Finding a Good Man

Here's to the liars and the cheaters and the cold mistreaters;
To the Momma's boys who can't make a stand.
Here's to the superficial players;
The "I love ya" too-soon-sayers;
If you hear me girls, raise your hand.
Let's have a toast; Let's have a toast!
Here's to findin' a good man.

 

An effusive Bebe Mortimer warmly greeted by Trixie and Charlie when they arrived at the Winter Ball. Trixie felt her mood lighten when Bebe promptly introduced her to suspect number five, Warren Gregory Mortimer, Jr.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Trixie extended her hand to a round gentleman with salt and pepper hair.

“The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard about you. You’re starting your own private investigative business.”

“Yes. Did Bebe tell you about that?” Trixie was surprised to learn that the seeds she had planted with Bebe Mortimer had taken root.

“No, Bebe mentioned she had met you, but Matthew Wheeler and I go back a few years. He mentioned to me that you were planning to start off your business by doing some security analysis.”

Trixie beamed. She had no idea that Matthew was friends with Bebe's husband. “Matthew’s right. Perhaps we could get together sometime and talk shop,” she suggested. “Not tonight,” she hastened to add as she noticed Bebe’s tiny frown. “Tonight is about the art museum and its funding needs. If you like, I could give you a call.”

“Certainly. I have a few things I’d like to run by you,” Warren replied a tad gruffly, but softened his words with a friendly wink and the tiniest of nods towards Bebe. “Just call the office, my secretary will set something up.”

Trixie floated away on Charlie’s arm. She had found her introduction to another suspect to be incredibly easy and made a mental note to thank Matthew Wheeler the next time she saw him.

“Well it’s easy to see that work is what gets you going,” Charlie joked as the joined the crush of people on the dance floor.

“I enjoy what I do,” she offered by way of explanation. “You should understand that.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I just wish I could keep doing what I’m doing.” Charlie’s voice was wistful.

“Why can’t you?” she inquired, puzzled as to why he wouldn’t do what he loved. “You’re very good at it. In fact, your Dad suggested I get you to hook me up with your managing partner, George Rose, about some security work.”

“I’ll be happy to set up a meeting for you, Bea. But it’s too late for me. I’ve already turned down a partnership at another firm,” Charlie explained. “Eventually I’ll be joining Control & Venture as a senior vice president.”

“Will you be heading up the legal department?” Trixie thought that would be the logical place for Charlie to work in his father’s company.

“No,” Charlie gave a brief shake of his head. “I’ll be learning from Dad to take over running the company. I suspect I’ll meddle over in legal as time permits, but that’ll just be for fun.”

“Charlie, why do you have to take over the company if you don’t want to? Can’t your Dad hire someone to run it when he’s ready to retire?” Trixie knew neither Honey nor Jim had even the slightest interest in running Wheeler International.

“It’s a family-owned business,” he explained. “Don’t go there, Beatrix,” Charlie warned as he noticed the now-familiar stubborn expression cross her face. “This is between me and Dad.”

Trixie took a deep breath. “That’s fine, Charlie. It’s really not any of my business; it’s just that I have to wonder...” She bit her lip as her voice trailed off.

“Wonder what?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Wonder when, or if, you’re ever going to do anything that Charlie wants to do.” She spoke bluntly. “You won’t talk to Mitsy, or even ask her out, and you won’t tell your Dad that you love being a trial lawyer. Do you ever think about doing the things you want?”

“I’m here with you,” he replied lightly, knowing it was the wrong thing to say. He quickly held up a hand. “Okay, let’s make a deal. You drop the heavy stuff for tonight, and both of us will do one thing we want to do before the weekend is over, okay?” he bargained. Charlie wanted the evening to be one of relaxation. It had been a long, tough week, and he wanted the distraction of Beatrix’s company.

Trixie nodded and rested her head on Charlie’s shoulder as the music slowed. Her thoughts centered on a redheaded PhD.

Charlie enjoyed dancing with Beatrix, but at the same time, he mused about asking Mitsy Buchanan to go out with him. None of this fundraiser shit either. I’m going to ask her to go spend a weekend skiing in Vermont!

The two of them danced in an easy silence until Trixie heard the squeal of her name as the song ended.

“Beatrix! Daaahhling!”

Trixie grinned, knowing before she turned around that it would be David Steward. “Hello, David. Have you met my friend, Charlie Prescott?”

