The Ghost Writer Rose’s Story: A Look At The Worlds We Hide is now available on Amazon.
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Rose Friedlander tells her story, a story of murder and depravity, a story about what goes on behind closed doors in the worlds to which we are generally not privy.
Money and privilege have allowed the people in Rose’s life to create their own rules. Worth nearly a hundred million dollars herself, Rose believes her father has killed her twin sisters and her mother. The man she marries has unusual proclivities, a gross understatement. Rose is about to detail how even the most sacred of sacred can be bought and how the weakest and most vulnerable of us are never truly safe.
Rose’s story will open your eyes, hurt your heart and restore your resolve.
Buy it today! Enjoy the read.
Bill and Lorraine sat awhile before Bill got up and threw her steak onto the Garland. It sizzled and smoked and Bill watched it a moment before he rotated it to diamond-mark it then flipped it. Because the grills had not been used they were hot-hot. He could easily cook the rare steak in less than two minutes, which he did while Lorraine went out to Bebe to get him another beer.
“How’d you become a cook? You’re not like the others.” Lorraine was back sitting on the lettuce cases. Bill stood in the doorway so he could see if anyone came into the kitchen, so she could eat in peace.
“How’d you become a waitress? You’re too smart to be a waitress.”
“Smart? No. Educated? Yeah. I graduated from State. But then I married Mr. Undependable. We were together twelve years. When I was thirty-eight with two kids, he left me for a coed, twenty-one years old. I guess she didn’t have any stretch marks.”
“You have stretch marks?”
“Yeah. And a little moustache too.” Lorraine sat with the plate in her lap. Bill had given her a baked potato and some fresh vegetables to accompany the meat. He had cut the steak for her and laced the potatoes and vegetables with butter.
“Drink the beer too.”
“Just some. I have to drive and I can’t afford to get stopped. Wanna see them?”
“What?”
“The stretch marks.”
“What else I get to see?”
“Anything you want. You can touch too.”
“Why don’t you get a boyfriend?”
“First tell me why you’re messing around.”
“Long story. Too complicated.”
“I got time.”
“How honest you want?”
“On a scale of one to ten, brutal.”
“Low self-esteem. Tremendous insecurity. And what-the fuck.”
“Explain the last one.”
“Existential decision. Opportunity was there. What-the-hell.”
“Wow. I’m blown away.”
“Your turn.”
“Never again. I don’t trust love. I don’t trust men. I don’t trust security or happiness. Then I have two daughters and they don’t need any disruptions in their lives more than what they’ve had already.”
“Let me see the stretch marks when you’re done eating.”
“What’s your wife-to-be say?”
“She don’t know. Believe me, she’s way off in her own world. Pleased as punch I’m working and she don’t have to bother her parents. Maybe even happy I’m gone all the time.”
“That’s messed up, you know. You’re not even married.”
“Honestly? It’s just pussy. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Take it from me, honey. It means something. It means the world.”
“You gonna give me guilt or pleasure?”
“I’m gonna give you blunt, candid opinion.”
“Screw that. Let me see your stretch marks.”
Lorraine was finished eating and stood up. She handed the plate to Bill. He put it by the dishwashers and returned to her. She had pulled her blouse from her skirt and lifted it up once he was nearby again.
Bill looked closely at the stretch marks on both sides of her waist. Then, ever-so-softly he ran his fingers over them. His touch sent her into shivers. Goosebumps. She closed her eyes, took her hand and helped him run his fingers over each one of the marks.
“Goddamn you’re turning me on.
“Where else you got them?”
“My breasts and my thighs.”
“Show me.”
“Cook Bebe’s steak. I’ll be right back.”
Lorraine went down the stairs. Bill went back into the kitchen and put Bebe’s super on the grill. He took a moment and checked everything out. Marie was cleaning up her station and setting up for Bea for the morning. The dishwashers were sitting around drinking pop. One of them, Jim, a horse-trainer until he’d gotten kicked in the head and wasn’t right anymore, was fixated on his beer bottle.
“Could sure use a beer,” he said.
“Yeah,” Bill shot back, “I’m sure you could. But you know the deal.”
“Think you’re something, don’t you?”
“Finish up your work,” Bill told him.
Bebe’s steak was cooked and her plate set when Lorraine came back up the stairs. Bill told her to take the plate out to the bar and bring him another beer.
“Be right back,” she said.
Rose’s Story available on Amazon Kindle in just several more days.
Dinner turned out to be extremely slow. Mary, Henry Lee and Bea left at six. Grandma and Jimmy were in place. but they would leave early since it was so quiet. Tommy was really upset. Not only did his mouth hurt, but he didn’t want Drenovis to have anything to criticize, anything to say. Drenovis would complain about losing money and brag about how much more revenue the west side brought in compared to the east.
