*****

Trekking through five inches of snow…in sub-zero degree weather was no one's idea of fun. It was down right masochistic. Not to mention hell on slacks…sloshing through the slush…salt gathering at the hem on the pants. Drycleaners must have made a goddamn fortune during the three or so months of winter.

Everybody made money somehow…even if you had to marry for it. The trick was to make sure to be paid a fair price. Five million dollars was cheap…especially for being Todd's wife. Had to start somewhere. At least it afforded her the luxuries that she could enjoy now…well not necessarily enjoy…but at least have. At least she could look down at all the assholes that treated her like shit before she became the missus.

It was so goddamn cold! She walked into her office building…stomping the snow off her feet. Stomping much harder than necessary…taking out a little extra aggression. A few people turned in her direction to see what was causing the excess noise. Mind your own fucking business. As if they could read her mind, they turned back around…probably saw the "fuck you" look in her eyes.

On the elevator, she ran her free hand along one side of her scarf…her favorite scarf. She wore it everywhere…whether it matched her coat or not…she didn't care. Whenever she wrapped it around her neck, she thought of when Todd gave it to her…right before they went to the Bayberry Inn. Things were so much simpler back then. Now, she was just plain pathetic.

"Morning Ms. Delgado." Caitlin, as usual, was right on time and eager for another day of work. Wait until she gets a little older. Wait until she gets out in the real world…let's see how perky she is then.

"Caitlin."

"You have a couple of messages here…one from Victoria Carpenter and one from your niece. Oh, and you have that meeting with Mr. Kendall at nine."

"Thank you. I don't want to be disturbed until he arrives," Tea instructed, as she whished past Caitlin's desk and into her office.

"Ms. Delgado?"

"Yes, Caitlin?"

"I know it's none of my business…but are you alright?"

"I'm fine…why do you ask?" Tea stepped back into the doorway, curious as to why her secretary would take such a personal interest in her life.

"You just seem very sad today."

"Oh, I just hate the snow…that's all. No big deal," Tea answered, smiling wide and fake. She closed the door behind her. She was more sad than usual. It was nearing Valentine's Day…yet again…and she would be spending it alone…yet again. Valentine's Day was such a waste of time and money…a made up day of "love" for the benefit of whom…Hallmark and department stores? Everybody makes money somehow.

Wonder what Viki wants. She loved Viki, but sometimes she overstepped her bounds. Todd was right…she was too goddamned nosy. Probably only wanted to know what was going on in her life so she could report back to Todd. She would do some shit like that too…only for that loser brother of hers. That loser brother of hers...that she was still madly in love with. Shit. She wished she could just cut out her heart and not feel a goddamned thing from him anymore. Why the hell did Viki have to call anyway? It only served as a reminder of the life she could have had…married to Todd. She balled up the message and shot it into the waste paper basket. Two points. Practice makes perfect. Viki would just have to wait…duty called.

Memory check.

She let her mind go blank…letting the images come to her. A movie of memories…the only time when she was truly happy. The night Todd proposed to her in the Palace Bar…on bended knee. If only she had not fallen asleep. Why the hell did she fall asleep? Who was she kidding…if it had not been that night…Todd would have screwed up another night and ruined things forever.

Buzz. Time to get to work.

"Okay Mr. Kendall…how can we get you off?" She smiled at the double meaning. She flipped through his file…shaking her head at his stupidity. Embezzlement.

Mr. Kendall had been taking money from the small web design company where he worked. For many years…five to be exact. As Controller of the company, he had access to all the bank accounts and all the funds that the company made. He came up with a full proof plan. Steal checks…type in the amount…stamp it with the company stamp. Easy as pie.

But he got careless. Took a check out of sequence…prompting the bank to call his boss. Busted. He came to Tea…only hoping that she could get him a lighter sentence.

She could do better than that. Use what you know to get what you want, she said. He didn't get it…at first…and she didn't elaborate. Things became clearer…use what you know. What he knew was that his boss was just as guilty of taking money as he was. Using company money to pay all his bills…using money that was supposed to be divided between him and his partners. They were both guilty of stealing. He was coming there today to discuss how their plan of attack.

*****

Mr. Kendall…early thirties…tall…smooth dark skin…well-dressed…muscular…neatly trimmed beard and mustache…African American…goddamned crook. The nice looking ones always are. His fuckability factor was very high…would have been higher if he wasn't such an asshole.

"You really think we can convince him to let me pay the money back?"

Damn his voice is sexy. God, it is getting too warm in here. She pulled at the collar of her shirt, loosening its death grip on her throat. "Unless he wants to be in the cell right next to you, his best bet would be to cooperate. Besides, if you pay the money back…what has he really lost? So, do you have anything else on him we can use?"

"Besides his four year affair with his secretary? No."

"Wait, he's having an affair with his secretary?"

"Yes."

"Hmm…okay." This was almost too easy.

*****

Caitlin was surprised to receive an invitation to lunch with her boss. She had always seemed so inaccessible…so distant…so aloof. Caitlin idolized her. When she was a child, she dreamed of being strong, independent, intelligent…all the things that Tea was. Almost everything that Tea was…she dreamed of being a warmer person.

