Leonard Reed, head of a multimedia chain, was the owner of those black eyes.
- Is that Crusher's wife? - He had asked his assistant as soon as they walked in.
- That's right. She's much younger than him, they got married not long ago.
He knew in detail the gossip and rumors that had been going around for months, Alice, his wife, had taken it upon herself to inform him of everything she heard: she was a younger woman, pretty, a college student and a creeper. But seeing her in the flesh was a very different thing. She seemed strangely familiar to him and he couldn't figure out why. Maybe he'd crossed paths with her once at another event, he couldn't remember.
Reed was respected among his peers for his charisma and the impulsiveness that somehow brought him commercial success. But his other side was also known, one that everyone talked about in hushed tones. He was an incorrigible cheater and had a preference for young women; even Alice knew it. Like almost everything else in that world, no one was the wiser.
He justified his behavior to himself by being tied to a wife he didn't love and never loved. And that, he believed, gave him the right to seek comfort in other arms. They were usually arms from which he quickly grew bored and to compensate he was usually very generous. He lost his modesty when he focused on his next companion and spared no chutzpah to get what he wanted.
His appearance helped him achieve his conquests. He was tall, with dark hair flecked with gray; his subdued smile gave him an air of elegance without letting him be vulgar. And of course, he was loaded with money. And this factor made things easier for him when some lady got difficult declaring her love for him and complicating his life. He had even taken his own daughters' friends to bed.
And now all his attention was on Daniel's wife. The woman had an innate grace, exuded a peculiar aura and had a distinguished bearing despite her short years. That was strange and at the same time fascinating, as if her age was not conditioned by her exterior, although it was more than evident. The more he observed her, the more uneasy he became because he could not pinpoint where he had seen her before, he was sure he had already met her.
- Where does she study? -
- They say she's a classmate of Crusher's younger brother -
- Art! -
Sure, that's where she was from. Leonard Reed moved in that world. His Performing Arts Foundation was well known. Many talents had emerged from it thanks to the scholarships it gave out or to sponsorships. College students in related fields applied in their hundreds every year, but only five were fortunate enough to get one. It was very likely that this little woman had tried to win it or had been to the Foundation herself at one time or another.
"Crusher's got guts," he thought. He knew firsthand how demanding women like her could be, full of vitality, full of desire. To marry her off would not have been at all difficult for a man like Daniel who had been a widower for years without a steady relationship, with an unblemished reputation and his arrogance. But it was clear that the lady in question was in charge; to seduce him and make him sign the marriage certificate she must have been very good at what she did.
He walked around the room carefully without taking his eyes off her. She had the little boy glued to her at all times, that was rare for a fortune hunter. Even old Crusher treated her with familiarity; none of that fit the description of a " creeper". Could it be possible that they were actually in love? The idea excited him even more.
The body language they shared was that of an established, loving couple. Daniel often grabbed her waist and she could put her hand on her husband's chest as they talked. They smiled confidently at each other and searched each other's eyes. It was undoubtedly more than a hobby for Crusher, how had he managed it with his icy and disinterested personality?
Beverly, for her part, was interested in another aspect of that relationship. At times Deanna's gaze dulled and that occurred when she visualized her friend Harry staying as far away from her as he could. That was odd, they were brothers-in-law after all. But the younger Crusher wouldn't leave his wife's side and was attentive to her, attentive to her needs. It looked... forced. His countenance was grim despite the feigned smiles, like the painted face of a clown.
He looked uncomfortable and out of place. He would purposely avert his gaze so he wouldn't have to look at her, he would settle in to turn his back on her, he would try to fake a conversation with someone to distract himself. With each passing hour, Beverly became more and more certain of her suspicions. Harry was not his usual self; in the office he still treated Daniel coldly and sometimes ignored him. The whispering was that the brothers were in some sort of war, though no one could figure out why.
"Who would have thought that a girl like that would fracture the relationship between the brothers?" they were always close in their own way. There wasn't a problem Harry got into that Daniel wasn't there to solve. She remembered that, as children, the little boy would run after his teenage brother looking for him all the time and, despite the years they were inseparable. Harry was his best man when he married Emily! And now they were glaring at each other and all because of a woman.
And then Daniel walked away from Deanna and Reed saw his chance, he had to talk to her, he couldn't resist. Harry was also waiting for a moment when he could approach her and apologize, although he didn't know what he was going to say to her. As soon as Daniel was out of sight, he stood up and started walking in the direction where Deanna had been standing with a drink in her hand. Beverly tensed expectantly. But Leonard was quicker.
- Mrs. Crusher? - He said with his seductive smile stopping right in front of her.
Harry stopped in his tracks, but didn't look away.
- Yes? - Deanna replied a little surprised.
-Nice to meet you, my name is Leonard Reed. Forgive my boldness, but I wanted to meet you.
- How do you do, Mr. Reed?
Strange, his last name rang a bell. The man shook her hand and held it for a second too long before releasing her. For an awkward moment, neither of them said anything, he seemed to be examining her and Deanna felt his eyes roam over her without any embarrassment. She was unsettled by the energy he emanated.
-Tell me, what can I do for you?
Leonard could think of at least 10 ways she could help him.
-I hope I'm not being rude to ask, but I heard that you study at the University of Art with Harry and... is it possible that you've been to my Foundation at some point? -
- Your Foundation? - Of course that's where his last name sounded from!
- My Foundation offers scholarships to students of the performing arts -
- The Reed Foundation! Yes, I know of it, but I've never been to it -
- That's strange... What do you specialize in? -
- I sing opera, or at least I try to -
From then on, the conversation got deeper and deeper. Leonard knew what he was talking about, he was considered a recognized sponsor for a reason. He didn't just put up the money, he was knowledgeable in almost all the arts. Deanna was thrilled to have someone to share details that only those immersed in that world knew. Many of the professors at the University were friends or acquaintances of Reed's, which gave him yet another topic to talk to her about.
Beverly could see Harry's face slowly transform, motionless in his place in the middle of the room. While Mrs. Crusher conversed with Reed very animatedly oblivious to everything else. Oblivious to the reputation of her interlocutor, oblivious to the stares and whispers that were beginning to arise. They all knew what Leonard wanted, they were surprised that he attacked with the husband in the same room knowing the temper Daniel had.