Marie wore the sunglasses all night. She would wear them for the next week as it turned out and she would still have the remnants of the shiner when she took them off.
Bill used the steaks that had sweated and which he had washed first. Tommy only had to expedite for about an hour but Bill and Jimmy could have handled the orders without any expediting. Bill asked Tommy if he wanted to go to the office and take it easy. Tommy said he’d watch over things to make sure everything went as it should.
After Tommy had left the kitchen, Marie came over to Bill during one of the lulls. Bill was smoking a cigarette, standing in the doorway where he could see any orders brought in and where he could catch the cool air blowing in through the screen door. She stepped so close to Bill he could feel the softness of her breasts against his arm.
“I ain’t really sorry, you know. I’m glad you seen my coochie. You can see it any time you want.”
“Ain’t my business.”
“I could give you a good time.”
“Ain’t interested. You got enough problems.”
“He won’t care. I could give you some nice lip service if you like.”
“Wanna know what I like?”
“What?”
“You go over on your own station and leave me be.”
“Shit,” Marie said. “It’s your loss.”
“I’ll live with it.”
Marie got huffy. “You scared of him, ain’t you?”
“Why would I be? Not that you need any explanation, but I don’t need the hassle.”
“The hell with you then.”
“Listen, Marie. You don’t want to be getting on the wrong side of the people you need. I think you’re miscalculating. I run this kitchen at night and you need me a lot more than I need you. So just do your work and understand I am not interested in anything with you except you taking care of your station. What’s between you and him is between you and him.”
Marie whispered something under her breath before she went back to the salads. Bill simply let it go, finished his cigarette and walked back onto the line.
By ten-thirty he was sitting out in the hall. Jimmy and Grandma were already gone nearly an hour. Jimmy had sat on the metal milk cases where Bill was now and eaten a big order of Grandma’s fried chicken just before he’d left. Then he’d smoked a cigarette and asked if Bill minded if he took off.
Bill was happy to be alone except for Marie and the dishwashers. He was nodding off where he sat until Lorraine came out with a beer for him.
“Mind if I have some?”
“Nope.”
“I’m off,” said Lorraine. “Bebe wants a super medium rare. She said about eleven.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll take one too.”
“Think I won’t give it to you?”
“Will you?”
“Yeah. But you can’t tell anyone or let the others see you eating it.”
“I like it rare.”
“Me too.”
Lorraine sat herself on the lettuce cases. The stack was only two cases high now. In the mornings it went to four and sometimes five. Still she was higher up than Bill. She drank half the beer before she gave the bottle over to him.
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When he went back downstairs, Bill stopped in the bathroom. What he saw was more than he ever wanted to see. Marie was bent over the sink and Henry Lee, his pants about his ankles, was behind her.
“Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Take a turn,” said Henry Lee.
“Get out of here,” Bill said. He turned and walked out, went into the ladies room trying to forget what he’d just seen. While he was peeing, Lorraine walked in. She started to do an about-face but Bill told her not to bother. He was in a stall and although he hadn’t closed the stall door, he faced away from her so she couldn’t see anything.
“Visiting?” Lorraine asked.
“Men’s room’s busy.”
“My good fortune.” Lorraine leaned against the sink and watched Bill as he finished up. “How about you and me having some time together? You told me to think about it and I have.”
Bill shook his head. He went to the sink where Lorraine stood and washed his hands meticulously. “It’s a great offer,” he said.
“You bet it is.” She reached for him, pulled him close and kissed him. Bill kissed back and let her take his hand between them and up her skirt. With her free hand she helped herself to a generous and lengthy feel of him. “It’s time for me. I’ve been really stuck and need to get unstuck.”
They stayed this way a few moments, kissing all the while, enjoying feeling each other and the heat that was building.
“You know this goes nowhere,” said Bill.
“Exactly,” Lorraine said. Then, “I have to get upstairs.”
They separated. Lorraine went into a stall and sat down to pee. Bill watched her, watched her finish. She lifted a leg where she sat so Bill could look at her, which he happily did.
“See you later.” Bill stepped away as Lorraine stood up and adjusted her panties and skirt.
“We gonna do it?”
“After work if you’re closing. You smoke pot?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t save you any. You closing tonight?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I need a safety?”
“No. Just desire and I’ll help with that.”
“Desire’s easy. You’re a sexy woman.”
“You really think so?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”
“Good. Then I hope you’ll ravish me.”
“I’ll do my best.” Bill stepped back toward Lorraine. He took her in his arms and kissed her full. “I’m a bad boy, you know.”
“Good. You can teach me to be a bad girl.” Lorraine copped a last feel of him before he stepped out of the ladies’ room and headed to the meat room where he resumed cutting the steaks he’d been working on.
