Chapter 117: NY, NY

Thursday, January 5th, Evening

Per Fallon's normal routine she found herself working in the living room after dinner and a quick work out. The usually boring grind of all the raw and filtered data just drove her insane, sometimes. It's her own fault, she wanted to be on top of things and prove even though she's young, she knew and more importantly understood what was going on.

She closed the last file for the night. It was a light night, and she'd gotten a good jump on it before she called it a day. Nodding up and down, she looked over the pile of various colored files and shook her head. Every night she would review stuff, and most of it was just data caught like fish in a gillnet. You needed to know how to look through it to find the important stuff. But it could be a soul-sucking process at times.

Fallon took up all the files and returned them to her briefcase, which she closed and locked when she's done. Slowly, she walked across the room and looked at herself in a nearby mirror. Studying the thirty-two-year-old version of herself, she wondered why she was treated like a child. Yes, at one point she didn't dress in what they would consider business attire, but it was what was fashionable at the time, and to be honest, didn't show off that much skin. It's not like she had much to show off anyways, of all her sisters, she was the smallest in most ways.

Fallon stretched and yawned, it was looking like an early night tonight. Or maybe she should start watching The Tudor or Reign on Netflix, give her some background on what Sawyer is talking about wearing costumes to the New York Ren Faire. And to think at one time Fallon thought Tudor was a type of house.

As she turned and was about to leave the room, she remembered she left her smartphone on the nearby table. So, Fallon turned around and went back into the room to recover her smartphone and go to bed. Just as she reached her phone it started to vibrate. Fallon raised an eyebrow and happily wondered why Grant was calling her at this hour.

Grabbing the phone, she answered it, "Hello Grant," she said, smiling.

"Hello Fallon," Grant said.

"What's up?" Fallon asked, and feeling stupid right away for asking.

"Nothing, just wanting to see how you're doing," he said.

"You got lucky, I was about to go to sleep," Fallon said.

"Good thing, I caught you then," Grant said.

"Yes, a good thing," Fallon said, with a light giggle.

"So, what are you doing Saturday night?" Grant asked.

"Off the top of my head, I don't know, but probably nothing planned yet," Fallon said, "But I'll have to check."

"Well, I'm kind of in a bind, and well I'll just put it out there, we have an exhibition at work that the artist moved up the opening on, and there's usually this big to-do," Grant said.

"Is there the thing coming?" Fallon whispered, "So, this big thing is what?"

"A cocktail party basically, where patrons of the gallery, guest, critics, buyers, and the artist mingle, and since it's my specialty I kind of, sort of, need to be there, and they encourage dates," Grant said.

"Grant Coyle, are you asking me out on a date?" Fallon asked.

"Why I guess, I sort of am, Fallon Adams," Grant said.

"Well, I'm not sure I have the clothes for it," Fallon said, which was an outright lie.

"I'm just going to be in a black suit, so just a black cocktail dress is all you need," Grant said.

"Okay, I'll see what I have in my closet, or I can borrow, but no grantees I'm going to look catwalk ready," Fallon said.

"Don't worry, you'll already be the most beautiful woman there," Grant said.

"Awe Grant, that's so sweet, untrue, but sweet," Fallon said.

"It's true," Grant said.

"It's sweet to say, and thank you, but you don't have to flatter me," Fallon said, "So, who is or are the artists?"

"Alex Grasland, don't think you've heard of her," Grant said.

Fallon thought about it for a moment, "The name doesn't sound familiar," she said.

"She's local, East Village I think, she does Impressionist works, considered an American Artist, but is very influenced by the Heidelberg School," Grant said.

"Most of that after the East Village flew over my head," Fallon said, which she admitted was true.

"Don't worry about it, just come enjoy my company, and the free drinks and hors d'oeuvre," Grant said.

"Okay, you talked me into it," Fallon said.

"Where should I pick you up?" Grant asked.

"How about I meet you at the gallery?" Fallon asked.

