Fifty: Reckonings

Episode 6, Part 1

Maple Ridge, B.C.

“We can’t submit the application withoot a Board of Directors, Brooke. That’s not how this works.”

“And I can’t make a Board of Directors materialize withoot an organization, Theresa.  I thought that’s what the first application was for.”

“The 4001 form just establishes the Articles of Incorporation. It’s basically a declaration of intent to the CRA.”

“What if my ‘intent’ is to choose my officers after establishing the non-profit?”

“There’s no organization withoot officers, Brooke.”

“And if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs.”

“Stacy, if you don’t have anything sensible to contribute—”

“Brooke, you know this isn’t Stacy’s fault, so there’s no reason to act like a bitch.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Stacy.  I’m just a little on edge…you’ve been a great friend to me and I really owe you for this.”

Stacy smiled and gave Brooke an affectionate wink.

“Anyway, have you settled on a name? How aboot The Brooke Morgan Women’s Relief Coalition?”

“Theresa, who do you think I am, Donald Fucking Trump? This is a charity, not a vanity project. How aboot Empowering Women, B.C.?”

“Perfect. Now if you want, I can probably convince some of my colleagues at ICBC to act as Members.  That should help to pad your application a bit.”

“Members?”

“They’re like shareholders who don’t get a share of anything, but they get to vote on the election of directors and give input on projects and purchases.”

“Okay, great. For now, I suppose I constitute the Board of Directors, unless…”

Brooke raised an eyebrow and fixed Stacy’s gaze across the table.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Didn’t you say you did the accounting for that self-storage place a few years ago?”

“Well, yeah, but it was just bill collecting, basically…”

“Theresa, fill in Stacy Collins under Treasurer.”

“And I assume you’ll be the equivalent of COO for the foreseeable future?”

“You assume an awful lot, Sis. I have cancer, remember? I’m here to get the ball rolling and put up some cash.  That’s it.”

“Right.  Sorry. So who’s running the show?”

“Kelly Lavoie.”

“Kelly? You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not. There’s a method to my madness, Theresa. You’ve gotta learn to trust your big sister. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

*************************

Vancouver, B.C.

Dylan hung up the phone, jumped oot of bed and hastily pulled on his pants.

“Shit! I’ve been gone for a fucking hour, Roxane.  Ashley’s freaking oot.”

Roxane chuckled under her breath.

“Oh, you think it’s funny, huh? Was that your plan all along, just to get your kicks by fucking with Ashley?”

“Your attempt at chivalry after the fact is adorable, Dylan. You’re the one who cheated on her, not me.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not gonna happen again. Got it?”

“We’ll see. What the hell is up her ass, anyway? You’re not allowed to go oot for an hour?”

“Don’t start. She’s under a lot of stress lately.”

“Well, of course she is. Who wouldn’t be stressed after playing the same two guys against each other for thirty years?”

“That’s not true. Matt wanted the divorce, not Ashley. I love her, Roxane.”

“I guess there’s no accounting for taste. So what’s the melodrama du jour?”

“She’s got a little legal trouble in Toronto and it’s making her anxious and that’s already more than you need to know. When people care aboot each other, sometimes they worry, Roxane. But you probably wouldn’t know anything aboot that.”

“You make a lot of assumptions yourself, Dylan. Now you better run on home and tend to Sylvia Plath before you find her with her head in the oven. See you soon, Rock Star.”

Dylan slammed the door behind him as Roxane sat down on the sofa and took oot her cell phone.

*************************

Whistler, B.C. / North Vancouver, B.C.

“Alright, Sis, spill it. And don’t you dare leave oot a single scintillating detail.”

“Cut it oot, Billy. I had a wonderful time. Matt’s a really great guy.”

“I’m sorry, I think I nodded oot there for a second. Matt squirted what in your eye?”

“Are you gonna let me tell you aboot my date or are you just setting me up for one-liners?”

“Sorry, force of habit. Please continue.”

“Have you ever noticed that he has the kindest eyes?”

—

“Sir, would you please step oot of the car?”

Matt’s vision was overwhelmed by the piercing beam from the patrolman’s flashlight.

“What’s this aboot, Officer?”

“You ran a red light at the last intersection, Sir. Have you been drinking tonight?”

The officer peered into the vehicle at the woman slumped over in the passenger’s seat.

“Ma’am, will you please step oot of the car, too?”

She didn’t respond, so another officer approached the passenger side of the vehicle as Matt was led through the field sobriety tests.

“Officer Nolan? This one’s unconscious, we’re gonna need an ambulance.”

—

“…and he was so compassionate and understanding aboot all the stupid choices I’ve made, Billy, that I honestly felt…okay. For the first time in years…he made everything okay.”

“Matt Walker the therapist! Who knew?”

“He’s got this TV show premiering next week and he’s going through all this upsetting stuff with Ashley, but the whole time, he only wanted to talk aboot me. I know it’s silly, but it almost felt like he’s been waiting for me all this time.”

“And you don’t think you’re worth the wait?”

“I don’t know, Billy. What did I ever do to deserve the attention of someone as smart and successful as Matt?”

—

The officer got into his car and called dispatch.

“We have a male Caucasian, possibly driving under the influence and an unconscious female passenger that may have suffered an overdose. No priors for the driver, but the passenger’s got a pretty lengthy record, mostly for solicitation. I need an ambulance oot here right away. Officer Raymore will meet them at the scene while I take Mr. Walker downtown for processing.”

—

“Well, hopefully, Matt will continue to resurrect your self-esteem until you finally accept yourself as worthy of affection.”

“It’s not that I don’t think I’m worthy, it’s just…oh, Billy, I feel like a teenager again! Why didn’t you tell me what I was missing all those years I spent hiding away in the convent?”

“Plenty of time to catch up, Courtney. So when are you getting together again?”

“I’m not sure, but soon, I hope. It’s so exciting, Billy – it really feels like my life has just begun!”

—

“Mr. Walker, you’re under arrest for driving under the influence and solicitation of prostitution.”

The officer pushed down on Matt’s head as he climbed into the back seat of the cruiser. As it pulled away, Matt looked oot the window and saw the body of the woman with whom he’d spent the evening lying motionless on the blacktop as an EMT drew a white plastic sheet over her face.

 *************************

Vancouver, B.C.

After a hurried pit-stop at BC for the bottle of wine, Dylan’s rented Geo screeched to a halt in front of the house. He walked inside and called oot for Ashley, but there was no response. A gurgling sound from down the hall caught his attention, so he made his way to the bedroom where Ashley was splayed oot on the bed. His bottle of Valium was uncapped on the nightstand.

“Ashley! What the hell happened?”

Ashley tried to prop herself up on one elbow but collapsed back into the mattress.

“Dylan, I…I don’…whass…where were you?”

“Oh my God, Ashley, did you take that whole bottle of pills??”  He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook. “Did you take the whole bottle?!”

Ashley’s body went limp as Dylan was startled by a sudden roar of police sirens. He rested her head on a pillow and peered oot the window at the three VPD cruisers that had pulled up in front of the house.