The Flavour of Betrayal

THE FLAVOUR OF BETRAYAL

Taryn was as ready as she would ever be. Paulie would be there soon. All she had to do was get him alone for three minutes. She had an idea on how to get him away from the table. Her only worry was if Paulie would believe her or not. If he didn't believe her and he told her husband, Jimmy, she was dead. Jimmy would kill her. Jimmy was just under six feet tall. He had a narrow frame. He had a pretty face, and was feminine in his feature and his movements. He got in with Paulie doing low grade thug work. It took years, but Jimmy finally earned Paulie's trust. Still, if Paulie believed Taryn, he would kill Jimmy.
The bell rang. "Taryn, get the door!"
Taryn turned the knob. "Hi, Paulie. How have you been? Michael, nice to see you again." Michael took care of Paulie's safety. He wore an expensive tree piece suit and he still scared people. Michael could make a bouncer back down just by looking at him.
"Taryn, you're looking as beautiful as ever." Paulie kissed her cheek. "I only wish Belle' looked as good as you."
"Stop it. Belle' is just lovely." Taryn was being sickeningly sweet. "Come in and sit down. What would you like to drink?"
"Coffee with sugar will be fine," Paulie said as he handed his coat to Taryn.
"How about you, Michael?" The big man shook his head and kept his coat. In the four years she had known Michael, she hadn't heard him say three things. Paulie never carried a gun. He kept Michael near by.
The two men sat with Jimmy around the dinning room table. Taryn had deliberately removed one of the chairs. She had to make sure that they would be able to see her as they talked. She had dressed provocatively. Her push-up bra almost pushed her right out of her shirt. The shirt was so tight it impaired her breathing. She left the zipper down far enough to expose part of the bra. Black nylons hugged her long legs. The ends of the garter belt would peek out from under her mini-skirt if she turned the right way. She had to go out the day before to buy the mini-skirt. Not one of the skirts she owned were short enough for she was about to do. She had to make sure that Paulie and Michael looked at her. It was an important part of her proof.
Taryn turned the radio on. She began to dance her way around the kitchen. She danced to the coffee maker to start it brewing. She danced to the refrigerator and so on. Her dance was as seductive as she could make it. All it was missing was a pole. She had gone to a couple of topless bars to see how the strippers danced so she could imitate them. She kept glancing at the men to see if they were watching. They were. Jimmy was oblivious to her. He had been for a long wile.
The coffee finished brewing. It was time to get Paulie alone. As she walked to the table with the cup she wished that Paulie had asked for something cold. She held out the cup with a smile, and as Paulie reached for it, she dumped it in his lap.
"Ow! Jesus fucking Christ!" Paulie jumped out of his chair.
"Oh, Paulie, I’m so sorry." Taryn grabbed a handful of napkins and dabbed at Paulie's pants.
"Why the hell can't you be careful?" Jimmy snapped.
"No, no. It's all right," Paulie said.
"No, Paulie, its not all right. Come with me and I'll get you cleaned up." Taryn grabbed his hand and dragged him into the utility room before anyone could object.
"If you wanted to speak to me alone, all you had to do was ask," Paulie said.
"No, Paulie. I couldn't." Suddenly, she was no longer seductive. "You know about Jimmy, don't you. That's why you're here."
"What do you mean, Taryn." Paulie could tell when some one was talking business.
"I know you’re missing money, Paulie. It was in a gray leather pouch with a zipper on it. Like the kind they use for bank deposits. You know Jimmy took it and you came over to look him in the eyes and see if he'd lie to your face."
Paulie wiped his hand across his mouth. "How do you know about the missing money?" It was a test question. Her answer would tell him if he should trust her or not.
"Last week I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. The bag was on Jimmy's night stand. He was up and gone before I woke the next morning. The bag was gone too."
"He's your husband. Why are you telling me this?" Paulie asked. "If this all turns out to be true, you know what I'll have to do."
"He isn't my husband any more, Paulie," Taryn said. "He hasn't touched me in over a year. He usually doesn't even sleep in my bed any more. Paulie, you saw me dancing in the kitchen. I'm an attractive woman. There's not a single reason why any red blooded man in the world wouldn't watch me dance. Look at me. This is what men like to look at. You looked. Michael looked. Jimmy doesn't look any more. He's fucking another woman, Paulie. I know it. I think he stole your money to run off with her."
"Do you have any proof?" Paulie asked.
"Perfume," Taryn said. "I've memorized the scent of her perfume."
Paulie protested, "There are hundreds of perfumes on the market."
