Harvey's Luck

Harvey stabbed the Ground Floor button in frustration. Aware that the latest distraction certainly cost him a chance to meet Willow in the lobby, he cursed his luck. Only by chance would he find himself walking out of Fred's hotel room and directly into the path of an elderly couple. A twosome very thrilled to see Harvey again and quite chatty.

Yet, there was no way that Harvey could brush off the Stoegers. Former owners of the cabin next door to his at Wasp Lake, they had been friends with his grandparents. Unfortunately, their lack of children led them to sell their cabin to the Jinkerson family a generation ago. A fact they lamented in the hallway, readily admitting they were stunned that they were still alive into their nineties. As natives of Moose Point, they supported causes that interested them, including Cassandra Singer's new literary foundation's goals.

As Harvey liked the elderly couple that doted on him and Graham as children, he patiently explained what had happened since he'd last seen the Stoegers at his grandmother's funeral. Naturally, the topic shifted to Whitney's newsworthy incident at Wasp Lake. Further frustrating to the time-crunched Harvey, the Stoegers were on their way back to their hotel room to grab an item. So he couldn't carry on the conversation while taking the elevator down.

After nearly fifteen minutes, Harvey managed to escape to the elevator. Now on it, he worried over what the delay might mean. If Lacey is involved in her family's feud, there is no doubt that Whitney jumped in feet first. And knowing my luck, Willow walked in while it happened. If so, how can my night get any worse?

DING

Rushing out as the door barely opened, Harvey found himself smashed into the side of the elevator. A sturdy teenager abruptly stopped, causing the busty teen he pulled with his hand to slam into his back.

"Whoa! Oops, sorry, Mr. Diamond," Jared apologized sheepishly.

"In a hurry?" Harvey questioned as he quickly sized up the situation.

"Uh, kinda," the Lockett son admitted, with JoJo stifling a giggle behind him.

"Well, don't take long. Dinner is starting soon," he reminded the teens before briskly walking off.

"D-Do you think he'll tell on us?" JoJo asked, sounding concerned.

"Nope, and I don't care if he does. Watching you attack that slutty Russian girl has my cock as hard as ever," Jared growled, pawing his friend's ass. Then, realizing he hadn't selected their floor, he pushed the button.

Having picked up on Jared's comment, Harvey cringed. If the fight had escalated to the point that shy JoJo had gotten involved, it was inevitable that Whitney would do her usual thing.

Suddenly, Harvey heard a shout. Turning around, his eyes flickered in amusement as he saw Gabriel Lockett with her arm thrown out to stop the elevator door from closing. Opening up again, the two teens' disappointment was evident.

"Oh, no! There isn't time for any more hanky-panky. Dinner is about to start soon," Gabby said, shooing her son and his new lover out of the elevator. "Get out!"

Chuckling at Gabby's third eye for knowing what her children were up to, Harvey started walking before fully finishing to turn around. That left little wonder how he managed to walk right into a person standing near the intersection of the main lobby hallway and the shorter one leading to the elevator bank.

"Checking out a lady's ass, Harv?"

"For once, I'm not guilty of that," Harvey responded. Happy to see his childhood friend from Wasp Lake Park again, he swiftly shook hands with Alvin Wirch.

"How goes your temporary return to diner boy at Wirchie's? Looking to return full-time?" Harvey teased.

"All the more entertaining with your family back in the headlines," Alvin grinned before his face turned somber. "How is Whitney?"

Harvey kept his recount clear and concise of the events and his daughter's prognosis. Alvin mentioned how his grandfather had shown considerable concern over Whitney's health.

"Yes, Old Wirchie sent over the most thoughtful letter. I appreciated his kind words. I'll stop by and visit him in the next few days," Harvey replied, thoroughly touched by the letter.

"And was Whitney pleased with her favorite malt and milkshake he sent over?" Alvin inquired.

"She hasn't seen it yet. We were in a rush to get back to the cabin and then leave again. I would've preferred skipping the return trip until tomorrow, but Whitney just had to grab her stuff from the cabin for tonight."

