ChapterTwenty-Five
Later that afternoon, Bianca slipped out of her apartment. Trevor had been patrolling the hallway outside, presumably at Sam’s orders, but even bodyguards needed to use the bathroom now and then. As soon as he took a break, Bianca made her move.
Soon, she was sitting in a hired Uber carrying her from the Black Diamond Building to a high-rise in a revitalized part of town.
Just ten years ago, the same neighborhoods had been all run-down brick buildings, low-income apartments, and grungy taverns that appealed to the local blue-collar crowd.By the time she was old enough to explore the area by herself or with friends, gentrification had taken over, as it had most of Seattle. The dingy apartments and raucous taverns were gone, replaced with newly constructed high-rise ‘luxury’ condos, as well as boutiques, salons, and the occasional ramen or sushi restaurant.
Ellen’s address brought Bianca here, to one of the newest buildings in town. A large but elegant sign hung out front offering three months rent-free, as well as move-in bonuses to anyone willing to take a chance on the neighborhood. When her Uber driver asked if this was where she meant to go, Bianca merely nodded and let herself out onto the sidewalk.
There was no doorman. No concierge. The manager’s office was closed to tours and calls that day. Bianca felt like she was stepping into an unfinished building. Would she need a hard hat? Would security appear and tell her to get lost?
Nevertheless, she entered the elevator. As she rode up to the penthouse, she squeezed her purse, feeling the shape of the canister of pepper spray inside. Sam had taught her how to use it. It was Bianca’s backup plan if things went south.
Grip it in your fist. Flip up the top. Press down with your thumb. She repeated the instructions in her head over and over until the elevator doors opened. She was both relieved and anxious to step out into the hall and see the name ‘ELLEN PERRY’ written on a small gold plaque on the door.
Before she had a chance to knock, Ellen opened the front door to the penthouse.
“Bianca, so lovely to see you.” She offered a handshake and an air kiss, both of which Bianca stiffly accepted. “I hope I wasn’t too hard to find. I was able to get in early and got a great deal on this place. Come in, come in. Don’t let the unfinished units downstairs frighten you. It’s perfectly safe.”
Bianca stepped into Ellen’s penthouse suite. It was like stepping into the city-based home of one of her mother’s middle-aged friends. She let out her pent-up breath. Being surrounded by houseplants, tasteful paintings, and expertly selected furniture sets was much more familiar than the bare bones downstairs.
“Have a seat. Sorry I don’t have everything unpacked. I’ve been flying between coasts for the past few weeks to solidify my move.” Ellen gestured to a small sitting area by one of the windows overlooking Lake Washington. Bianca recognized Bellevue on the other shore.
“Where did you move from?” Bianca asked as Ellen entered the nearby kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack.
“Oh, Connecticut. Well, I grew up in Connecticut but spent most of my career in New York City, so it feels like I’ve moved from both places.” Ellen poured a glass of wine for herself. “Moving to Seattle is the big change I’ve needed for a long time. Do you want some wine?”
“Uh, no thanks. Water is fine.”
Ellen grabbed a clean glass from another cupboard and filled it with filtered tap water. “The water is exquisite here. As far as culture shock goes, I wasn’t expecting that. I hear it’s even better in Portland.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Ellen, in her off-white linen pantsuit and short but bouffant white hair, was a picture as she sat down across from Bianca.Bianca sipped her water. She looks like Helen Mirren crossed with Judi Dench.
Ellen sighed and gazed out at the lake. “But you don’t want to hear about my move. You want to hear about your mother. She’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.” She glanced back at Bianca, darkness clouding her eyes. “And she ruined my life.”
“I… see.”
“I don’t mean to frighten you, Bianca. But I’ve been living with your mother’s actions ever since I was a girl, really. Your age. Pardon me, but that’s a girl’s age. When you get to be where your mother and I are, you’ll understand. It’s a lifetime ago. It’s also just like yesterday.”
Bianca held her glass of water close to her chest, saying nothing.
“I told you the truth when I said your mother and I went to the same college back east. We were from the same area, although we had never met before then. We hit it off instantly. Became the best of friends. We took half of our classes together. Joined the same clubs, went to the same events. I was at college to prepare for a career as a working woman of the 80s. She was there to find love.” Ellen took a sip of her wine. “And she did find love. With me.”
It took a moment for her words to sink into Bianca’s mind.
“What?”
“I know it must be a shock, knowing your mother the way she is now,” Ellen said. “But back then, it was so natural. Of course, I always knew I liked girls. Your mother took longer to come around to it. But she’s always been easily influenced by a glass of wine or five.”
Ellen wiggled the wineglass in her hand before taking another sip.
“We had a great run, your mother and I,” she continued. “She told me she loved me. We made plans to go to New York together after graduation, get a one-bedroom apartment as we started our careers. I’d already accepted a position at a prestigious holding company in Manhattan. Not as a typist, mind you. I’d work on projects with a look toward management. Your mother, bless her, dreamed of being a housewife. I wanted to make that a reality for her, eventually. A little house in the suburbs, just the two of us and some little ones running around barefoot. Wouldn’t that be precious?”
“You mean… my mom was… is…”
“Then your father came into the picture.” Ellen’s words carried such disdain that Bianca flinched. “She cheated on me, got knocked up with your oldest sister, and decided to marry the bastard. Bet she never told you that, hm? That the length of your sister’s gestation was a bit fudged?” Ellen sniffed. “Premature my ass. But back then, everyone went along with those white lies.”