"Not like this one," Taryn said. "It's exotic. I've been to every store within fifty miles. No one carries it. She must have had it imported."
"Back to the original question," Paulie said. "Why are you telling all this to me?"
"Because we're in the same boat," Taryn reasoned. "Jimmy has betrayed us both. I don't want to go down with him."
Paulie decided to trust her. "I'm going to be as straight with you as you've been with me, Taryn. Yes, there is money missing. But, I did not know that Jimmy took it. You had better be damn sure about this, Taryn."
"I'll prove it to you, Paulie. When I go back to the kitchen I'll dance again. You watch Jimmy. He won't give me a glance."
"I suppose I owe you something for this," Paulie said.
"Before you kill Jimmy," Taryn said. "I want him to see me kill the bitch he left me for."
"You have my word." Paulie kissed her on the cheek and went back to the table.
Taryn went back to the kitchen and danced. Paulie kept an eye on Jimmy. Taryn was right. Jimmy didn't glance at her. Paulie looked a Taryn. She was the kind of woman that Paulie would have liked to marry. Taryn would be a widow soon. She was almost worth leaving his wife for. Almost.
Two weeks later, Taryn and Jimmy were invited to Paulie's house for dinner. Paulie had put the word out that Jimmy had gone bad and gave orders for all his people to keep a close eye on him.
Paulie opened the door. "Jimmy, glad you could make it. Go on in."
Paulie watched Jimmy slither down the hall to the dinning room before turning to Taryn.
"How have you been, Paulie?" Taryn said.
"I haven't found out who the woman is yet."
"He had the perfume on his shirt again three nights ago. He's going to make a break soon, Paulie. We've got to find this bitch before we loose them both."
Paulie put his hands on Taryn's shoulders. "We won't loose Jimmy. I promise. Let's go eat."
"It's nice to have you over again," Belle said. She gave Taryn a rather cold hug.
Taryn‘s heart stopped as a familiar scent invaded her nostrils. "That's nice perfume you're wearing, Belle," Taryn said.
Paulie stopped in mid-stride.
"Thank you," Belle said. "It was a present from Paulie on my birthday."
"Really. I don't think I remember you wearing it before," Taryn prodded.
"I only wear it on special occasions," Belle said.
"Well I think it's just lovely," Taryn said. "I've got to get some for myself. Where did you find it, Paulie?"
Paulie's jaw was stiff. "Paris. I had it imported."
After dinner Jimmy offered to help Belle with the dishes. Taryn and Paulie took their drinks to the den.
Paulie slammed his glass down on an end table. "I can't fucking believe it. Did you see them? They never took their eyes off each other. Right in my own fucking house."
"Paulie, keep your voice down." Taryn's hands were shaking.
"They're in there kissing each other right now. I'll bet the fucking bank on it." He was trying to keep his volume low.
"What do we do now, Paulie?"
"You kill her. I kill him."
"You want me to kill Belle?" Taryn asked.
"I did promise to let him see you kill the bitch he's sleeping with." Paulie was using his business voice.
"She's your wife, Paulie. I don't expect you to keep your promise."
Paulie was shocked. He never had a woman talk this straight with him before. He felt himself calming down. "I can't kill my own wife and come home to my daughter. But, I can't let any one live that double crosses me. If you do it, I don't have to owe anybody anything."
"When?"
"We'll catch them when they make their break so they won't be able to deny it."
"Taryn, let's go!" Jimmy's yell broke Paulie's and Taryn's gaze on each other.
"I'll see you." Taryn said.
"Soon."
Paulie went to kiss her on the cheek. She turned and kissed him hard on his mouth.
"If you need me, for anything...." she said.
"I'll let you know."
* * * * * * *
It was a month before Jimmy and Belle made their break. Jimmy used some of the stolen money to buy a fast sports car. He tried to hide it in a storage garage. Michael was on Jimmy so tight he was able to get combination of the padlock.
Taryn and Paulie used a Polaroid to keep stock of Jimmy's and Belle's closets. When both pictures were suddenly missing a lot of the contents, they knew it was time.
Paulie and Taryn waited with Michael at a coffee shop down the street from the garage. Taryn sipped at a cold cup of cappuccino. Paulie just stared at the silent radio. Michael kept sliding his hand inside his coat. It made Taryn more nervous every time he did it.
"He's movin'." The voice on the radio made the trio jump.
"Which way?"
"West. He gots two cases 'n da trunk an' one up front."
"Is he packing?"
"Can't tell."
"Every one sound off when you see him."
The radio talk was making Taryn's heart race. Paulie looked like he was listening to a horse race he had money on.