"Daughters. Tell me about it," Alvin said, sighing. "I pulled the car up to the doors to drop the girls off, and Winnie was out the door before I even stopped the car. Hattie had to rush after her. Winnie won't believe that Whitney is fine until she sees it for herself."

"And I bet you ended up carrying everything inside."

"Of course." Alvin paused before bringing up another topic. "I didn't realize that you and Bridget were close enough these days that she brought her son with her to the cabin."

"Obviously, she came up with her friends as a mini-celebration of Cassandra," Harvey explained as Alvin nodded. "However, I considered it a stroke of luck that Sean came with, and that's even before he rescued Whitney. The kid reminds me of his grandfather. Whitney could use a male friend like him in her life. Why did you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing really," Alvin brushed off. However, after a few seconds, he continued. "Well, to be honest, Hattie made some comments. She wondered if something was going on between the two of you."

"Me and Bridget?"

"It's nothing against you, Harv. It's just that Hattie...well, saying that she has mixed feelings toward Bridget would be kind."

"Am I forgetting something that happened?"

"It has to do with that scandal surrounding the basketball team's last championship. We weren't around, but Hattie was a junior," Alvin explained about his wife. "There were accusations about Bridget and Cody Higby, who was dating Lucy at the time."

"Ahh, and Lucy is Hattie's best friend. Yes, yes, I haven't forgotten. And with Lucy marrying Judson Jinkerson, the thought of them running into each other up at Wasp Lake had crossed my mind. Fortunately, the Jinkersons weren't at their cabin for the holidays," Harvey responded.

There had been tension between the Diamonds and Jinkerson dating back to several actions that Harvey's father, Hannibal, had taken against their vacation-home neighbors. Of course, the old cabin burning down several years ago and the rumors of why hadn't helped their neighborly relationship much.

Alvin mentioned the tropical spot where the Jinkersons had planned to travel until it fell through. Harvey remarked that now he had to worry about them showing up tonight, which Alvin agreed was a possibility.

"Well, you can assure Hattie that nothing is going on between me and Bridget. We're just old family friends reconnecting a little," Harvey stated, meaning every word. "Uh, have you seen Willow?"

"She's here?! Shit, I hope there isn't anything going on between you and Bridget or Beverly again." Alvin chuckled, but in a worried manner.

"Willow was also supposed to be on a tropical beach. Actually, she was until Whitney fell through the ice. So now she's another potential storm that I have to worry about," Harvey admitted with a groan. "Have you seen Graham?"

"Nope. Hey, maybe he found Willow first," Alvin suggested, offering Harvey hope.

"No, he would've messaged me immediately. She drives him crazy."

"Hmm, I see someone else who drives both Diamond brothers crazy," Alvin commented with a nod down the hall.

Harvey noticed at once who Alvin meant. It was pretty hard to miss the entourage walking down the hallway. In fact, Harvey swiftly counted at least fifteen people, with more sycophants and lackeys joining the group as it marched toward the ballroom's grand entrance.

In the forefront, Cyril Olesky walked with his wife, Alexis, to his left, and their daughter Olena, at her side. The Oleskys/Huguets had once been friends of the Diamonds, dating back several generations. Along with the Pierces, they fought the good fight against Honey Hollow's blue-blooded families until jealousy emerged on the Olesky side, along with accusations of treachery. If Harvey's grandfather could not repair the fractured friendship, then his father severed it entirely. These days, the two-faced Cyril only hated Dalton Pierce more than the Diamond brothers. His efforts to make Huguet Laboratories the leading business in Honey Hollow had achieved considerable success, as it rapidly gained ground on Diamond Corp.

Harvey noticed several second and third-tier families had members in the entourage. A few were surprising, but not the Laffonts. Cyril's marriage to Alexis had allowed her brother, Edward, a prominent role in the Olesky family affairs. Accompanied by his wife, Irene, and son, Regis, Eddie couldn't wipe the big grin off his face. He loved the attention the group currently received.