“Oh, dear. Not in person,” David effused, extending his hand to Charlie. “It is a pleasure. But where are my manners!” David turned to the attractive older woman by his side. “Mummy, you know that I’m not usually so rude. This is a friend of mine, Beatrix Belden and of course, Charlie Prescott. Bea –” once again, David’s hands fluttered dramatically, “this is my mother, and the true love of my life, Evelyn Steward.”

Trixie smiled politely. She was pleasantly surprised to see David Steward again and cordially greeted his mother. She noticed that Charlie already seemed to know Evelyn Steward and before she could blink had suggested a change in dance partners.

Mrs. Steward readily agreed, and another expert dancer whisked Trixie onto the dance floor. She smiled and asked David if his mother had insisted on dance lessons.

“Oh, no, sweetie. Dance lessons were my idea. I loved them. I had ballet lessons for over ten years. My teacher’s heart broke when I decided not to continue to pursue the dance.” David’s dark eyes twinkled. “It’s just another stereotype that’s proven true in my case. All male ballet dancers must be gay.”

Trixie nodded, knowing she had been right about David’s sexual orientation. “Do you attend many society functions?”

“Mostly mother’s pet projects,” he admitted, pausing to give her a professional twirl and dip, “but, even at the ones I attend because I adore society gatherings, she’s my escort. When we lost the Padre five years ago, Mummy didn’t want to drop out of society altogether. That’s when I learned that most of the social register will accept you if you’re different, as long as you’re not in their face about it.”

Trixie nodded. Her “funny friend,” as she always thought of John from the CIB, had professed a similar philosophy. It had been hard for John, being the son of a strict Presbyterian Minister.

“Of course, Mummy’s endorsement helps. She has a place on the social register herself. But not showing up with my latest boyfriend seems to make me an acceptable homosexual.” His tone was pleasant and Trixie was surprised he seemed to accept this hypocrisy of society.

“You’re okay with that?” she asked, probing a bit.

“Yes, but the real reason is quite simple.” His voice dropped and he used another tricky maneuver to pull her close to him. “None of my boyfriends have ever given one fig about attending any social functions, even the opera. They hate them!” He shrugged. “One or two have been willing to go to the ballet with me and Mummy, so in the end, it all works out.”

Trixie laughed. She found herself admiring the flamboyant florist and his attitude towards life. The song was winding down and David gave her a friendly wink.

“By the way, Beatrix, your dress is divine!” he gushed. “And your shoes are marvelous. Don’t grumble when you’re back on Page Six tomorrow.”

“Thanks, David. But you’re the one who insisted I wear silver.” She smiled gratefully and gave his hand a squeeze. She had almost made the fashion faux-pas of the season before she told David she was planning to wear the same dress she had worn to the Opera. David had stepped in with some much welcome fashion advice.

“Daahhling, anything to help. Beware the ladies room; the claws will be out again tonight.”

The music ended as he finished his last statement. Despite David’s low voice and his tinkling laugh, Charlie overheard the comment and his eyebrows shot up. He said nothing, but the wheels in his head began to turn as he realized what must have happened at the Heart Association Gala. He knew he’d be able to cajole most of the story from Beatrix later that evening.

After sharing a dance together again, Charlie and Trixie once again exchanged partners. Trixie was delighted to be dancing with Charlie’s father. Conversation started slow but after a few questions from Chuck about her business, Trixie found her entrée to the subject she was dying to introduce.

“Chuck, do you ever hire outside consultants to review your security framework? Specifically, the internal controls on your network?”

“Yes. We get an outside review done annually,” he answered.

“I’d love to have an opportunity to convince you to let me have that work each year,” she said, smiling up at him.

Chuck hesitated, unsure how to respond. He liked this girl and didn’t want to create hard feelings, especially if his son was interested in pursuing a serious relationship with her. “I’m pretty happy with who I’m using.”

“Have you used them very long?”

“Oh, yes.” He seemed relieved to be able to tell her that. “They’ve been doing the job for us for over five years now.”

Trixie gave a satisfied smile. “Then they know your operation very well?”

“Yes. I would say so.”

“Perhaps you should consider a fresh look.” She tried a different approach.

“Oh, I don’t know.” It was clear to Trixie that Chuck Prescott was not interested in her services.

“Chuck,” she started slowly, picking her words carefully. “If you’d let me review your company’s overall security network, I’ll bet I can find a major weakness, something they missed.”

“Do you think so?” He clearly didn’t believe her. “Total Immersion Security is considered the best in the field.”

“Yes. Unfortunately, familiarity tends to make businesses overlook things, or take something for granted that’s no longer true. Here’s a proposal for you. You agree to authorize me to do a security review. If I find three things, at least one of them major, that Total Immersion overlooked, then you agree to pay my bill. If I don’t find anything substantial, the review is free.”

