Where It Hurts Excerpt

Much like the swirling gray waters of Citrus Lake, which were angrily lapping against the shore of the little strip of beach that ran along the edge of the Citrus Grand Country Club grounds, the expression on Dennis Lawrence’s face was also troubled and stormy as he stood on the country club’s terrace ponderously watching the cold churning water.  How ironic, he thought, a slight smirk of a smile crossing his lips as he shoved his chilly hands deeper into the pockets of his dark blue dress pants, which were belted with a black belt that matched his black dress shoes.  Even the weather seems to know that, based on what I just endured in the country club dining room over the last several hours, Keystone is about to enter into some very dark times.  Because even though it’s winter now, it’s not usually this gloomy and chilly in Southern California in February.

 

As Dennis let out a sad sigh and settled back into attempting to clear his mind, one of the gold French doors that led back into the country-club dining room opened, and his wife, Annie Lawrence, stepped out with a black long-sleeve zip-up coat draped over the arm of the cream-colored long-sleeve button-down jacket that she was wearing open over her light pink long-sleeve blazer, which had patch pockets, white trim, and white buttons, and matching knee-length skirt.

 

Upon spotting her husband, Annie breathed a sigh of relief.  “Oh, honey, good," she said, her white pumps clicking against the Spanish-style tiles that comprised the terrace’s floor as she began to make her way over to him.  "There you are.  I was worried about you."

 

Turning to his wife, Dennis gave her a small appreciative smile.  “Why?" he asked.  “Did you think I ran away or something?"

 

Reaching her husband, Annie nodded.  “Sort of," she replied as she removed his jacket from her arm and held it out to him.  "Because what you just spent hours going through inside thanks to Sylvester and Lucifer getting everyone all riled up with excitement over their tax reduction plan was definitely brutal.”

 

At the reminder of the torturous morning that had stretched well into the afternoon, Dennis let out a heavy sigh.  “Yeah," he agreed as he took the coat from his wife and began to pull it on over his dark blue tie and violet long-sleeve dress shirt, which had wide dark blue crisscrosses printed on it.  “You’ve certainly got that right.  And you’re right about me running away too.  Because that's why I'm out here.  To finally get some peace and some time to think about everything that happened in there today.” 

 

Sympathetically nodding, Annie pulled her jacket tightly around herself and focused her own gaze on the lake.  "I don't blame you," she said as the cold wind that was blowing off the lake waters began to whip her loose layered long brown hair around.  “Because there’s no way that you can possibly figure out an effective way to tell everyone who was trying to badger you into implementing that insane modern feudalism plan no with all of them standing there and practically shouting in your face.”

 

Sighing again, Dennis, who had finished pulling on and zipping up his coat, stuffed his hands into its side pockets and turned his attention back to the lake.  “I just can't believe how many people are buying into that nonsense,” he grumbled.  "I mean, it seemed like pretty much every single person in that entire room came stampeding over to coerce me into implementing that plan the minute that Lucifer and Sylvester told them to charge.”

 

Reaching over, Annie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  “But it wasn't,” she assured him.  “And that's the thing that you have to remember.  While it might have seemed like everyone in town was against you today, that's not the case at all.  Because I’m sure that there are still some reasonable people in Keystone who have their heads on straight.”

 

“That’s right, there are," announced Joe Hendersen as he came out onto the terrace along with his wife, Charlene, and their friends, Percy and Dana Marrone.  “And we're some of them."

 

“Absolutely,” Percy agreed with a firm nod as he stopped a few feet from the French doors and stuffed his hands into the pockets of the black long-sleeve zip-up down coat that he was wearing open over black dress pants and a dark blue long-sleeve dress shirt, which had a black collar, black cuffs, and black buttons, that were accessorized with black dress shoes and a black tie.  "No matter how appealing all of those extra deals that were offered this morning sounded, Dana and I still decided that there’s no way we’re going to risk our home or business in order to take advantage of them.”

 

“Really?” asked Dennis, his blue eyes widening in surprise as he turned to face the small group of supportive citizens.  “Even though something like that plan could help you pay for that new lake tour boat that you’re hoping to buy in order to bring in more tourists and assist me with my tax reduction plan?”

 

Wrapping her arms around her husband’s arm, Dana shook her head, causing her long brown braid to swish back and forth against the back of the red long-sleeve blazer that she was wearing open over a red knee-length short-sleeve boatneck dress.  “No," she confidently assured him.  “Your reminder about how a lack of planning resulted in that bad Founder’s Day celebration we had a few years back convinced us that we need to keep looking for another way to achieve our goal instead of taking the easy way out just so we can have it happen faster."  Looking down at her black pumps, she let out an uncertain sigh and continued with, “Now we’re not exactly sure what that way is yet, but…"

 

“But they’ll figure it out,” Charlene, who was standing with her hands stuffed into the pockets of the black long-sleeve zip-up jacket that she was wearing open over a navy blue knee-length wrap dress, which had a crossover V-neck collar, three-quarter sleeves, and small pointy gold flowers with navy blue centers printed on it, that was accessorized with black pumps, determinedly declared as the lake wind began to ruffle her loose chin-length black hair.  "Just like I'm going to help Father Scarfer figure out another way to deal with church expenses.”

 

As his four friends finished unceremoniously declaring their loyalty to him, Dennis felt his lips relaxing into probably the first truly genuine smile that had crossed his face since the night that Lucifer and Sylvester had unveiled their plan to the citizens of Keystone.  “Well, that’s wonderful!” he happily exclaimed as he stepped forward and began to impetuously hug each of them one by one.  "Wonderful that all of you have had the strength and good sense to see that awful plan for exactly what it is.”

 

“Yes, well, don’t get too excited,” cautioned Joe, smoothing the gray long-sleeve button-down overcoat that he was wearing open over gray dress pants that were belted with a brown belt that matched his brown dress shoes, a tan long-sleeve dress shirt that had tan iridescent pinstripes printed on it, and a gray tie, which had thin tan diagonal stripes printed on it, as Dennis pulled away from him and turned to hug Charlene.  “Because for every one of us, there are at least ten people out there who want you to implement the Riches kings’ plan so that they can stop paying taxes.  And if you can’t convince them to come to their senses and start thinking rationally again, then you just might be seeing another protest like the one that we all waged against Lucifer last fall.  Only this time, you’ll be the target.”