Also of note were the Klasses. Harvey recalled that Whitney referred to their daughter, Veronica, as Olena's lackey, which sounded awfully similar to her father. Cyril's relationships were usually transactional, with him the only one deserving loyalty.

"Rolling deep, I see," Harvey remarked.

"Sorta like us in high school and college," Alvin chuckled.

"It seems strange to do so at his age."

"Cyril is entering enemy territory," Alvin pointed out, referring to his hatred of Dalton, the Witzler's owner. "I am a bit surprised he came tonight."

"Even if he weren't one to never pass up a chance to show off his strength, Alexis would've insisted. She knew Cassie from cheerleading," Harvey replied. "Hmm, I wonder who the food taster is among the group."

"Yeah, that would--wait, wasn't there...didn't Fred play a poison joke on him?" Alvin questioned.

"He did, and Cyril never forgets. Probably another reason to keep them away from each other tonight," Harvey whispered as the group neared their spot.

"Harvey!" Alexis greeted. Dropping her husband's hand, she slipped over to hug and air kiss one of her husband's rivals. "Is Whitney alright?"

Harvey stated that his daughter would be fine and gave a much briefer rundown than he'd given Alvin.

"That's wonderful to hear. The ice on Wasp Lake is something I've warned Olena about for years. And I was amazed to hear that Bridget's son was the one who saved her. Olena said that they weren't even friends," Alexis relayed, motioning toward her daughter.

Olena shot her mother a glare for revealing what she'd told her.

"I'm beyond thankful that Sean was there at the right moment," Harvey replied. "He's got a good head on his shoulders. Never panicked."

"Sean must get that from his grandmother. That woman always seemed to know what happened everywhere."

Harvey nodded along as Alexis brought up Brandy's daredevil ways. She attempted to bring Olena into the conversation, but the girl showed barely the faintest effort to appear interested. I see Olena hasn't perfected her mask yet. I can almost feel the sneer. Daddy needs to teach her a few more tricks.

To most everyone, Cyril appeared patient with his wife's chatting. His stone-face act didn't fool Harvey. No, he could tell that Cyril's impatience neared a breaking point. Almost on cue, the bald-headed man stepped forward to offer Harvey his hand.

"Yes, we're most pleased to hear that your little girl will be alright. Such a distressing situation. We're fortunate that Olena showed intelligence by heeding our warnings about the lake's thin ice."

"Thank you, Cyril," Harvey responded with gritted teeth. He figured only a fool wouldn't have picked up on the dig directed at Whitney. "Enjoy yourselves and Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year back!" Alexis cheered with parting air kisses on each cheek. She also gave Alvin a quick greeting.

Harvey noted that no one else in the entourage mentioned Whitney. Eddie Laffont's lack of ass-kissing surprised him. Maybe Fred is right about Eddie. Something has changed in the last few days.

"Well, I survived that encounter," Alvin joked. "Didn't get caught in the crossfire."

"The night is still young, buddy," Harvey replied, slapping Alvin's shoulder. "And it's probably better if I take the back way."

"I'll come with you. That group is gonna slow everybody down and likely block the doorway."

Well-acquainted with the Byzantine-like hallways of the Witzler, Harvey took the lead. Cyril's appearance wasn't unexpected, but the timing added to his troubles. Pulling out his phone, Harvey checked his messages. Nothing from Willow. Nor anything from Graham or Dalton. Hell, there weren't any messages for him.

Alvin agreed to stop by the cabin on January 2nd and parted once they entered the ballroom. Needing information, Harvey headed for the likeliest source. Approaching the bar, Harvey's eyebrows raised at an amusing sight.

"I hope those aren't both for you," he commented.

"Caesar's ghost!" Chastity cried, jumping a little. "You frightened me, Mr. Harvey!"

"Well, you frighten me, too, Miss Kupp. Why are you ordering two alcoholic drinks for yourself? Double-fisting is not what a good chaperone does," Harvey teased in mock concern.