“You sound pretty confidant.” He looked her with a new respect.

“It’s tough to get new business. I’m positive I’ll find a weakness. Total Immersion is good…” she paused for effect, “but I’m better.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “You remind me quite a bit of my grandmother,” he told her.

“Oh, was she a security expert?” Trixie teased.

“No, she lost her husband, my grandfather, when my dad was still very young. She had to take over the business and keep it going. That was when women were a rarity in the workforce, except for secretaries.” He paused and studied Trixie’s interested eyes for a long moment. “Okay, Beatrix. You’re on! You have one week starting Monday. Oh, and you can’t disrupt my daily operations.”

“Only a week?” the words came out automatically.

“You did say you were better?” His dark eyes twinkled back at her in challenge.

She swallowed. “A week is fine, Chuck. Where do you want me to report for work?”

 

 

The hour was growing late when Trixie realized they had not encountered Jim, Mitsy, or Ben Riker. She fleetingly wondered if perhaps they had not attended the Winter Ball. She had seen the Wheelers earlier and during the brief conversation noticed Grace Wheeler’s puzzled look at her escort. Neither had mentioned Jim to her. Later when she and Charlie had encountered Mart and Diana, Trixie stepped toward Diana, intending to ask if Jim was attending the ball, but Mart had whisked her away before she had the chance. He peppered her with demanding questions about her escort, including how serious she was about Charlie. It distracted her long enough that she lost the opportunity to ask about Jim.

Trixie started to ask Charlie if he was ready to leave when she heard a familiar voice speaking.

Charlie felt her stiffen although her voice and expression remained unchanged. He squeezed her hand.

“Is she the one David was talking about earlier?” he asked quietly.

Trixie took a sharp breath in and glanced up sharply at Charlie, measuring her words before she spoke. “You notice and hear more than most senior investigative agents. How do you do it?”

Charlie shrugged. “I’m a damn good lawyer. Noticing things, listening and paying attention to people’s reactions are just a few of the reasons why I’m a damn good lawyer.” He turned her expertly so they moved away from Buffy and Ben. “Do you want to switch partners, or cut and run?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her as they both heard Buffy’s tinny laugh again.

“A Bob-Whi-” she stopped and quickly corrected herself. “A Belden never runs!” she replied with a toss of her head.

“Good, because we have a deal, remember? I’m asking Mitsy to go skiing with me in Vermont next weekend. You ask Jim out.”

“I never agreed to ask Jim out!” she hissed.

He grinned, realizing she had given herself away. “Oh, but you want him to ask you, don’t you?” Before she could answer, he had given Trixie an expert twirl and moved her away from Ben and Buffy. His elaborate move proved to be his undoing as he danced Trixie right into Jim.

“Oops! Sorry about that Jim. I was showing off.” Charlie spoke in a friendly voice. “Hello, Mitsy. You’re looking particularly lovely this evening. That blue suits you.”

Mitsy blinked in surprise.

Trixie cast a suspicious look at Charlie wondering if his flashy dance move was deliberate.

Jim smiled and greeted them both, and before Trixie realized it, she was dancing with Jim while Charlie managed to maneuver Mitsy out of earshot. Trixie caught his quick wink before other couples moved between them.

“I saw your parents earlier.” Trixie decided to keep the conversation on neutral territory.

“Yes, I danced with mother earlier. She mentioned she had seen you with Charlie,” Jim replied.

Trixie bit her lip, realizing Jim was prepared to see her with Charlie while she had been caught off-guard to find he had accompanied Mitsy on what was surely a real date, not a charitable obligation.

The silence between them grew uncomfortable and by the time the music ended, their respective dates were nowhere in sight. The music slowed and Jim gave a slight bow. “I suspect we might as well keep dancing. That’ll be the easiest way to bump back into Charlie and Mitsy.”

Trixie nodded and stepped into Jim’s arms. She gave a shiver when his hand touched her bare back and a tiny jolt of what felt like electricity started through her.

“Are you cold?” Jim asked solicitously.

“No,” she answered, and silently vowed to offer no further explanation.

“Have you had a nice evening?” Jim tried again.

“Oh, yes. It’s been wonderful!” Trixie’s eyes brightened as she recalled the success she had with her mission. “You’ll never believe what happened. Bebe's husband wants to meet with me to discuss some work I can do for him. And Chuck Prescott finally agreed to let me review his operations for security vulnerabilities. I can’t wait until tomorrow when I can talk to Honey.”

