The Upward Ripple

                                                            *****

Days turned into weeks and the Washington-Duncan wedding had already been leaked to the press and the pressure was mounting. All Cynthia wanted was a small ceremony. Something private without the hustle of a long guest list. That was not a problem for them but there was a lot of insinuation in the tabloids. The expectation was that Nate Duncan would invite all the people he had business with or intended to have business with, but Nate had other ideas. The guest list was just going to be less than a hundred names long. That was all they needed anyway. Thanks to his self-imposed exile, Nate had a very short friend list and Cynthia was not exactly a popular name until her engagement to Nate went public.

Deloris had been working closely with her to make sure the day went on without a hitch. Cynthia and Nate decided on a destination wedding in Hawaii where she would get married on the beach as she felt the sand in between her toes. As Cynthia found out, Deloris was almost as good a wedding planner as she was a publisher. Maybe even better. In just two weeks, she had managed to book a hotel, a minister and even got an appointment for Cynthia to get her fitting with a number of designers looking for some free publicity. After all, what was better advertising than having your design worn by a billionaire’s blushing bride?

The countdown was on and Cynthia had just settled on ‘the’ dress. A simple spaghetti strapped mermaid dress with a low back to show off that perfectly toned skin of her back. She was going to couple that with a cathedral veil and Nate chose to go with a grey suit and a light blue bow-tie. Everything was set and the two couples: Leon and Deloris and Nate and Cynthia were supposed to be on a flight to Hawaii later that evening. Leon and Nate were away from the penthouse getting their final fittings and as Deloris and Cynthia shared a bottle of wine at a restaurant not so far from the penthouse. It was the first time in a long time that Cynthia was out of the penthouse doing something other than working and what excited her more was the fact that it was also the first time she was out of the house with less than an army manning her. She only had two bodyguards with her and Deloris which was a welcome change from the four or five who usually guarded her.

“Honestly, I cannot wait to get away from the city,” Cynthia admitted. “Just me and the tropical weather out in Maui.”

“Yes, the Westin Resort and Spa,” Deloris said in a soft voice. “I am so glad I finally get to experience it. I have been dying to visit Maui.”

“Didn’t you have a Hawaiian getaway sometime back?” Cynthia asked, raising an eyebrow over the other. “I was stalking your Instagram page.”

Deloris giggled.

“I did but I was there on business and I was only ever in the mainland. I hardly ever got the chance to take in the sights of the forest reserve.”

Cynthia was about to comment when she saw someone she did not expect to see again for a long time: Elise. Cynthia was surprised and confused at the same time. She spotted her security men rushing towards her from the corner of her eye and she waved them back.

“Cynthia,” Deloris said in a warning tone.

“It’s fine,” Cynthia said as Elise sat down at their table.

“I would rather speak to you alone,” Elise said, and Cynthia shook her head.

“Well, I would rather if my friend stayed for this conversation. It’s either her or my security and I guarantee you, Deloris is much better company than ex-Mossad.”

Elise looked like the color had temporarily drained from her face. She looked at Deloris who was sipping on her wine.

“It’s true. I am much better company,” she said when she put her glass down.

Elise brushed off a lock of hair from her face and turned her attention to Cynthia.

“I don’t know what I have done to you or Nathaniel to make you do something so terrible as this,” she started, and Cynthia shook her head.

“You have not done anything to me and Nate, well, you did move in on his father before his wife’s body was even cold. So, there’s that but we have not done anything to you,” she said.

“Nathaniel bullied Alistair into handing over the Duncan portfolio from Vale Securities back to Duncan Enterprises,” Elise explained, and Cynthia’s jaw almost dropped. “The Duncan fund was quite large and a rushed request… it made Alistair take in a personal financial hit.”

Cynthia shook her head.

“I didn’t know anything about that.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Elise hissed. “You think you are that much better than me, huh? But you are just like me. You think I’m a gold digger? Well, take a look in the mirror, Washington because you and I are exactly the same.”

Elise was getting louder and people at the restaurant were beginning to take notice.

“We need to leave,” Deloris said as the security personnel got to their table and hurried them out of there. Elise was still shouting after them, but Cynthia was not really listening. All she wanted to do was get back to the penthouse and have a talk with Nate.

*****

Nate could not have predicted what would happen after his talk with Alistair. The ripple effect was much greater than he would have thought possible. Tabloids had already put up fake stories spun from whatever point of view they needed to sell their stories. By the time he got back to the penthouse, Cynthia was in her bedroom, upset. They only had a few more hours before they travelled to Maui and Nate had to make sure that his fiancé still wanted to marry him after jumping the gun.

“Deloris and I will get the bags,” Leon said when they got back to the penthouse. “We’ll be out here.”

Nate nodded and made his way to Cynthia’s room. He knocked softly before he poked his head through the doorway.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Cynthia turned around and nodded.

“You had a talk with Alistair?” she asked as Nate slowly walked up to where she was. He nodded.

“Yes, and I am sorry I didn’t tell you but after what you told me, I could not stand being in business with a man who would do that to anyone,” he said in a soft voice. “Something deep inside me told me that Alistair Vale has most probably done this before and the thought that my money availed the opportunity….” He never had a chance to finish what he was saying.

Cynthia put a hand around his neck and pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss.

“Does this mean that you will still marry me?” he asked, and she smiled.

“Any man who would take a million-dollar financial hit is worth being my husband.”

“It was no financial hit and it was a little more than a million dollars,” he said.

“Really? How much more?” she asked.

“A hundred and ninety-nine,” he said, and Cynthia shook her head.

“That’s too much….”

“Don’t worry about money. I have already put it into another investment. One that is not headed by a silly old man looking to take advantage of young girls and as a wedding gift, the investment is in your name.”

Cynthia’s eyes grew wide.

“What?” she asked.

“Yes, you now have the controlling interest of Women For Women. It is a charity organization that sets up young women looking for help,” Nate said, and Cynthia kissed him again.

“That is so generous of you.”

“I did not do it to save face with you,” he said. “I did it to help people like you. Pure-hearted people who have the strongest will to live and survive.”

Cynthia smiled.

“Thank you.”

“Now, will we leave this city and go get married already?” Nate asked before Cynthia kissed him again.

“Yes. A thousand times, yes.” She held the side of his face. “I cannot wait to call you my husband, Nathaniel Duncan.”

The end.