"Fiddlesticks, Mr. Harvey, fiddlesticks," Chastity responded, shaking her finger. "These are not alcoholic. They are Shirley Temples, and the second is for Dr. Summerfield."

"I knew that, Chastity. Just teasing you," Harvey reassured her with a warm smile. "However, her name is Summer Mayfield."

"For Pete's sake, I know that. I just think Dr. Summerfield sounds better."

"And how goes chaperoning with our young doctor?" Harvey inquired.

"Gee whiz," Chastity sighed before leaning in to whisper. "I don't want to sound like a meanie, Mr. Harvey, but Dr. Summerfield talks like a robot."

"Chastity! How did you find out? You're not supposed to know," Harvey hissed while grabbing her arm. "She's a special project of ours for the military."

"Sweet Christmas!"

"No, April Fool's!" Harvey declared. "I'm just teasing again."

"Poo on a stick, Mr. Harvey! That wasn't nice," Chastity stated grumpily.

"Sorry, but I can see how she sounds like a robot. Dr. Mayfield is basically a genius."

"Fudgeberries. If she's such a smarty-pants, then why doesn't she understand that a chaperone is not the same as a babysitter?" Chastity challenged, showing rare indignation as she placed her hands on her hips before picking up the two gasses.

"Uh, I don't know," Harvey replied. But then, he asked the most pressing question, not wishing to get in the middle of the two women. "Have you seen Willow?"

Chastity's eyes went wide at the name. Then, nearly spilling her drinks, she swung her head around while muttering about the wicked witch.

"So I take it that you haven't. Have you seen my brother?

"I don't think so. Holy ravioli, I've seen sooo many people tonight," Chastity exclaimed. "I saw Mrs. Hardwicke before I even got into the hotel. Then, I saw Mrs. Framwam and Mr. Grummitt. After that, I saw--"

"That's great to hear, but I need--"

"Oh, I almost forgot that I saw Mr. Tenno on the way inside, too."

"--to get going--Excuse you?"

"Drat! Did I sneeze and already forget? I hope not. That's troubling with a capital T."

"No, I mean, did you say Mr. Tenno?" Harvey clarified.

"Absolutely! I saw him--"

"Tomohiro Tenno? As in Tommy Tenno?" Harvey questioned. "Are you sure it was him?"

"Mr. Harvey, who are you speaking to? Does Chastity ever forget a face or name?" the usually bubbly blonde challenged.

"Well, yes, I know, but I--"

"No buts! I could never forget Mr. Tenno. He always gave me mean glares when I was a little girl visiting Mom at work. Oh! He gave me that same look when I said his name outside by the street. Heavens to Betsy, if it wasn't Mr. Tenno, then how come he didn't correct me?"

"Okay, okay, I believe you. It's just that I haven't heard his name in a long, long time. Back before the...Well, thank you again for your help, Chastity. And you better hurry back before that ice melts," Harvey dismissed her while in deep thought.

"Okey-dokey!"

Ingesting the name that Chastity dropped, Harvey closed his eyes. Can there be any other explanation for his appearance? No, there can't be. Graham and Dalton need to be--ah, Willow. Harvey recognized her complaining voice. Hurrying over to where he heard his ex-wife's indignant curses, Harvey found himself shocked to discover that it wasn't their daughter that Willow argued with.

"My daughter?! From what I heard, my daughter attempted to break up the fight. It was your daughter who switched sides," Willow hissed. "Or created her own."

Harvey kicked himself for wondering earlier how this night could get any worse. The tall, busty blonde with a bob haircut fit right into that category. Cynthia Aylward had a far different personality compared to her sister, Rachel Stratton. Haughty and grumpy, Cynthia also had a personal beef with Harvey, for he knew her deepest, darkest secret. One that she blamed him fairly for instigating.

"Honey, you've arrived!" Harvey exclaimed, playing the excited ex-husband act.

"Oh, great, Harvey's arrived," Cynthia remarked sarcastically.

"You shut your mouth," Willow ordered in a quiet hiss.