Tea let her pick the restaurant, "anywhere you want," she had said. The small Italian restaurant was several blocks from the office, but it had a good reputation. Tea ordered the best bottle of champagne, appetizers...the works.

Lunch was fairly quiet between them…Caitlin was intimidated…Tea just didn't feel like talking. Caitlin was enthralled by Tea in every way…especially the way she carried herself…with such class. A non-shit taker. The world should bow down to her and most people did.

"Ms. Delgado, thank you so much for the opportunity to work for you."

"I should be thanking you for being such a joy to work with. It's nice having someone to count on at the office."

The tall brunette almost passed by…her nose stuck high in the air…without noticing the "janitor's daughter." She took a double take, unable to fathom that the woman in the crimson Donna Karan pantsuit…short dark hair…confident manner was the same little girl whom she teased as a child. The eyes gave her away…the big, brown, expressive eyes.

"Well…if it isn't Tea Delgado…or is it Tea Delgado-Manning?" Misty Davis was raised in the same building as Tea. She didn't have a basement apartment…she lived near the top.

"It's Tea Delgado…and is it Misty Anderson…or Luca…or Kelley…or Lowell…or is it back to Davis?" Tea smiles sweetly…or so it appears. Bitch.

"It's Davis. I was so sorry to hear about your marriage."

A quick flash of sadness shadows Tea's face and heart. "As I was sorry to hear about your marriages."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is. So, are you living in Manhattan now?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, we must do lunch very soon. Where are you staying?"

"In the old building. The penthouse." She emphasized that last word. Not even Misty lived that high up. What satisfaction.

"Oh, well, that's very nice."

"I like it. Here's my card," she deliberately reaches into her 18 carat, solid gold, card case, extracting a card "give me a call and we'll set something up."

"I'll do that. It was nice seeing you."

Tea watched her walk away; her head hung a little lower. Shows her right.

"I'm impressed," Caitlin says, breaking her silence.

"What?"

"The way you handled that…Misty…person."

"Thanks. What kind of a name is Misty anyway? It's a weather condition," Tea joked.

"Oh I know. I didn't know you were married."

Tea purposely filled her mouth with a piece of cake and nodded.

"What's his name?"

"Todd," Tea answers, taking a long sip of wine.

"As in Todd Manning?"

Tea nodded…deliberately keeping her mouth full.

"He's cute."

"Yes he is."

"He wasn't as bad as the papers made him seem was he? I mean he couldn't have been for you to…love him."

"No one is ever as bad as the papers make them seem." Tea sighed…tipping her glass…drinking the rest of her form of anesthesia. "So…what about you? You seeing anybody?"

"Nope. I just really need some time…to…you know…work on myself."

"Yes…I definitely know how that is."

*****

Tea's Penthouse

The penthouse was so dark when she opened the door. Not even a ray of moonlight peeked though the slacks of the blinds. Dark…depressing…and lonely. Who gives a shit? Should be used to coming home to an empty penthouse anyway.

"Honey…I'm home," she said facetiously to no one in particular. There was never anybody home…not even she was there…mentally. She was a ghost…a body with no soul.

She left dirty, wet trail across the wood floor...to the closet...to the fridge…to the CD collection…to the stereo remote...to the couch. Chet Baker. With the sounds of the sweet music blaring through the speakers, came the solitude. In a beautiful penthouse…alone... the picturesque landscape bleached by the down falling snow. How typical. At least I'm not naked…under a satin robe…being rejected by my…husband. She tried to forget the bad memories.

The hurt was still so deep. Time doesn't heal a goddamn thing. Nothing heals. But money can sure make things a hell of a lot better. It was amazing the power that Todd still had over her. Most people would have thought she had plenty of time to mend a broken heart...they must never have been in love. There was no way in hell the pain would ever stop.

God. It was moments like this she lived for…and dreaded. Outside of her "memory checks"…she didn't have the discipline to stop thinking about him. Once he grabbed hold of her thoughts…he didn't let go…not even in her dreams. In the quiet…there was nothing to do but think.

And the later the night wore on…the more wine that flowed through her system…the more rapidly her thoughts traveled through her brain. The CD had switched from Chet Baker to Billie Holiday. Good Morning Heartache. A single tear trickled down the side of her face…followed by another…and another. Out of anger…she threw her wine glass against the wall…shattering it...and allowed the tears to take over.

Good morning heartache
You old gloomy sight
Good morning heartache
Thought we said goodbye last night
I turned and tossed until it seems you have gone
But here you are with the dawn
Wish I forget you, but you're here to stay
It seems I met you
When my love went away
Now everyday I stop I'm saying to you
Good morning heartache what's new

Stop haunting me now
Can't shake you nohow
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight to Sunday blues
Good morning heartache
Here we go again
Good morning heartache
You're the one
Who knows me well
Might as well get use to you hanging around
Good morning heartache
Sit down

--Lyrics from Good Morning Heartache by Billie Holiday