"He just ran the light on fifty-seventh. The son of a bitch is hawlin' ass."
"He just made the left on Maple. Should be at the house in two shakes."
"I got him. Fucker parked in the driveway and is headin' for the door...... He's inside."
Paulie, Taryn and Michael left the coffee house. and sprinted to the garage. Michael locked Paulie and Taryn inside with the car that hid with some other men. Paulie and Taryn sat in the car and put the radio on the dash.
"Here they come..... Fucking shit!"
"What's wrong?"
"They got the kid with them. What do I do?"
"Nothing. Stick to the plan."
"Looks like their dragging the kid. I don't think she wants to go with 'em...... Hello. Jimmy just check a pistol under his left arm..... The car's rollin' your way."
"I got 'im. He's goin' for the garage."
"He just turned in. Here we go. Every one be ready."
Jimmy parked close to the garage door. "Come on. The faster we do this the better."
"I don't want to go," the girl said. "I don't want to leave daddy." She was thirteen, and the spitting image of Paulie. She knew exactly what her father's business was, and she liked the fact that her daddy could get her anything she asked for. She was the boss's daughter, and she liked it.
"Kathy, I already told you once," Belle said. "We have to go."
"No, you have to go. You're the one that cheated on Daddy," Kathy spit.
"That's enough," Belle said. "You're going."
"Belle, we don't have time for this," Jimmy said throwing the padlock aside and pushing the door opened. He was at the car's door before he saw Paulie. "Oh shit."
Belle screamed. Four men cut off any escape. Michael was aiming his gun at Jimmy. "Give it over. Slowly."
Jimmy tossed his gun to Michael. Paulie and Taryn got out of the car.
"Daddy!" Kathy ran to her father and hugged him. "I didn't want leave you. They made me."
Paulie said, "It's O.K., Pumpkin. I want you to go with Billy right now. He'll take you home."
"I love you, Daddy." Kathy kissed his cheek.
"I love you too," Paulie said. "Go on now. Go home."
Taryn came around the car and sat on the hood. Belle stuffed herself into a corner. Jimmy and Paulie stared at each other.
"It's bad enough you stole my money, Jimmy. But you stole my wife too. What do I do with you two now?" Paulie asked.
Jimmy was silent.
"How long have you been fucking him, Belle?" Paulie was still staring at Jimmy.
"Paulie, please...." Belle muttered.
"How long!" He finally looked at her.
Belle started to cry.
"Come over here," Paulie said.
It took Belle a lifetime to walk the four feet to where Paulie was standing. "Paulie, I'm sorry."
"I can't hurt you, Belle," Paulie said. "You're my wife and part of me still loves you. But, you did betray me and I can't let that go unpunished."
"Paulie, please. Give me a chance to explain," Belle pleaded.
"I don't want you to explain," Paulie said. "I want him to explain."
Jimmy was silent.
"You know, Jimmy," Paulie said. "Taryn is a beautiful woman. She's smart too. She's the one that caught you. I made her a promise. I told her I'd let you watch her kill the bitch you were fucking."
Belle's crying became hysterical.
Paulie continued. "Then we found out you were fucking Belle, and Taryn said she wouldn't hold me to my promise."
Belle calmed down a little. Paulie went to Belle and gave her a kiss. Belle stopped crying and smiled. Paulie smiled went back to Jimmy. A muffled pop echoed through the garage. Jimmy looked back. There was blood on the wall and Belle was on the floor.
Paulie lifted his gun so that Jimmy could look down the barrel. Jimmy's teeth started to rattle. Then they stopped.
"Michael," Paulie yelled. The door opened. "Clean this up."
Back at the house, Paulie handed Taryn a drink. "Why don't you stay here with me tonight, Taryn. I think we could both use some company we can trust."
"Paulie, in the garage you said that you I was the kind of woman you wanted to marry."
"I did say that, didn't I."
"Should I consider that to be a proposal, or just a line to get me into bed?"
"I was not trying to get you into bed."
"So, it was a proposal. Isn't it a little soon? I just became a widow."
"We'll put the wedding off for a year or so."
Taryn laughed.
"I'm serious," Paulie said.
Taryn stopped laughing. "I was joking."
"I'm not."
"You can't be trying to tell me you love me."
"I respect you and I trust you. I could fall in love with you. Taryn, you are everything I ever wanted, in a wife and in a friend. Spend your life with me. I'll give you the world."
"Paulie, I'm speechless."
Paulie kissed her. "Stay with me, forever."
She pulled him close and kissed him. She stayed.