Annihilate Me 2: Vol. 1 (25 page)

“There’s another reason I’m here,”
I said.

“If you’re about to tell me that
you’re having twins, I’ll need to ask you to leave.”

“I don’t know at this point, but I
highly doubt it.
 
It’s something
else.”

“What is it?”

I told her about Singapore, and the
plans I had for bringing the girls and Lisa with us.

“What do you think?”

“Those girls will ruin
everything.
 
Especially
Daniella.
 
She won’t get the
significance that she’s in one of the world’s great cities.
 
It’s just who she is.
 
I’ve spent a fortune on her education,
but let’s just say that unlike her sister, no one would consider that one a
sponge when it comes to her studies.
 
She is more boy-crazy than I can handle.
 
You know that she has a crush on Cutter,
don’t you?”

“Over Christmas, she told me as
much.”

“Alexa will be fine.
 
But Daniella?
 
Daniella is going to try something with Cutter.
 
Just you watch.”

“He can handle her.
 
And think of this as part of their
education.
 
We’re taking the
Boeing.
 
There will be plenty of
room to relax and to sleep.
 
I
talked with Lisa this morning, and she’s way up for it, especially taking
charge of the girls, which she wants to do.”

“Is she insane?
 
Have her zombies finally held her down
and nibbled on her own brains?”

“No, she wants to do it because she
enjoys both of them.
 
And look, all
of the shops Daniella loves are in Singapore.
 
All we need to do is give her a credit
card, and let her cut loose.
 
And I
mean Wenn’s credit card—not yours.”

“There’s no need for that, but
thank you.
 
The problem is that they
are about to join their friends in the Hamptons.
 
Nothing will tear them away from
that.
 
They always spend their
summers there.”

“We’re talking about a
week—max.
 
Why don’t you pick
up the phone and see how they respond?
 
Are they up now?”

“They’re early birds like their
mother.
 
They’re up.”

“Then call them.”

Blackwell hesitated for a moment,
and then she sighed and picked up the phone.

“Put it on ‘speaker,’” I said.
 
“I need to hear this.”

“Then grab the waste can—you
might need it.”

The line started to ring, and Daniella
answered it.

“I told you to call me
later
,”
she said in a weirdly girlish voice.
 
“I enjoyed last night, too, Mark, but you can’t get me in trouble with
my mother.”

Blackwell just looked at me, and
shook her head.

“It’s not Mark, whoever the hell he
is, Daniella.
 
It’s your mother.”

“Mom?
 
Shit.
 
Sorry about that.”

“Who is Mark?”

“Just some guy I met last
night.
 
You know, when I went out
with the girls.”

“And you’ve already give him
my
number?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly want to
give him mine.
 
What if he turns out
to be some kind of freak?
 
I don’t
want a freak calling me.
 
Let him
call you.
 
And by the way, why is
there an echo?
 
And why are you
calling here so early?
 
Whenever you
call early, it generally means that you’ve been struck dumb by some sort of
bright idea.”

“Jennifer and Alex have a
proposition for you and Alexa.”

“Do they want to give me a primer
on how to stay
besties
while in a sexless marriage?”

“Just so you know, you’re on
speaker phone, and Jennifer is listening.”

“Oh.
 
Sorry, Jennifer—I was just
kidding.”

“Good morning, Daniella,” I said.

“Yeah, you’re totally pissed at me
right now.
 
I can hear it in your
voice.
 
Fuck my life.”

“Is Alexa around?” Blackwell
asked.
 
“If she is, bring her to the
phone, and put it on speaker on your end.
 
I want to talk with both of you at the same time.
 
There will be less arguing that way.”

“I don’t know where she is,”
Daniella said.
 
“She’s probably
making a medicinal tea out of one of your houseplants.
 
Or recycling plastic bags.
 
Or outside on the sidewalk throwing red
paint on people’s leather shoes.
 
You know how she is.”

“Just get her.”

“All right.
 
Fine.
 
Jesus.
 
You can be such a—”

“Get her before I take away your
credit card.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

“That credit card is my life!”

“Then get in line before you lose
it.”

“Alexa!” I heard Daniella
shout.
 
“Mom and Jennifer are on the
phone.
 
Get your ass in here before
Mom derails the credit card train.”

“I don’t care about credit cards,”
I heard Alexa say as she approached the phone.
 
“They’ve ruined our country.”

“Actually, because you refuse to
use them, what’s ruined is your hair, your skin, and your wardrobe.”

“You’re such a shallow, unlikable
bitch, Daniella.”

“And you’re nothing but a hippie
shill.
 
God, you’re boring.
 
How is it possible that we’re even
sisters?”

“Girls!” Blackwell said.
 
“Listen to me.”

“All right,” they said.

“Alex and Jennifer have to go to
Singapore on business.
 