The meat had been sitting out untouched for awhile now and was slimy. Bill knew he needed to wash it but decided he would do it later. First stroke the knife slipped and he nicked his hand. He saw his blood along the thin line of the small cut.
“Shit,” he barked. “Goddammit.”
He put down the knife and went to the sink where he ran cold water over the cut. On the wall next to the sink was the first aid kit. He reached in and got a band aid and iodine. Before applying the iodine, he applied direct pressure to the cut with a clean hand towel and while the was doing that he walked to the bourbon drawer and took a good swig. When he was back at the sink, he finished with taking care of the cut.
He was still at the sink when Henry Lee and Marie walked in. He turned to them. Henry Lee was smoking a cigarette and went to his cutting block. Marie, wearing sunglasses, stood in the doorway. She looked to her feet.
“Apologize,” Henry Lee commanded.
“I’m sorry,” Marie said.
“Now get your funky ass upstairs,” he told her.
Marie turned and disappeared into the hallway.
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It got worse for Tommy. Tommy had just gone up the front stairs and back to his office. Bea and Mary hadn’t left the party room yet. They stayed to talk it out, to strategize. Bill and Henry Lee went back to the meat room. They sipped bourbon and were quietly at work when Marie came in. She had her kitchen dress on but had not buttoned it yet so her white bra and white panties showed. She stood before them not concerned that they could see her underclothes. She was visibly pissed.
“You better control that damn wife of yours.” Her hands were in her dress pockets and she was holding the dress open. “That bitch called my house. Good thing my husband ain’t around. I erased the message. How the hell she get my number?”
“Why don’t you close that dress?” Henry Lee said gently.
“Don’t want whitey to see my coochie? Here whitey.” She took her hands from her pockets and pulled down her panties, stood with her legs spread and her privates fully out there. “Not enough?” She bent over and pulled the panties off, threw them at Bill who stopped them from hitting his face. “Go on and get a good smell.”
Bill picked them up and tossed them to Henry Lee.
“What’s the matter whitey? Don’t want no colored coochie? Finest there is.”
“That’s enough,” Henry Lee said. He started for Marie, but she put her hands up and told him to stay away. “Plenty here for everyone,” Marie said. She turned around, leaned over, lifted the dress. “Pick your pleasure, white boy.”
Bill told Henry Lee he’d come back in a bit and headed out of the meat room, but Marie grabbed his arm and tried to rub his hand on her bare privates. Bill wrestled his hand free and noted she looked crazed as he stepped all the way out.
He wasn’t but a few steps down the hall when he heard a scuffle then a loud slap then the dull thud of a punch followed by a crash. He turned immediately and went back. Marie was sitting on the floor. She was holding her eye and sniveling. Her dress was open and her bared privates stared up at Bill. He noted that she was bald down there.
“Get your black ass up,” said Henry Lee. Then, “You want her, take her,” he said to Bill.
“My name’s been-it and I ain’t in it,” Bill said. He turned around and walked out again. “Be back in twenty,” he said before he was gone.
Bill went upstairs to hang out with Mary and see what she needed done. He no longer needed to ask. He surveyed the scene and assessed the situation. Baked potatoes were in, prime rib was out, steam table on the line was set up, the inserts in place, the water filled to the correct level and steam already coming out. He had enough fries, fried shrimp, pickerel and onion rings. The steaks in the reach-in were plenty to start with. He made note of how much meat he’d have to bring up.
With Mary again, he stirred the Bordelaise sauce. Then he filled a steam table pan with yellow rice.
“They screwing down there?” Mary asked.
“They fighting,” said Bill. “Big time.”
“That why you up here?”
“Couldn’t stand to be without you.”
“Get them potatoes out. Carry over that rib. Put the round in the walk-in. Then give me a kiss, tell me how much you want me and make sure you take it easy on Tommy tonight. His mouth is hurting him and all he wants is some peace and quiet.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Bill.
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“Goddammit. My lip is still numb. My head hurts. What the hell is it with this place?” Tommy looked at Bea and Mary who faced him in his office.
“Wasn’t the girl’s fault,” said Mary. “Drenovis was mad at the kitchen. He just took it out on her.”
“She stepped in at the wrong time,” said Bea.
“Why you standing up for her?” Tommy asked.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“Drenovis needs to learn his place.”
“Goddammit,” Tommy said again. “She’s too cute for her own good.”
“No matter,” said Mary. “She got done wrong by that pig of a man. He needs his ass fired and we need a new manager like you.”
“Fat chance,” Tommy said. “Mr. Bowman is loyal to a fault. He’s not canning Drenovis. He’s not canning our dear Lillian. He’s not canning any of you, not even for the crap you pull. You know I know all what you do, in the storeroom, in the party room, in the bathroom. Ain’t you got no shame? Think I don’t know how those holes got in the freezer mitts? That that boy takes LSD sometimes? Think I didn’t see him staring in that egg wash for hours and not bread a single shrimp?”
