The Jump
by Shane Cooper
A lone business man wearing a tailored Armani suit leaned on the window forty-seven floors above the city streets. One arm high, palm resting on the cool glass, sipping amber liquor thinking only about his sexual escapades, money and his powerful position. Evening sun had eased below the mountain ridge to the west creating picturesque photo opportunities. Conrad Preston paid little attention to the golden red sunset of early summer in Colorado so many tourist coveted.
Conrad rested his forehead on the window holding his two fingers of Macallan, a twelve year old single malt scotch, next to his lips feeling the vapors tingle his nose. Life is good, he thought, it’ll be better soon. Looking down, not paying any attention to the movement at street level, his mind continued to ponder what he’d do with the wealth he was about to obtain.
“Scuze me sir.” A demure voice quietly interrupted Conrad’s synapse connections that seemed to always lead to breasts or green Benjamin Franklins.
With a swagger of sophistication and dominance, Conrad turned to face his assistant, he had two. Sandra was his Monday through Wednesday girl, as he called her privately. He’d insured her loyalty with compromising positions where she declared her love on her knees, he only showed her the power of taking. Photos had sealed the deal. Tonight, he needed her, but what she held in her hands changed his mind. With a casual smile, his eyes fell to the brown package forgetting all about sweaty bodies and tangled sheets.
Knowing her place in this office, she leaned over giving Conrad a full view of her assets. Holding the brown package in both hands, she used her arms to insure his eyes fell where she intended. Conrad did not disappoint. He licked his lips letting her know he was pleased with her attention to his insatiable lasciviousness, but his watering mouth was focused on the package which held the key to his greater passion.
“A package just arrived from the lawyers office by messenger. I figured you’d want it as soon as possible.” Sandra spoke with a soft tone that sent a submissive message to her boss.
“Awesome! I was hoping it’d get here soon.” Conrad, eyes wide with greed, sat down his drink, glided around the desk and brushed against her arm as she backed away purposefully caressing his leg. His attention was now completely and wholly on the small brown indistinguishable package, immediately forgetting the sexual message’s coming through loud and clear. “Not tonight, Sandy.” He declared as he pulled the thin box up towards his chest reading the label marked Confidential.
Sandra leaned against his arm pressing her breasts against him. “Are you sure?” She blinked up at him saying come on, I could use some attention.
Shoving her aside he marched back around the massive desk, plopped onto the soft leather and waved her away dismissively, eyes on the package the entire time.
She left in a huff, he didn’t care.
Slitting the thin paper with an envelope knife, Conrad unwrapped his prize with little sound. Pulling the legal papers from the enclosed sleeve, a huge grin grew across his face. This was it, the informal news he’d coveted since the day he first knew that money would bring him everything he wanted, power and toys, grown man toys.
One hand held his glass, the other gingerly flipping the pages with his thumb, his breathing quickened as he processed the legal words into full understanding. With the last page in hand, slightly shaking, his eyes fell to the ending words. Gulping the last of the liquor to calm his nerves, he gasped an inaudible, “YES!” into the now empty glass.
###
“Yo, Conny, wathcha’ doin’?” Donald skipped into the massive office of his twin brother Conrad who was closing a file drawer with a slam.
“Business stuff, Donny.” Conrad rolled his eyes at his less than sophisticated brother.
“What kind of bizness stuff ya doin?” Donald plopped his butt onto the end of the mahogany desk scooting the glass top sideways pushing it askew.
Instantly, Conrad grabbed his brother and pulled him from the desk. “What the fuck Donny, you can’t just come skipping in here whenever you feel like it.”
“Sawry.” Donald pouted and plopped into the burgundy leather visitors chair. His chin level with the desk, the chair was designed to be slightly lower than the office owners.
Pushing the glass back into place and straightening papers, “How many times have I told you, knock before you come in here.” Conrad scolded with distain in his voice.
“I was just curious.” He paused and studied his surroundings. “Thought I’d catch you and Sandy, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Donald sported a huge grin and winked at his brother.
Conrad sat back down into his opulent power chair and glanced at the other report he’d been given just a few days ago confirming what he already knew about his twin brother. When they were just fifteen, Donald and their mother, returning from a soccer outing, were tee-boned by a massive tractor trailer. No amount of safety measures built into the top of the line Mercedes could save their mother and airbags weren’t enough to stop Donald’s head from bouncing into something solid.
