Prince Of The City

“Nor would I,” Josie chorused, still cute as a button and still a free spirit at heart despite her own recent marriage to firefighter Michael Dunnigan and her unexpected, but thoroughly welcome, pregnancy.

Her eyes danced as merrily as Allison’s did, making Eloise wonder what kind of news the two of them might have for her. They were in such good humor, not to mention so full of devilry for it to be anything as routine as one of Manhattan Multiples’ clients successfully delivering healthy babies.

Though always a cause for celebration, Eloise was sure such an announcement wouldn’t have had them quite so…atwitter.

Only as she paused by the reception desk to collect the large sheaf of message slips Josie had ready for her did Eloise spy the source of Josie and Allison’s merriment. Spread out on the gleaming cherry wood surface of the reception desk were several of New York City’s daily papers. All were open to the Lifestyle section where photographs of the Mayor’s Ball were featured prominently.

Not just any photos of the ball, though, Eloise saw at once as she wordlessly picked up one newspaper after another and viewed the pictures more closely. Jumping off the pages were pictures of Bill and her—pictures that showed the two of them having a wonderful time together, as, of course, they had.

But there was so much more revealed in the photographs, and what she saw made Eloise blush hotly all the way to the roots of her smoothly styled ash-blond hair.

“Oh, my…” she murmured, her hands starting to tremble ever so slightly as she studied the look in Bill’s eyes as he touched the rim of the champagne glass he held with hers.

The same look was in her eyes as she smiled at him across the small table she had thought hidden away in an alcove. And it was apparent again in both their eyes as they swayed together on the dance floor, their bodies appearing to meld much more closely than she’d realized at the time.

She couldn’t believe that two mature adults, as well schooled in the importance of public behavior as she and Bill, had each let down their guards so carelessly and so completely. She didn’t know about Bill, but she hadn’t intended to wear her heart on her sleeve. Yet it appeared she had done just that, quite blatantly, in fact.

And, Eloise admitted, quite honestly, as well.

Here, for her and the whole world to see was proof that she was still in love with Bill Harper. And if the expression on his face was any indication, not only was the feeling most definitely mutual, but also a source of great delight for the newspapers’ headline writers.

“The Mayor and Manhattan Multiples Maven—Enemies No More?” read one. And “Ms. Vale v. the Mayor—All Bets Off!!!” read another of the more sensational banners under the photographs. Eloise was almost afraid to read the accompanying text, although she knew she must.

“You look lovely in the pictures,” Allison said, as if sensing her need for reassurance. “And the articles I’ve read are pretty fairly divided as to which one of you has possibly gone over to the other side.”

“Well, that’s something for which to be grateful,” Eloise replied. She quickly scanned first one article that claimed she now went along with the mayor’s cuts in funding, then another saying the mayor must certainly have been charmed into rethinking his long-held position. “Everyone could have assumed I’d given in completely. Especially considering the sappy look it obviously appears I had on my face all evening.”

“You don’t look sappy at all,” Josie retorted. “You look like a woman in love, and Mayor Harper appears to be positively smitten, as well. How could that not work in our favor?”

“Mayor Harper isn’t the type to allow personal relationships to get in the way of public policy,” Eloise pointed out pragmatically.

In fact, he wasn’t the type to allow a personal relationship to get in the way of any action he deemed necessary for the public good. She had learned that the hard way seventeen years ago when his very earliest political aspirations and involvement had been of primary importance to him. But such an in-depth explanation would only serve to stir up Josie and Allison’s curiosity that much more.

“Maybe he just hasn’t met his match till now,” Allison suggested with a knowing smile.

Her life had turned around completely since Jorge Perez had entered her life, and so had Jorge’s. The same was true of Josie and Michael. Thus Eloise chose to forgive them both for fantasizing a similar happy ending for her. She also resisted the urge to offer elaborate explanations as to why such an outcome would never be possible for her and Bill.

“I may be his match, but that gleam he seems to have in his eyes is hardly the result of affection for me,” she stated in a dismissive tone. “He’s simply enjoying our latest and first face-to-face confrontation.”

Since she and Bill hadn’t actually discussed their differing viewpoints last night, Eloise knew she was stretching the truth. But if she succeeded in throwing Allison and Josie off track, maybe the rumors of a budding romance between her and the mayor apparently already stirring in the press would be quickly put to rest.

“So you don’t feel as if you made any headway in convincing Mayor Harper to reconsider his proposed cuts to city funding?” Allison asked, her ever-present concern over the possible closing of Manhattan Multiples echoing in her voice.

“I can’t honestly say that I did,” Eloise replied, her cheeks burning all over again.

She could only imagine what Allison and Josie would think if they knew she had been so enamored of the mayor that she hadn’t brought up the issues dividing them even one time while she had been with him last night. The two young women were depending on Manhattan Multiples for their livelihoods as well as for much-needed support during their pregnancies. So were a lot of other women.

Eloise had admitted that she’d been a selfish socialite partying hearty last night, and downtime or not, she was more than a little ashamed of herself just then.

“At least a lot of people seem to think you did,” Josie pointed out, waving a hand at the newspapers. “As Allison said, the articles are pretty fairly divided. Some of the reporters seem to think progress has been made in favor of our side of the issue, and some in favor of the mayor’s side. It’s more than obvious that you’re a force to be reckoned with. Otherwise your presence at the ball with Mayor Harper wouldn’t have rated such publicity.”

“And I’d better take full advantage of it before Mayor Harper makes a final decision.” Tossing the newspapers aside, Eloise picked up the pink slips of paper containing her telephone messages and turned toward the hallway that led to her office. “Allison, make an appointment for me to meet with Mayor Harper later today. A follow-up to our outing last night seems to be in order.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Allison replied, gathering the newspapers into her arms, then following Eloise down the hallway.