Harvey couldn't help but marvel at how his ex still managed to worry about making a scene while angry. It had to be a talent instilled in the Rycroft family from a young age. Every single member he'd met managed to control their anger in public. Only Willow occasionally broke that code of conduct, for which she blamed Harvey. He'd admit that he or their daughter caused all her scenes.

"What seems to be the problem?" Harvey honestly wondered. Clive had said that Rachel and Carmella's daughters had sparked the feud back up. So how would Whitney and Cynthia's daughter, Cadence, end up on different sides?

"Your daughter attempted to attack my daughter," Cynthia stated.

"Whitney did no such thing! She was trying to stop your daughter from attacking Isabella Fazzini," Willow responded.

"And she punched Sean in the face," Cynthia scoffed.

"What? Whitney punched Sean?!" Harvey asked in disbelief.

"Obviously, Whitney was pushed into him," Willow speculated.

Harvey wiped his face at the thought of how Sean might be further injured. And this time at his daughter's hand. Or fist.

"Do you even know your daughter?" Cynthia challenged, nearly laughing.

"I'll handle this, Cynthia," he said, motioning with his head while pleading with his eyes for her to leave.

"Fine. You can deal with the crazy bitch since you married her."

"Crazy?! I'll show you crazy," Willow hissed as Harvey blocked her from continuing the argument.

"What are you doing? You promised to behave tonight," Harvey reminded. "And I highly doubt that Whitney would come to the Fazzini girl's aid. She's related to the Zuccaros."

"Why wouldn't she? I've met Isabella many times when she visited Angelica. She seems like a fine, upstanding young lady. Someone that Whitney could learn plenty from," Willow proclaimed.

Oh, fuck. Willow has become closer to Angelica Genetti? Harvey cursed his luck. How could his wife end up good friends with Carmella's older sister? By both moving to Guzzle Crossing, that's how.

"Look, I realize that Angelica has probably said things about her family feud--"

"She's told me plenty. That Cynthia is a scheming shrew, and Rachel isn't as sweet as she acts," Willow revealed what she'd been told.

"No matter what you might think, Whitney would never join sides with Angelica's family. You know how close she and Lacey have been since kindergarten. And she looks up to Lana as well," Harvey reminded. "Cynthia can be the more difficult one in the family to handle, but that doesn't mean that Rach--"

"Yes, tell me how you managed to get her to leave so easily? Are you fucking her? Have you fucked her? And don't forget that I know when you lie to me," Willow rattled off.

Damn, she's got me on that. Think fast!

"Willow, you need to stop seeing the worst in women around me. Over the last few days, you've accused me of sleeping with all three Fallon sisters. The same goes for Chastity and probably most of the nursing staff."

"And I apologized," Willow said, throwing her hands in the air. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you didn't answer my question."

"Fine. I have never had sex with Cynthia Aylward," Harvey declared. "Are you satisfied?"

"Hmm, perhaps you haven't," Willow mused, her eyes narrowed as she studied her ex-husband's face. "Very well."

Harvey sighed internally. Thank you, semantics! I never screwed Cynthia Aylward. I fucked her when she was still named Cynthia McCracken.

"Still, stay away from that woman. Angelica told me a long list of the horrible things she has done, especially to her," Willow huffed, defending her new, close friend.

Let's just hope that Angelica never brings up what I made Cynthia do to her that time in the pool house. The arrogance of my youth still lingers over me like the Sword of Damocles. You set out to prove that you can get two hated rivals together as part of a threesome, and they end up despising each other even more afterward. Who'd have thought that?

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. What did you say?" Harvey queried as his phone buzzed.

"I was telling you that you need to fire and replace Whitney's chaperones. Clearly, that ditzy receptionist and that doctor can't handle their duties. Our daughter should never have been allowed anywhere near a fight. Harvey, are you listening--"

"Do not fire or replace anyone. Got that?" Harvey warned. "I have to go."

"Go? We need to talk to Whitney jointly. What's so important that you need to go?" Willow demanded.

"Dalton's arrived."