Conrad lifted the report housed in a soft plastic binder and flipped to the middle section as if he was studying an important business document. His eyes fell on the part about the coma.
Donald had laid in a coma for several months while he and his dad buried their mother. Their father, a chemical company magnate with more power than a god, sued the trucking company, which they now owned. Eventually Donald slid back into reality only to be diagnosed with a physical brain injury resulting in loss of intellect. Although no amount of CAT-Scans could prove it one way or the other, Donald’s child like behavior spoke volumes.
For all practical purposes, Donny was “not all there” as the kids in their private school had called him. Behind his back, they’d simply call him retard. Donald had proved them all right barely passing high-school and not even bothering with college.
Conrad knew his brothers brain didn’t function like it once did, but he didn’t care. When they were younger, they really didn’t have that “twin” connection. They never played pranks on girls or any of the stuff other identical twins did. He hated Donald for what he’d become, a waste of a man, now bothering him, using his resources and wasting his time. Conrad had half-heartedly defended his twin on occasion, but in reality, he felt the same as their classmates, retard.
###
Donald bound into the ostentatious conference room without a care in the world. His lawyer followed more stoic, somber and flipped his eyes around the room working out the other power players present.
With a plop, Donald sat sideways in his chair, laid a single leg across the Italian leather arm and swiveled back and forth in semi-circles. Roger Stein, Donald’s legal council sat next to him ignoring his clients familiar child like antics.
Horras Chilton, corporate contract lawyer representing the Preston estate sat statue still, elbows on the table, fingers touching at the tips almost like he was praying. With narrow eyes, he followed the solemn visitors as they entered the room and took their respectful places. Except for Donald, everyone wore a somber countenance. One of the younger ladies, Horras didn’t recall which family member, sniffled back a tear, produced a white silk handkerchief as she eased into one of the identical leather chairs.
Conrad glided into the conference room last, followed by his own lawyer. Stopping at the opposite end of the long conference table, he smoothed his impeccable suit jacket, ran two fingers down the lapel and stood behind the chair waiting for everyone to settle down. His arrogance oozed from his face as he counted the people in the room smiling a toothy grin.
Horras waved a hand gesturing Conrad to sit.
Satisfied that everyone was accounted for and present, Conrad slid his hand down his burgundy silk tie and sat placing both hands on the table clasped tight as if he was about to spring back up and make a grand announcement. Staying still, he starred down the larger than life corporate attorney, Horras Chilton.
Horras placed his hands on both sides of a rather thin leather binder palms down and stuck his nose in the air sucking plenty of oxygen readying himself for the proceedings.
A young intern entered, handed his boss a small slip of paper and bowed back out in reverse marching off to what ever lowly tasks awaited his day.
At eye level, the haughty attorney held the slip of paper nearly obscuring his view of those around him and began reading off various names. At the first name, Samantha Andrews, he lowered the paper expectedly. Blowing softly, the young girl who Horras could not recall her place or why she was there, waved her white gloved hand and said, “present”. Without provocation or introduction, her lawyer leaned in, stated his name and who he represented.
Horras read five more names, who also produced legal council of their own. Donald smiled larger than life when his name was read, even doing a little child like wave. “Here! I’m here Horras!” He looked around the room with glee. Roger Stein leaned in as if expected to say something and was silenced by Horras.
“Yes, Roger, I’m well aware of your presence.” He added for everyone else’s benefit, “You’re affiliation with this firm is duly noted.” He smiled a wicked smile at his colleague, but got no reaction.
Conrad’s name was last and he waved off his lawyer from saying anything. Legal council for Conrad hadn’t moved a muscle since sitting. Conrad had retained the best money could buy, Chester Banks, attorney to the stars. Banks didn’t expect to announce his presence, he was there for support, not grand standing. Everyone knew his status within the room, his reputation proceeded him and his grand standing was usually done in the media.
“Now, before I begin reading the last will and testament of the late Reginald George Preston, there are a few house keeping issues that need to be addressed.”
All eyes fell on the arrogant man who clearly had control of the room, in spite of Conrad and his powerful lawyer.
“First, please keep emotions to a minimum, outbursts will NOT be tolerated.” He sucked in everyones gaze with narrowed eyes.
“Second, any contestations will be handled at another time, this is just the formal reveal. And, Third, please keep all comments, rebuttals and any other verbal discussions to the gathering following this reading. —Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
No one spoke, moved or even breathed.
With dramatic theatrics, Horras opened the leather binding covering the printed will and began.