"No, that won't work, worried I'll know where you live?" Grant asked.

"Well, I don't want you to know yet, and I don't think you'll survive my neighborhood," Fallon said.

"Okay, I'll figure something out," Grant said, "Where should I have the invite sent?"

"Have them send it to the Stafford Foundation," Fallon said, figuring out Grant's tactic there.

"Okay, expect it courier over tomorrow," Grant said.

"I will," Fallon said.

"And with that, I have an early day tomorrow," Grant said.

"As do I," Fallon said.

"Good night, Fallon," Grant said.

"Good night, Grant," Fallon said, and the connection cut. Fallon looked at her phone for a second, then hurriedly pressed the speed dial for Trin.

"Fallon, there better be a hell of a good reason you're calling now," Trin said.

"Grant asked me out on a date for Saturday," Fallon said.

"That's great, Fallon, but it could have waited," Trin said.

"Well it's a cocktail party at his gallery, and I have to look like I'm not, well up to date on the latest fashion, and I borrowed a dress," Fallon said.

Trin yawned, "Come over tomorrow, Tree Hill is playing, I'm ordering food, and your nephew can help you," she said, "And, Fallon, I have no clue what you're up to, and I really don't want to know."

"Thanks, Trin," Fallon said, as Trin hung up. With a smile, she ran upstairs, there are things she had to do.

Trin Adams yawned, again, and put her smartphone down on the breakfast bar in front of her. She looked over the now empty bowels of homemade macaroni and cheese, to her son. Wyatt was in his school books already, and Trin figured he was pretty much through most of it.

Wyatt looked at Trin and canted his head, "What is Aunt Fallon up to?" he asked.

Trin sighed, "Honestly Wyatt, I don't want to know," she said.

"Why does she do such things?" Wyatt asked.

"Honestly kiddo, I've not a clue," Trin said, "But Wyatt, it's been said about you're Aunt Fallon, that she works in mysterious ways."

Wyatt nodded, "Okay," he said.

"How's the homework coming?" Trin asked.

"It's moving along, Mom," Wyatt said.

"Good, and tomorrow we're helping Aunt Fallon pick out a dress, again," Trin said.

"Mom, maybe we should charge her for my services," Wyatt said.

Trin held up a finger to her lips, "Shhh! Don't say that, Aunt Fallon is family," Trin said, "But it's a good idea."

Wyatt smiled, and her phone buzzed. On the tip of her tongue, Trin was about to curse Fallon, but she knew after a moment, it was the alarm she set. Grabbing her smartphone, she flipped the alarm off.

"I'll be in my office," Trin said.

"Okay, Mom," Wyatt said.

Trin walked down the hall to her office and took a seat behind her desk. She looked at the phone and took several deep breaths. Finally, she pressed the call button. The phone rang a few times and finally, the person on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" The Person asked.

"Hello," Trin said, "Is this Wolveriot?"

"Yes, is this Aliceingothem?" he asked.

"I am," Trin said.

"Nice to finally hear your voice," he said.

"Same goes from my end," Trin said.

"So, what's your real name?" he asked, "I appreciate you're a Lewis Carroll fan."

"It's Trinity," Trin said.

"Trinity, like in The Matrix?" he asked.

"The same name, but I wasn't named for her," Trin said.

"So, why were you named Trinity?" he asked.

"In short, my mom thought she was being clever," Trin said, "You know my name, all things being equal, I should know yours."

"Xavier," he said, "But my friends call me, Zav."

"It's nice to meet you, Zav," Trin said.

"Same here, Trinity," Zav said, "So, what brings you to the site?"

"Making conversation?" Trin asked.

"It's better than saying, how about them Knicks," Zav said.

"They're okay, rebuilding, hopefully, they'll get better," Trin said.

"You're a Knicks fan?" Zav asked.

"No, more for a basketball fan in general, I have my reasons," Trin said.

"That's great, we'll have something else to talk about," Zav said.

