Her face warmed up. “A few of us from the spa are going to Hôtel du France on a spa mobile tour for beauté treatments.”
“I’ll be in Cannes for the festival as well. I hope to see you.” Although he found the Cannes beaches too celebrity-centric, Warner always enjoyed his time in France.
Hôtel du France remained Truman Enterprises’ most profitable property. How? The rooms were always filled to capacity during the Cannes Film Festival by corporate event sponsors.
“Did you want your massage, Monsieur?” She stepped into the room, hopefully putting his recent “door locked, beating off” session behind her.
“My back is better. I’ve changed my mind, thank you though.” He needed a cold shower.
“I’ll leave you be to get dressed. See you in Cannes, Monsieur Warner.” Brigitte closed the door on her way out.
“Au revoir.” Warner wondered if he’d ever see Red again. He took the ticket off the counter. It read, “Barth/Red/Dec30/Vajazz.”
Who are you, Mademoiselle Red?
Chapter Ten
Judith Leiber’s Clutch
May 17
Times Square, New York, NY
This blows serious chunks.
Like all the others that year, Taddy’s week rolled over into one big blur filled with work. Her elliptical grew dusty. Every night, she intended to leave the office early and attend Gilad’s Pilates class but never made it on time. She’d also no-showed two Botox parties hosted by Dr. Fassenbender.
There were only two men she’d seen on a regular basis.
The first was her San Juan beefcake chauffer, Jose del Torro. In a fire-engine-red Cadillac Escalade with her firm’s slogan, “Get fame, get glam, get Brill, Inc.”, detailing the doors, Jose drove Taddy wherever she needed. From her downtown meeting in the financial district with her clients’ investors to the garment district to help select designs and patterns for her fashion brands, Jose was there.
Jose had a wife and five kids. They were ages eight, five, four, two and a six-month-old. The del Torros lived in the Bronx. Jose’s being married certainly made him off-limits as a romantic interest. Taddy hadn’t a clue when she hired him. This oversight became evident one Sunday afternoon when Mrs. del Torro knocked on her penthouse door—uninvited.
Crap! “Mrs. del Torro, how nice to meet you.” Taddy welcomed her into her home wearing her usual work-from-home weekend attire, a cinnamon and ivory Carine Gilson lace-appliquéd silk-crepe chemise.
“Hola. Is Mrs. Brill here?” She looked her over as if she’d popped a tart.
“I’m Miss Brill.”
“You are who my husband is driving around town?” The shock on Mrs. del Torro’s face over Taddy’s youth and beauty became evident as she confirmed it was her. The woman almost dropped the covered dish entrée in her hands. Perhaps she expected a Miss Daisy or a Leona Helmsley type to chauffeur instead of a Miss Brill.
“What smells so good?” Taddy’s stomach growled with hunger. Her butler had just quit.
“Shrimp paella, I made it to celebrate my husband’s new job with you.” Jose’s wife set the plate on the nearby table and extended a hug. As her welcoming Puerto Rican arms wrapped around Taddy in a tight grip—one heading toward a headlock—she threatened in Taddy’s ear, “Touch my Jose and I’ll kill you.”
Seeking a quick reply to get this bitch out of her apartment, she thought about Kiki and how her assistant would handle such crises. “Thank you for coming by, Mrs. del Torro. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for…uh…church now.” She bolted for the door, hoping this woman would take a hint. “Yes, Jesus is waiting.”
“Where do you worship, Miss Brill?” Jose’s wife asked with suspicion, her gold cross hanging from her neck. It appeared heavy against her cleavage, matching her oversized hoop earrings and gold rings, which adorned every finger. Even Mrs. del Torro’s left fingernail was jeweled in a shiny dangling loop.
“Ummm.”
“Where?”
“I attend…” What the hell is Kiki’s church called? “I go to Save the Bloody Mary. Yup that’s it,” Taddy lied. She opened the door and pushed the elevator door for her. “Bye now and hugs to your kids.” Waving her off, she went back inside, locked her doors and spent the day watching her favorite movie My Man Godfrey.
At Taddy’s request, Kiki researched Jose’s wife and confirmed her NYPD rap sheet. Arrested several times for assaulting other women, Mrs. del Torro scared the shit out of Taddy. She did fantasize about Jose’s tool a few times, but she wasn’t a home wrecker, let alone stupid. His wife was placed on Taddy’s do-not-ever-let-this-crazy-freak-up-to-my-penthouse list with her building’s doormen.
Kiki wanted to have Jose terminated. But Taddy thought about his kids and how respectable it was that he was driving her around town in order to provide for his family. So she kept him on salary.
The second man in her life was her new replacement butler, Moscow-imported Díma Revva. Close to the William Powell character in the film My Man Godfrey, he took great domestic care with Taddy’s household needs. The Shih Tzus loved the butler as he made them doggie stew. In addition, Díma’s thick Soviet accent and square features turned her lower lips out. She appreciated his talents for washing her whites and didn’t want to mix his business with her pleasure by letting him lick her clitoris. The last time she’d tried to sleep with her domestic staff they’d sued her for sexual harassment.
Men aside, she missed her friends too. Several cancelled lunches, dinners gone cold and spa appointments overlooked, too busy. Hanging with Lex and Vive had been reduced to text messaging. Lex’s Easton Essentials became the “it” fashion house. This week Vive was jetting to Chicago to host a Debauchery-sponsored shopping week on Michigan Avenue. Kiki, her assistant, also went AWOL. Since being tasked with shooting photos for Neve Adele’s lifestyle line, she hadn’t come back to the office.
* * * * *
Taddy grabbed the green Excedrin bottle from her desk and unscrewed the lid. She popped six white tablets into her mouth then downed them with a gulp of Bull Energy.
Her assistant sat a huge box next to her desk labeled “Kiki’s Accessories”. Shaking her head in protest, Kiki argued, “Those energy beverages aren’t good for you.” She attempted to take it away from her. “I’ve never seen you drink them.”