Trixie’s answer took Jim by surprise. When she had first said it had been wonderful, his heart had sunk. He fully expected that she had fallen head over heels for Charlie Prescott.

“Have you and Charlie had fun?” he probed.

“Oh, well, of course. Charlie’s always fun. You know how it is when you do things with your friends.”

“Yeah.” Jim was quiet as he pondered her comment. She certainly seemed to imply that Charlie was just a friend. Unfortunately, he had the uneasy feeling that he was nothing more than a friend as well.

They continued dancing, and Trixie noticed Charlie slipping out to the terrace, pulling Mitsy behind him. She wondered what was going on. She gave a tug on Jim’s sleeve. “Charlie and Mitsy just went outside. Do you want to meet up with them?”

“You won’t be too cold?” he asked, surprised that Mitsy had gone outside. Earlier in the evening, she had insisted it was too cold to take a trip to the balcony for fresh air.

“No,” she answered. “It gets stuffy at these events; don’t you think?” she answered.

“Absolutely! Let’s give them until the song ends and we’ll join them,” Jim suggested, stepping one tiny step closer to Trixie.

Trixie nodded and wondered if it was her imagination or if Jim had moved closer to her.

When the music finished, they moved towards the large glass windows lining the south wall. Every few feet a set of French doors were set into the windows to allow egress onto the brick terrace. They were unable to catch a glimpse of Charlie or Mitsy through the glass, but noticed there were only a few couples standing outside.

Pushing through the doors, Trixie drew in a deep breath at the onset of the cold air. Jim’s arm went automatically around her bare shoulders. “You sure about this, Trix?”

She nodded, looking around and spotted them over at the far edge of the terraced balcony. They seemed to be arguing, but the wind was blowing just enough to carry their voices away from Jim and Trixie.

She squeezed Jim’s arm and he quickly looked down at her to see her head nod in the general direction of the couple. Jim and Trixie had only take three or four steps, when they stopped suddenly, astounded by the scene unfolding in front of them.

Charlie grabbed Mitsy by the shoulders and kissed her.

“Oh!” Trixie exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth in surprise.

Jim was stunned. He turned to immediately reassure Trixie. “Trix, I’m sorry that you had to see—” He stopped as he noticed a wide grin breaking out across her face.

“You... you’re not... Trixie, are you okay?” he pushed a hand through his hair.

“Of course I’m okay! He’s crazy about her. I can’t believe he’s actually doing something about it for a change.”

“She’s going to kill him!” Jim promised. “She was telling me earlier what a jerk he—” He stopped mid-sentence again as he watched Charlie pull back and say something. To his surprise Mitsy’s arms locked around Charlie’s neck as she kissed him!

Trixie giggled. “What’s that again, Jim?”

He shook his head. “Is it just me, or does this feel like something out of a soap opera?”

Trixie pulled him back, intent on giving Charlie and Mitsy time for their private moment. “I’m not sure when you started watching soap operas but I’ll explain what I know when we get back inside. You’ll have to promise to tell me one thing.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Jim willing followed her back towards the French doors, still a little shaken by what he’d just witnessed.

“Are you upset that Mitsy was kissing Charlie?” Trixie stopped before allowing Jim to open the door.

“No, of course not,” Jim replied. “She asked me to accompany her to the ball Tuesday night. I was only being polite.”

Trixie nodded slowly, a sense of relief starting to ignite within her. “If I asked you to go out with me, will you say yes just to be polite?” The blue eyes studied his face carefully as she asked the question.

Jim’s face was expressionless as realization dawned on him. His voice was husky as he replied. “If you were to ask me out, I’d say yes because I want to go out with you more than anything in the world.”

Trixie smiled as the relief washed over her and she remembered Charlie’s challenge from earlier. She took a deep breath. “Jim, would you like to go see a movie with me tomorrow night?”

Jim gently pushed her away from the door, intent on blocking the view of anyone who might walk out. He stopped as soon as they were around the corner and stepped close to her, dropping his head to capture her lips with his own. It started as a friendly kiss, but his original intention to keep things light while in public was quickly lost as the feeling of Trixie’s lips touching his created a reaction stronger than he expected. His grasp on her arms loosened as he moved his hands to capture her face, holding it still for one long moment, while he stared into the familiar china blue eyes. The second meeting of lips was fervent and fiery, his hands sliding from her face to her hair, as his fingers intertwined themselves in the mass of curls.

When they broke the connection, Jim took a deep breath and answered her question.

“There’s nothing I’d like more.”