just said that…”

“I’m saying it now. I’ll call you later, alright?”

“I was only coming here because your Dad wants to speak with you on Monday morning. He’s really upset with what happened the other night and wants to sort it out…I’m not supposed to leave here unless you agree to Monday lunch time.”

“Fine.” Jody said wanting nothing more than to get the oh-so snobby Simon out of her hair. “Fine, tell him I’ll be there. I’ll see you later.”

She barely gave him a chance to reply before she closed the door and locked it. She headed back to the family room and sat down on the couch trying to figure out why she was so stressed out. She had no reason to keep taking things out on everyone.

She propped a pillow under her head and stared at the blank TV screen as though she was waiting for it to magically turn on. She thought about her father and Simon and the immense pressure she’d been under. Jody worked two jobs, one as an office assistant and the other job as an English tutor for school children. She needed two jobs in order to keep her rent paid on time. Jody knew that she could own her apartment free and clear, if she would just take her father’s money. She'd agreed with herself when she moved out at age nineteen that if she wanted to be completely free from her father, she would have to avoid taking any hand outs from him.

She did it on her own, she was surviving and it felt much more rewarding this way. She just wanted to have a normal life, away from the complications that money created. She had normal friends, normal work peers and the same struggles as the real people that she surrounded herself with and she was proud of that. She didn’t need anything that her father could have offered and the only thing that she did ever need, he didn’t provide. That was the craving for a happy, safe, loving home, something that the Winters’ mansion had never been.

**

“So, Mr. Stewarts…” Cameron Winters’ began. He clasped his hands together and rested them on the papers that lie on the desk in front of him. Ronald Stewarts was seated in front of his lawyer’s desk. “Jackson’s lawyer contacted me yesterday afternoon and wanted to organize a meeting so that hopefully we can come to some sort of arrangement out of court.”

Mr. Stewarts nervously bounced his knee and fidgeted around in his seat smacking on gum. “How are my chances looking, Mr. Winters? I mean, realistically.”

Winters considered his question, “Jackson is a powerful man, but he also has a reputation to maintain and I’m quite sure he’d want to keep this on the hush. I think your chances are good, just let me do the talking.”

“The freak will probably scream innocent and cry a flood of tears as usual…” Stewarts rambled off.

Cameron chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you get what you deserve.”

Stewarts gave his lawyer a firm handshake after they made the appointment for Monday 12:30pm. He left Cameron’s office.

Cameron pressed then buzzed his receptionist, “Margaret, will you send Simon in please.”

**

“Take a seat.” Cameron ordered Simon, who he believed would be one day, his son-in-law. “Did you get a chance to go see Jody?” Cameron asked as Simon reclined back in to the seat opposing him.

“Yeah, I did. She wasn’t very happy, Cameron, she nearly ripped my head off.”

Cameron didn’t reply, he too, reclined back in to the big expensive leather chair. He arched his fingers in to a diamond shape and looked pensively around the room, “I should have never let her move out,” he thought aloud. “She hasn’t been the same since.”

Simon didn’t know what to say. He was always a little nervous in front of Cameron. Simon liked Jody, he thought she was cute but she wasn’t anything special. She was too simple for him, he preferred someone who he could put upon a pedestal, a true Betty Home maker, he thought. Someone he could push around and still come back. Something that obviously the strong-minded Jody wasn’t.

What he did want was Mr. Winters’ money though, and he knew that if he married Jody he would be assured the second best position in the firm until Cameron retired. He knew that Cameron would look after him if he married Jody.

“I am going to give you Jody’s account number and I want you to make a few phone calls and deposit a few dollars into her account. Will you do that?” Cameron asked.

“Umm…” Simon went to protest, hating the fact that he was always being the gopher for Cameron, often feeling like more as a messenger boy rather than a prominent lawyer.

“Thank you, you’re a good boy, Mr. Harrison!”

Simon smiled weakly and took the information that Winters slid across the table.