###
“Who’s that crying girl who got up and ran from the room?” Donald asked his lawyer as he sipped his ginger ale.
“That was your fathers… well, let’s say, I believe your father had a relationship with that girl.” Roger sat down his own drink, somewhat stiffer than what his client was now sipping.
“Ah… so she was sad cuz she didn’t get anything.” Donald prodded.
“Right, she must have thought something great would happen. Guess not.”
Rogers eyes narrowed as Horras approached the two men. A huge warm fake smile stretched his cheeks, an outstretched arm palm at the ready for shaking. Donald ignored the gesture not really understanding social graces. Roger did the honors.
“Horras. Well, I guess that’ll be the last official services you’ll render for the late great Reginald Preston, huh?”
Horras’s pointed nose dropped, his lips thinned into a scowl. “Well, I guess for me personally, but the firm will still handle such things as Donald’s trust and a few other corporate matters.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that, Horras.” Roger exaggerated his name making it sound more like, “Whore” and “Ass”, both expertly applied in the case of Rogers boss. Horras kept his smile plastered on his face, gritting his teeth as Roger continued. “I’ve been thinking, since the will stated that Donald’s trust was to be managed by yours truly, not the firm, that we’ll manage the details elsewhere.”
Gravity pulled Horras’s face down further from it’s haughty perch. His chin nearly hit his upper chest as he peered over his designer glasses. “What?”
“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to tell you and this is just as good a time as any, I’m leaving the firm and hanging out my own shingle.”
Letting the bomb drop at his bosses feet, he smiled, patted his client on the back and pointed Donald towards Conrad, leaving Horras standing there with nothing else to say. Rogers plan had gone off without a hitch.
Donald smiled at his attorney and friend, sipped on his drink and moved in the direction of his brother when he was slapped across the face by the only other woman at the proceedings.
“You stupid, ignorant little retard!” The middle aged lady pushed her face right up into Donald’s, who looked like he was about to cry. “You could have kept your mouth shut.”
Donald flipped his lower lip in and out as if he was about to burst into tears when his lawyer stepped in to defend him. “Maggie, you insensitive bi…” he stopped caught his composure and finished. “… You think my client could have swayed his father to give you anything. You’re a fool and got exactly what you deserve. —Now, I think you should leave.”
Everyone in the room had stopped talking to see what the patriarch who’d ruled the executive floor, Maggie Swanson, was going to do next. It was common knowledge that in the early days, she’d bounced up and down on Reginald’s lap enough to get just about anything she wanted. With grand ideas, she somehow expected something from the old man, but in the end she got nothing. Donald had told his mother about the moaning and bouncing during one of his “office visits”. An innocent child just passing on what he’d seen.
Once the commotion had settled, Donald easily switched back to his simple self and flitted off to the refreshment table to refill his glass.
Roger scooted over towards his clients brother and stood waiting for Conrad’s conversation to finish with the two cousins who’d helped grow the business. Jarod and Andrew Preston had been loyal to Conrad since grade-school, teased Donald mercilessly and were ruthless. They’d both stayed in the family business, even though their own father had been ousted during a brotherly fall out when they were all just kids. They along with Conrad ran the chemical empire. Brotherly love had been passed down between the generations.
Conrad glanced sideways at the short lawyer, rolled his eyes and turned to face the little man as his cousins left him alone. “What?”
“I know what you did and it was a disgrace.” Roger whispered between taunt lips, poked his finger into Conrad’s chest for emphasis.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Conrad looked over the mans head to see if anyone else was watching. They weren’t.
“I’m saying you swindled your brother and everyone who’d been apart of your fathers life out of everything. I don’t know how, but I know you changed something in that will.”
Conrad held up a tumbler with his favorite bourbon and pointed a finger at the lawyer. “Listen here, little man, you don’t have shit on me and you know it. Speculation, rumors and supposition. Besides, they all had it coming.”
“I know your brother should have gotten more than a measly five million in a trust, that’s what I know.”
“He’s lucky to have that. I’ve patiently taken care of that stupid drivel of a brother since we were kids. When dad was alive, I did everything he asked to build this company. Donny played, goofed off and wasted our time. I busted my balls, did my time, helped my dad and you think I’m going to step aside and let that little freak take it all away.”
“You’re as bad as the rest of the greedy bastards here.” Roger swung his arm around backwards pointing at no on in particular, then added. “You changed something, I just know it!”