I’m going
with them.
 
We leave tomorrow
night.”

“What’s a Singapore?” Daniella
asked.
 
“Is that, like, where poor
people sing for their supper or something?”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Alexa
said.
 
“Singapore is a
sovereign-city state.
 
It’s in
Southeast Asia.
 
Did you learn
nothing in school?”

“I learned enough to keep me busy
on Friday and Saturday nights…”

“You’re such a whore.”

“Enough!” Blackwell said.
 
“Are you two going to listen to me or
not?”

“Look, bitch,” Daniella said in a
low voice that neither Blackwell nor I was meant to hear.
 
“My credit card is riding on this.
 
I’ll be nice to you for one week if you
just put a lock on your lips now.
 
Listen to what Mom has to say, and stop arguing with me.
 
Can you at least do that?”

“I won’t do it for you.
 
I’ll listen to my mother because I
respect her.”

“
Whatevs
.”

“Mom, we’re ready to listen,” Alexa
said in a clear voice.
 
“What’s this
about?
 
Why Singapore?”

“You each have the chance to join
Alex, Jennifer, Me, Lisa, Tank, and the rest of the security team tomorrow
night.
 
We have to fly there for
business.
 
Lisa will come along and
will be your escort—she’ll take you shopping and to the best restaurants.
 
We’re taking Alex’s Boeing, so all of us
will have a place to sleep.
 
With
travel time, we’ll be gone for about a week—that’s an estimate, but I
think it’s accurate given the circumstances.”

“Does Singapore have a Barneys?”
Daniella asked.

“They used to have one, but they
don’t anymore.”

“Why?
 
Are you taking me to some kind of slum?”

“Hardly.”

“A week without access to a
Barneys?
 
Now I want to cry.”

“Singapore is a major
city—they’ll have everything else you want,” said Blackwell.
 
“It’s a shopping paradise.
 
Stella, Chanel, Dolce &
Gabbana
, Juicy Couture, Louis, Van
Cleef
,
all of them are there.
 
And it’s a
fantastic city filled with culture.
 
Remember culture, Daniella?
 
It matters as much as couture.”

“Did you really just say that?”

“I did.
 
Furthermore, this might be your first
and last chance to see this city, so I suggest that you take it.”

“I’m up for it,” Alexa said.

“Are you going to let me keep my
credit card?” Daniella asked.

“If you behave.”

“Umm…could you define the word
‘behave’ for me?”

“No.”

“
Whatevs
.
 
If I have to, I’ll just steal
Alexa’s
card.
 
Or I’ll ask Uncle Alex to give me one of his.
 
He always comes through.”
 
She paused.
 
“By the way, is Cutter going to be
there?”

Blackwell shot me a look.

“Yes, Cutter will be
there—and he’ll be working.”

“And, when he’s not working, I’ll
be working him.
 
He’s a stud.
 
We had a connection last Christmas.
 
I need to make sure that it works out
between us this time.
 
That he
understands my needs—and that I’m happy to listen to his.”

Blackwell shook her head in
exasperation.
 
“Are you interested
or not, Daniella?
 
If you don’t want
to go, just say so, and we’ll leave you behind.”

“I’m totes going,” Alexa said.

“Since Cutter is going to be there,
count me in,” Daniella said.
 
“But
you can’t take away my credit card, Mother.
 
If you plan to, either count me out, or
know that I will go to Alex.”

“If you remain polite, I don’t plan
to take away your credit card, Daniella.
 
Within reason, you can buy whatever you want.”

“Good,” she said.
 
“Then I guess the little tree hugger and
I will get to packing.
 
When does
the plane leave?”

“I don’t know yet—but
sometime tomorrow evening.
 
I’ll
call you later today when I know.”

“Am I going to get my own bed?”

“You’ll be sharing a bed with
Alexa.”

“Gross.
 
If I’m going to have hairy legs rubbing
up against mine, I’d rather they be Cutter’s.”

“That won’t be happening.”

“Oh, Mom—you really don’t
know me yet, do you?
 
I’ll get that
man in my bed even if I have to kick Alexa out of it.
 
You’ll see.
 
In fact, just you watch.
 
On this trip, Cutter finally becomes
mine.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The next evening at seven-thirty,
we arrived at LaGuardia in three separate black SUVs, none of which bore the
Wenn logo.
 
For Alex, this was a
discrete trip—he didn’t want anyone to know that he was leaving New
York.
 
Or why he was going to
Singapore.
 
The media knew the
SlimPhone
was manufactured there, so this trip was on
lockdown so that nobody would question why he had to travel overseas.

Best not to raise any suspicions.

While our luggage was being loaded
into the belly of the plane, we boarded Wenn’s lavishly outfitted Boeing 767,
and began settling in for what I already knew would be a grueling journey that
would take us to Los Angeles and then Manila to refuel, and finally to
Singapore nearly thirty hours after we’d left New York.

