TANDY thrived on these board meetings. Sitting in the windowless room with beige walls and beige carpet where the only visible art was a painting of a pre–September 11 New York City skyline did not dampen the day’s exhilaration for her. What mattered were the people in attendance, the company she was keeping, and her close proximity to the delicious taste of power.
The board of the Museum of Harlem was comprised of some of the world’s most elite, and not only black elite, citizens. Sitting at the U-shaped table with Tandy were the African-American wife of a famous white multimillionaire crime writer; an executive vice president of a leading consumer-products company; the wife of the head of an investment bank; an investment banker who ran his own firm; a white billionaire’s wife; a lawyer who had helped to bring down corrupt corporate officers; a former baseball player whose earnings could finance a small country; and of course Ed Thomas. Yes, Tandy was very comfortable and happy in these surroundings. She was momentarily outmoneyed but not outclassed.
Today’s meeting was especially good for her. As head of the committee that was researching the feasibility of adding a children’s wing to the museum, she was about to be the center of attention, the star of the meeting, as she made her case before the board.
“Our committee reviewed the issues of exhibition space, storage space, acquisition resources, and curatorial leadership. Before I give you our conclusions, however, I want you all to know that the general issue for us is space. Presently, we barely have enough room for our current exhibits, and our storage facility is overflowing to the point where we’ve begun renting storage space elsewhere.”
Tandy had to make her case for a new building without divulging her interest in or knowledge of the real estate transaction that she was proposing to cure all of the museum’s exhibition and storage problems. As she finished her spiel, the chairman of the board, a retired entertainment executive whose passion was collecting art, thanked her for a thorough report and a passionate call to help the children in the Harlem community. He then announced a fifteen-minute break so everyone could stretch.
Heading back from the ladies’ room, Tandy noticed Ed speaking rapidly into his cell phone. She slowed to a halt and brought her own phone to her ear, pretending to have a conversation. She was in a position where she could watch Ed but he wouldn’t necessarily suspect she was spying on him. Plus, he never glanced in her direction.
Ed was bona fide fine, she thought. Like Ed Bradley, he was the kind of good-looking man who seemed to get better with age. He was also the type who made a good suit look even better with his tall, slim, manly build. Damn. She was getting carried away. But she could not stop thinking what a stunning pair the two of them would have made, the same age and both so beautiful. Timing, unfortunately, was everything. By the time Phil was dead, Ed had been married to Lauren for three years. If only things had been a little different.
He snapped his phone shut, and Tandy leaped to his side. “Ed, how are you? You look great!” She smiled, tossing her smooth black hair, giving him her best angles.
He seemed unimpressed. “Fine. You look good, as always.” He was making his way back to the meeting.
“You are always so gracious. Listen, Ed, I wanted to talk with you.” Tandy stopped him with her hand on his forearm. “I need some help on this estate business. I am totally overwhelmed. Can we have lunch sometime, sooner than later?” She gazed at him with longing in her eyes. She was thinking about their trysts in the Vineyard, when Phil was on the golf course and Ed’s first wife was at home tending to their boys. They would get a room at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown, with a view of the Atlantic Ocean, seagulls, weathered shingled mansions, and green marshy lands, and they would spend lazy afternoons making passionate love. Tandy licked her lips at the image of his powerful body thrusting in and out of her. It had been such a long time since someone made love to her that way.
Before Ed could answer, the doors to the meeting room began to close. He looked anxious to get back to his seat but told her, “Sure. I promised Phil I would look after you and Deja should anything happen to him. Call Margaret this afternoon, and we’ll make sure to get together before the end of next week.”
“Thank you, Ed. You don’t know how much that means to me.” Ed was practically in the room before the last word left her mouth. Tandy, however, was unfazed. She had a promise from Ed for lunch before the end of next week. Who knew what might be on the menu for dessert? Something to look forward to, for sure. She knew Ed liked his cake.
As the board meeting worked toward the final items on the agenda, Ed chimed in on the discussion about the lease termination and renegotiation. As a member of the finance committee, he was responsible for making sure the museum was efficient in spending.
“I respectfully ask the board to wait until the next meeting, in two months, to decide the course of action regarding the lease. As Tandy reported earlier, we are short on space, and as you know, our landlord wants to increase the rent. My wife and I are investigating a situation that might solve our space problems and the rent increase. We are still eight months away from needing to make any significant decisions. I believe the museum will benefit tremendously by holding off on this decision. Thank you.”
Again Tandy smiled big at Ed, even though he wasn’t looking in her direction. She was pleased that she had read him well. The building would be purchased, because he wanted Lauren involved in his philanthropic goals. What a shame Ed had laden himself with such a naive little girl. Old men believed young pussy was better. They realized too late that the younger the girl, the more work was required in developing a truly valuable asset. Tandy allowed herself to believe that somewhere beneath Ed’s gruff demeanor, he still had feelings for her and was simply frustrated with himself because he had missed the opportunity to rule New York with her.