"Not much though, I have a basic general understanding of the game," Trin said.

"I can help you understand it better," Zav offered.

"Thank you, I might take you up on that offer," Trin said.

"An offer, I'll be more than happy to fulfill," Zav said.

Trin laughed, as they kept talking for the better part of an hour. When they were done, they agreed to meet for drinks Saturday Night.

The sound, light, and energy flowed over Ellie as she moved on the dance floor. Her ever-observant eyes watched the other dancers and patrons, too many this is excitement. On many of the faces Ellie noted, an almost shell shock look, like it, was a zombie state or the look of the damned. In many ways, Ellie could sympathize with them, or in fact, counted herself among them.

"Libby, you're dancing distracted," Ainsley Wilcox yelled over the loud ambient noise of the club.

"How do you know what distracted dancing is?" Ellie yelled back, "What is distracted dancing?"

"Well you keep on bumping into me in an unsexy way," Ainsley said.

"Sorry, I was paying attention to the crowd," Ellie said.

"Yeah, a lot of hotness here tonight, I might want to get burned," Ainsley said, looked at Ellie and winked, "Maybe multiple times."

"From multiple sources?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, you know me so well, Libby," Ainsley said.

"Maybe, too well," Ellie said.

"There's never too well," Ainsley said, "Especially how I want to get burned."

"There's what medicine is for that," Ellie said.

"Funny, Libby, and smile some hotness is coming over with drinks for us," Ainsley said.

Ellie turned around and saw a man around her age, dressed impeccably, holding several glasses in his hand.

"Would you ladies care to join me and my friend in a drink?" he asked.

Ainsley was about to reach for one of the glasses. Ellie grabbed Ainsley's wrist, "Sure, but not from those glasses," she said.

"Libby," Ainsley said.

"I don't think there's nothing wrong with being too safe, and if this hot strong confident ladies' man wouldn't be offended if we simply ask for our own drinks. Anyways, he'd have no confidence in himself if he'd have to use helpers," Ellie said.

He laughed, "You make a fair point," he said and poured the glasses out.

"Libby, he just poured the drinks out," Ainsley said.

"Come back to my table and we'll get you safe drinks," he said, with mild amusement.

"Let's go then," Ellie said, and the man led them back to a table. Ellie made sure, she and Ainsley were sitting on the outside.

The man that approached them looked them over. Finally, he settled his eyes on Ellie, "I take it you're Libby," he said.

"That's what I'm called," Ellie said.

Ainsley reached out with her right hand, "I'm Ainsley," she said.

He took her hand and shook it, "I'm Kit, and he's Asher," he said.

"A Pleasure," Ainsley said.

"So, what do you ladies want? We just closed a big deal and we're flush," Kit said.

"But are you hung?" Ainsley asked.

Kit laughed, Asher leaned forward, "You cut right to the chase," he said.

"We both know what you want," Ainsley said, "Why beat around the bush, that isn't there?"

"I like your style," Asher said.

"And I like big things," Ainsley said.

Ellie rolled her eyes and looked at Kit, "So, I guess you're a big shot," she said.

"You can say that," Kit said.

"So, what is this deal you closed?" Ellie asked.

"Kit, it's not…" Asher said.

"It's good as in the bank," Kit said, "Today's deal was just the starter. We're brokering a major music catalog deal, and set to make bank."

"Oh really?" Ellie asked, "How much?"

"My commission alone should be around two million," Kit said.

"Nice," Ellie said, "Whose catalog?"

"Mental Lapse, well most of their music, ever heard of them?" Kit asked.

Ellie shook her head, "Can't say that I have," she said, "But that's a big deal, let's have that drink." Ellie let out a knowing smile, and Kit singled a waiter for drinks. Ellie turned around and looked at the dance floor. She pulled out her smartphone and sent a quick message to Haley about what she heard. Smiling, she hid her smartphone and turned around, and waited for her drink.