Bea and Mary looked at each other.
“You could be his mother,” Tommy said to Bea. “And you’re married. Look at what you’re teaching the boy.”
“We came to talk about Lexi.”
“Well I’m talking about all things.”
“She gonna be okay?”
“What’s in it for me?” Tommy asked.
“What you want?” Bea asked.
“Peace,” said Tommy. “That’s what I want. Peace of mind, peace and quiet.”
“Piece of ass?” Bea asked.
“Get serious. Not here, not with anyone here, not ever. I’m in my mid-fifties. I have a wife. I have kids and grandchildren. I don’t even kid about it.”
“Leave him be, Bea. So Lexi gonna be okay?”
“It will take some doing. But yes. I hired her. I’ll be the one to fire her if ever need be. But fighting Drenovis is never easy.”
“We know. But we got your back and Robert got our backs and Drenovis got to stay in his place.”
“Go to work,” Tommy said. “I’d like to nurse my sore mouth in solitude for awhile. I’d take the night off if I didn’t think you all would fight with Drenovis through the rest of the day. I don’t want any worse than we have now. So better Drenovis goes back to the other store.”
Both Bea and Mary went down to the meat room. Henry Lee and Bill were cutting meat. Lexi still sat on the counter.
“Tommy said you be okay,” said Bea. “Now stay out of Drenovis’ way. Don’t even look at him at the staff meetings and don’t sit by Bill either.”
“I come to work tomorrow?” Lexi asked.
“Yeah,” said Mary. “And don’t be drinking either.”
“That was my bad.”
“Yeah. It was.”
Lexi got up and left. Mary and Bea went back upstairs. Henry Lee and Bill sipped bourbon and cut meat.
Tommy wasn’t getting any peace this day. Drenovis left soon after he got back, before Mary and Bea spoke with him. Lexi went out quietly. He rested in the dark in his office until Mr. Bowman showed up. Mr. Bowman did not come by often, but when he did, he was usually hunting bear. Bear today was no one in particular. It was just the general discord between Drenovis and the kitchen.
They all met in the party room downstairs, a scolding session. Mr. Bowman told them not to sass Drenovis anymore and when Henry Lee said something nasty, Mr. Bowman went at him. Tommy had to intercede and make excuses for his kitchen. Mr. Bowman went on and on until he wound down.
“I want it worked out, Tommy,” he finally said. “Drenovis is my number two. Fix this and fast.”
“Yes sir,” said Tommy.
“Pussy,” Henry Lee said under his breath so only Bill next to him could hear.
Tommy asked everyone to remain after Mr. Bowman left.
“Lord have Mercy,” Mary said looking at Tommy’s sad face.
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“The mother was eleven weeks pregnant when she started to show. The little girl noticed her mother seemed a little flushed in her complexion and that she was rather content. Before the pregnancy there had been an edge to her and several times the girl had heard her parents argue, something she had never heard before, not because her parents didn’t argue but because they never did it where the girl could hear it. When the girl asked her mother, her mother said not to worry about it, that everything was okay.
“The girl asked her father too. He sat her down on her bed one evening and put his arm around her. It seemed to the little girl that her father’s hand brushed her non-existent little breast and she wouldn’t have even noted it if it hadn’t seemed as if her father had taken a little squeeze there. Imagination, she would think later, and she would dismiss it totally as her mind playing tricks on her. The bed bounced, she told herself, and we had a little accident.
“The father said that everything was okay. His hand quickly moved to the girl’s shoulder and stayed there so he could squeeze her to him, side by side, in hugs. He told her that Mommy was really busy with a big society banquet for one of her charities and she hadn’t been feeling quite herself. He told her they didn’t know why yet and couldn’t seem to pin it down on anything, but if she didn’t feel better in a day or two, they’d head off to the doctor. ‘You don’t need to be concerned at all, my sweet,’ Daddy told her. Daddy hugged her to him, caressed her, and then he told her to get ready for bed since it was getting late. He said he would send Evelyn up to help her.
“Evelyn put her to bed that night. Evelyn did not ordinarily put her to bed. That was Mommy’s job, exclusively, though Daddy always came in to kiss her good night before she fell off to sleep. The little girl thought she heard another argument happening, but she wasn’t sure. Evelyn petted her gently and read her a story. Evelyn was always soft-spoken. She smelled like gardenias. The little girl asked Evelyn if her parents were arguing. Evelyn said they were, but that it was okay. Lately her mother and father had both been edgy but she didn’t know why except that they were pregnant and women weren’t always themselves in pregnancy.
“Evelyn kissed the little girl good night and told her not to be concerned. She told her that every marriage had rough spots and that for some reason her parents seemed to be going through one of those. She said she’d seen them before with her parents and she was sure it would pass.