Standing up straight gaining his composure, Conrad simply stated before walking off smiling towards his own lawyer, “Prove it.”
###
Donald sat opposite Roger as they rode the limousine back towards his apartment near the river. Roger sat with his arms crossed deep in thought.
“That was pretty good, huh Roger.” Donald stated looking out at the geese against the light blue sky forming a v-pattern moving in a southern direction. “I’m rich now, huh?”
“You’re something, but I wouldn’t say rich. Comfortable, but no, not rich.”
Donald smiled a silly toothy smile and continued. “I have a house, lots of money, a good friend and a great lawyer, I’d say I’m pretty rich.”
With a swish caused by his expensive silk suit jacket, Roger leaned forward and looked at his best friend with concern.
Before the accident, Roger and Donald had been inseparable, forts, skiing, school, soccer, the works. They’d been closer than brothers. When they were no more than ten, they’d taken the corny blood-brother oath, slicing their palms and shaking with red blood oozing between their fingers. To this day, they’d told no one about their pact. Roger sometimes wondered if Donald remembered. He remembered and that was all that mattered.
After the car accident that reduced his friend to a simple child, Roger had been the only one that cared for his friend and his mental state. “Donald, you got screwed, that’s what. Your brother ended up with nearly a billion dollars, all the company assets and he’s suppose to “Take-care-of-his-brother.” He air quoted the take care part.
Donald stopped smiling and got serious. “So, five million isn’t more than one-billion? Five is more than one, I know that.”
Roger sat back and crossed his arms. “Donald, you need to fight this. He’ll take advantage of you, probably even figure out a way to get the pittance you ended up with.”
Crossing his arms mimicking his lawyer, Donald took on a serious face. “Right, I’d better do something about this, huh?”
A buzz caused them both to blink and look around for the source of the noise. Privacy was paramount, so when family needed to call each other, they actually used the built-in car phone.
Donald picked up the skinny black handset. “Hey, this is Donny.” He stated in a sing-song manor. “Oh, hi Conny. —Sure. When. —Sounds awesome!” He hung up and wielded a huge grin again.
“What?” Roger held out his arms and shrugged.
“He wants us to do sumthin crazy to celebrate.” Donald clapped his hands together.
“Like?” His lawyer knew it’d be like pulling teeth.
With glee, Donald bounced up and down. “Guess… guess!”
“Donald, I’m not in the mood. What the hell did the little slime ball want.”
“Roger, you’re no fun.” Donald made a dramatic, fake frown face.
Blank, Roger just starred at his client thinking, this poor kid just doesn’t get it. Here he is just barely twenty-five, great looking, like his brother, can have anything in the world, but he just doesn’t get it. Sweet, innocent and simple, but obtuse to the world around him.
“Roger, it’s our birfday on Saturday. Come on, guess.”
Tired of playing games, but more tired of waiting, Roger exhaled in exasperation. “I haven’t a clue, go mountain climbing, I don’t know?”
“No, we done that already. Something better.”
“Vegas?”
“Nope.”
“Mexico?”
“Been there.”
“Come on Donald, I don’t have all day.”
“He wants to jump out of a plane!”
“WHAT!?” Roger slumped back into the soft limo seats with a dumbfounded look wiped across on his face. “You listen to me, Donald. As your best friend, AND lawyer, I advise you to stay as far away from your brother as possible.”
“Roger, you’re my best friend, right?”
Giving up, he nodded. “Sure Donald. Best friend.”
“You’re with me to the end, right? Take care of me, be there to pick up my messes, all that stuff.”
Roger remembered instantly all the little fiasco’s his client had gotten into, like the time Donny had decided to see how fast his new Ferrari would go before flipping it end over end flying through hedges splashing down into some poor unsuspecting fools backyard pool. Some of Donnys troubles were funny, some were serious and some were just gross, but in spite of it all, he loved his goofy friend and wanted the best for him. His concern was that Donny’s bad seed of a brother would try and pull something.
“I want to.” Donald stated into the glass looking out the window lost in thought.
“Want to what?”
Looking out at the sky pointing at a plane making it’s way north, Donald barely heard his lawyers words. A mischievous grin grew across Donald’s face as his eyes trailed the plane. “Jump. I can’t wait, it’ll be a funner than anything!”
###
Authors Note: There are four more scenes with a major twist at the end. If you’re interested in reading the rest, please shoot me a private email: Shane Cooper