Having gotten such a late start to the day, Eloise concentrated first on returning as many telephone calls as she could. Some were from acquaintances wanting to chat about the personal aspects of her date with the mayor. Those people she politely cut short. Others were from supporters of Manhattan Multiples congratulating her on having gotten the mayor’s attention at last. Those people she thanked graciously while also requesting that they continue to fight to save city funding for nonprofit organizations, reminding them the battle hadn’t actually been won yet.

Early in the afternoon, Eloise also had a visit from Leah Simpson, the pregnant homeless woman she and the staff of Manhattan Multiples had made a special effort to help over the past few months. Leah now had a small but tidy apartment of her own. She was also currently on paid maternity leave from her job as a clerk at Manhattan Multiples, and had been keeping busy caring for her newborn triplet daughters, fondly and appreciatively named Eloise, Allison and Josie.

All three babies, dressed in darling little outfits and secured safely in the triple-seat stroller Eloise had given Leah at the baby shower they’d held for her at the office, were glowing with good health. Leah, too, seemed to be doing well, though she was understandably tired.

With the help of various friends she’d made at Manhattan Multiples, however, she seemed to be coping with the stress of caring for three tiny babies. And finally more confident of her own ability to take care of herself and her babies, she no longer seemed inclined to reconcile with the alcoholic and abusive husband who had left her when she was pregnant.

The only negative aspect of Eloise’s day came in the form of yet another in a series of increasingly angry anonymous letters that arrived with the afternoon mail. So far, nothing overt had happened at Manhattan Multiples as a result of the threatening letters. But they had been of enough concern to Eloise that she was grateful to have security guards.

Today’s letter included accusations that her organization in general and Eloise in particular had conspired to break up a man’s family. So the threats were coming from the husband of one of their clients, she thought, having not been completely sure until then of the letter writer’s connection to Manhattan Multiples.

But who was he, and more important, who among Manhattan Multiples’ many clients was related to him? She would be the one most in danger if the man became enraged enough to do physical harm because she would be the one normally most close at hand.

Eloise would have to ask the various staff members if they knew of anyone on Manhattan Multiples’ list of clients who might possibly be currently involved in a problematic relationship or had talked about difficulties of any kind in her marriage. She would also have to seriously consider contacting the police.

She didn’t want to panic either the staff or their clients, but neither did she want to endanger anyone by failing to take proper protective measures. The Martino brothers provided a certain degree of security. But even they could be hurt if the letter writer was as crazy as he had now begun to sound, and suddenly turned violent.

By the time Eloise had sorted through the rest of her mail, nibbling on a tuna sandwich as she scribbled responses for Allison to type, it was after three o’clock. Surprised at how fast the time had flown by, she sat back in her chair, ready to relax.

Then she remembered her request of Allison earlier to set up an appointment for her to meet with the mayor. She reached out to buzz her on the intercom, but before she could, Allison bustled into the office as quickly as her burgeoning belly would allow, a frown on her normally sunny face.

“I know, I know. I was supposed to make an appointment for you to meet with Mayor Harper,” she said, sitting wearily in one of the two wing chairs facing Eloise’s desk.

“No luck?”

“I’ve been trying for hours just to get through to his chief of staff. The receptionist kept putting me on hold, then conveniently disconnecting my call. When Wally Phillips finally deigned to speak to me, he told me the mayor was all booked up, not only today, but also every day for the next two weeks. He said there was no way Mayor Harper could spare you even five minutes of his precious time. I’m sorry, Eloise, but I’m not sure what else I can do to get you a slot on the mayor’s busy schedule.”

“Nothing that I can think of, either,” Eloise replied. “Thanks for trying, though.” She pushed away from her desk resolutely. “Now it’s time for me to take matters into my own hands.”

“How do you intend to do that?” Allison looked up at her warily.

“I’m going over to Mayor Harper’s office right now, appointment or not, and I’m going to make my presence there known to all the reporters and photographers who hang around City Hall. Mayor Harper will have to see me then or he’ll end up losing all the benefit he got from those pictures in the papers this morning. I don’t think ‘Jilted Socialite Angrily Demands Audience with Mayor’ would play well with his constituents, do you?”

“No, it most certainly wouldn’t,” Allison answered with a delighted laugh. “Shall I call the limousine service for you?”

“Why, yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Eloise agreed. “I could probably get there faster on foot at this time of day, but my arrival wouldn’t be nearly as attention getting, would it?”

“Not nearly.” Allison laughed again as she pushed out of the chair.

“Twins,” Eloise said.

“What?”

Allison paused in the doorway of Eloise’s office and eyed her with surprise.

“Twins, at least. Maybe triplets. You’re getting awfully big awfully fast, sweetie.”

“Oh, please, don’t say that,” Allison pleaded, a hint of fear in her lovely eyes. “I can’t imagine how I’m going to handle one baby, much less multiples.”

“You’ll have lots of help, of course. That’s why I started Manhattan Multiples in the first place, and that’s why I have every intention of keeping our organization going—to help you and lots of other pregnant women. But first I have to have a little talk with the mayor.”

“I’ll call the limousine service.”

“Have you thought about scheduling a sonogram with Dr. Cross?” Eloise continued, still eyeing her assistant with consideration.

“Oh, it’s way too soon.”

“Not if you’re having multiples.”

Allison, looking just a little green around the gills, rolled her eyes and hurried out of Eloise’s office, leaving Eloise the one now laughing with delight.

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