I’d only been on this plane once
before—the first time Alex and I went to Singapore—and when I
stepped inside, its beauty again struck me.

The interior of the cabin was just
under one-hundred-eighty feet long.
 
It was cleverly divided into several segments designed for privacy.
 
From front to back, there was the
cockpit, a full kitchen, a front sitting area for security and our flight
attendant, Amy, a beautiful woman somewhere around thirty who looked sleek and
slim in her black uniform.
 
Next
came the large middle living area with plenty of plush seating and a
wide-screen television.
 
Beyond that
was a full bathroom with a shower.
 
Then, came a convention area, and finally three bedrooms—two of
which were smaller and outfitted with one queen-sized bed each.
 
The third was a master suite that
featured a king-sized bed, a separate full bath, and gleaming woodwork.
 

The whole space was as impressive
as it was massive, so much so that when Daniella stepped inside, the first
thing I heard her say was, “Holy shit.
 
What the fuck?
 
Oh my God.
 
Pinch me.
 
I’m dreaming.”

“Classy as ever,” Alexa said.

“As if you’re not impressed.”

“It is pretty sweet,” she
said.
 
“I just hope the seats aren’t
upholstered with leather.
 
It looks
as if they are.”

“If leather offends your delicate
sensibilities, might I suggest that you sit on the couch over there?
 
It looks as if it’s made of some kind of
fabric—and that way you’ll be sitting far and away from me.
 
Just think of the benefits of that
alone.
 
Meanwhile, I need to find a
way to sit in Cutter’s lap.
 
Did you
see him?
 
Did you see that
body?
 
His dark hair?
 
Those blue eyes?”

“I saw him.”

“Tell me you don’t think he’s good
looking.”

“He’s very good looking,
Daniella.
 
And he seems nice, so why
don’t you just leave him alone?”

“As if that’s happening.
 
That man is about to be mine.
 
My only problem is that I’ve only got a
week or so to make it happen.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Girls,” Blackwell said.
 
“Alex and Jennifer will sit there.
 
I will sit opposite them.
 
The other seat will be left vacant should
we need Tank’s counsel.
 
Otherwise,
Tank will sit next to Lisa there, and you two will be behind them.
 
Just behind this room, you’ll find a
full bathroom, and deeper into the cabin you’ll find the bedroom you two will
share.
 
I have the one right next to
you, and I can promise you this—I’ll be able to hear every word you say,
so don’t press my buttons.
 
I think
you both know right now just how lucky you are.”

“Thanks for bringing us, Mom,”
Daniella said.

“Well, you’re welcome, Daniella,
but this was Jennifer’s idea.”

“Thank you, Jennifer.”

“It’s our pleasure, Daniella.
 
I think you, Alexa, and Lisa are going
to have a blast in Singapore.
 
We’ll
all meet up for dinner each night, and you can tell all your stories then.
 
I can’t wait to hear them—and also
to see what you buy.”

“Why are you always so nice?”
Daniella said.

“Because the world works better
that way.”

“What does that even mean?”

“One day, it’s my hope that you’ll
understand.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.
 
And by the way, who is that woman at the
front of the plane?” Daniella asked.
 
“You know, the one who is in the same room as Cutter and Max?”

“That’s our flight attendant,
Amy.
 
She’ll be serving us
throughout the flight and making sure that everyone has what they need.”

“What I need is Cutter.”

“I’m not sure anyone can help you
with that.”

“Is he gay?”

I giggled at that.
 
“No, he isn’t gay.
 
He’s just Cutter, and he has work to do,
just as Tank and Max do.”

“Are they always going to be at the
front of the plane?”

“Cutter and Max likely will be, but
not Tank.
 
Tank will occasionally
join them to talk strategy.
 
Otherwise, he’ll be with us, sitting next to Lisa.”

“Jennifer, look at me.
 
Look at how I turned myself out
tonight.
 
Hair, makeup,
clothes—the works.
 
Have you
seen my heels?
 
Behold the heels.
 
You’ve got to get me to Cutter—I
did all of this for him.
 
I’m crazy
about him.”

“Here’s an idea,” Alexa said.
 
“Why don’t you just stop at ‘I’m
crazy’?
 
It’s so much more
accurate.”

“Fuck you, bitch.”

“Do you and Cutter even know each
other?” I asked.

“Not really, but physically we’re
drawn to each other.
 
I just know
it.
 
I know he’s thinking of me
right now—probably because I squeezed his ass before we got onto the
plane.”

“You did what?” Blackwell said.

“Mom, you don’t understand.
 
I had to.
 
It was just there—right in front
of me.
 
Solid, round, bouncing, and
inviting.”

“Don’t you ever do that again.
 
Cutter is an employee here at Wenn.
 
He could sue us if you keep this up.”

“Maybe, but he won’t.”
 
She flashed her eyes at her mother.
 
“I caught a glimpse of desire on his
face.”

“That probably was just gas,” Alexa
said.

“Go to hell.”

At that moment, Alex stepped out of
the cockpit.
 
He spoke with Amy,
Max, and Cutter for a moment, and then joined us in the living area.
 

“What have I missed?” he asked.

“Hormones gone to the dogs,”
Blackwell said.
 
“And I’m not
talking about your wife.
 
I’m
talking about my daughter, and trying to keep her in check.”

“Is this about Cutter and
Daniella?” he asked.

“It is.
 
And it’s ridiculous.”

“Actually, Cutter just asked me
about Daniella a moment ago.”

I buried my face in my hands.

“I’m going to faint,” Daniella
said.
 
“I really am.
 
Have we already taken flight?
 
No?
 
Then why does it feel as if we have?
 
Why does it feel as if I’m
floating?
 
I know why—because
my future husband asked for me.
 
That’s why I’m seeing hues of red, purple, and blue.
 
And why I’m seeing sparklers.
 
Somebody catch me in case I go
limp.
 
He actually asked for me!”

“What did he ask you?” Blackwell
said.

“How old she was.”

“How old is he?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“That’s a five-year age
difference.”

“Daddy’s gonna teach his pupil
plenty,” Daniella said.

“It wasn’t about that,” Alex
said.
 
“He was concerned that you
were underage.
 
From what I hear,
you grabbed his ass?”

“I might have pinched it.”

“You probably shouldn’t do that.”

“But I’m twenty-two.
 
I’m of age.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to
invade someone else’s personal space—especially in a sexual way.
 
Look, Daniella, if Cutter is interested
in you, then he’ll let you know.
 
How about if we leave it at that for now?
 
OK?”

“Now you sound like my mother,
Uncle Alex.”

“I’m just looking out for
everyone’s own good,” he said.
 
“Including yours.
 
Have you
even asked if Cutter has a girlfriend?”

I watched her face go pale with
disappointment.

“Does he?”

“Well, it’s possible.”

“It’s impossible!”

“Actually, Daniella, I don’t know
whether he does or doesn’t—but what if he does?
 
Would your behavior be fair to either of
them?”

“Who gives a damn about being
fair?
 
I’m a gladiator.
 
May the best woman win.”

When she said that, I walked over
to Lisa, and lowered my mouth to her ear.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“It’s not as if I didn’t know what
I was going to be up against.
 
Don’t
worry about it, Mommy.
 
Clearly,
this trip is going to be a trip.”

“You can borrow one of my guns if
you need it,” Tank said.

She placed her hand on his
knee.
 
“Save your gun for
later.
 
Jennifer told me that the
couch over there pulls out into a queen-sized bed, and that we’ll be sleeping
on it.
 
Maybe we can use your gun
later, stud.”

“Oh, my God—you’re as bad as
Daniella,” I said.

Lisa pointed a thumb toward her fiancée.
 
“Can you blame me?
 
Look at him.
 
He’s a God.
 
And I think that after having lunch with
you yesterday, your hormones have started to affect me.”
 
She glanced over at Tank, who was trying
to suppress a smile.
 
“Hear that,
big boy?”

“I heard you.”

“Something to look forward to,
right?”

He checked his watch.
 
“I think I’m on the job right now.”

“You’ll be on the job later, too.”

“So, we’ve become Club Med,” I
said.
 
“Perfect.
 
You two behave yourselves.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lisa said.

As I rolled my eyes at her, the
plane started to move away from the gate and the captain’s voice came over the
speakers.
 
“We’re about forty
minutes away from takeoff, folks.
 
There’s quiet a line of departures ahead of us, but we’ll be airborne as
soon as possible.
 
Amy, if you’d
like to serve refreshments, there’s time.
 
Otherwise, folks, if you wouldn’t mind fastening your safety belts, the
flight crew and I would appreciate it.
 
If you need to use either of the lavatories, please do so now.
 
We’re about seven hours outside of L.A.,
where we’ll refuel.
 
By that time, I
suspect everyone will be asleep.
 
Then, we’ll cross over to Manila so we can refuel again.
 
From there, it’s finally on to
Singapore.
 
It will be a long
flight, but we promise to keep it safe.
 
So, sit back and relax.
 
Watch
a movie.
 
Read or sleep.
 
Amy will be around for drink orders in a
moment, and when we’re in the air, she will serve dinner.
 
While you’re seated, please do your captain
proud and keep your seat belts buckled at all times.
 
Enjoy the trip, everyone.
 
As usual, we’re happy to serve you.”