The Extraction Plan

The Scarborough Restaurant

6:45pm Saturday May 18th 2019, The Sternwood Residence, Upper Montclair New Jersey

Valeria the Sternwood housekeeper stood back and admired Prudence in the two piece red suit trouser suit she selected from her collection for dinner. She smiled "I am so happy to see you go out and meet with friends". By a make up table in Prudence's bedroom she pulls out a chair "Please sit down, I will do your make up".

Prudence clasped her hands together, "gosh, your spoiling me, you should be at home!".

Valeria makes a sweeping move with her right hand "Na, please sit"

Gingerly Prudence sat down and Valeria removed her glasses "they are heavy, you're as blind as a bat"

Prudence closed her eyes the sensation of the brush dabbing her face, irritated her like a fly that won't go away "I am, I can't see without them!"

Valeria felt sorry for Prudence, she didn't have many friends and was delighted to see her get asked out tonight. She worried about how her health an often wondered what it must be like to carry all that weight. She was glad to stay back late, help her dress and do her makeup.

Prudence was lost in her thoughts, she thought about possibilities of who made the social online post, she wondered about how Donny was getting on and worried about him going there.

"All finished" announced Valeria as she places the glasses back on Prudence. "What do you think Prudence.

7:45pm The Scarborough
Prudence and Holly are looking at the menu, Prudence was laden with guilt, so much good food but she really had to start tackling her weight "I think I'll have just a starter and a main, I've already had the cake you brought me today"

Holly opened her mouth in disgust "Prudence, I invited you out to have a good time, forget dieting for tonight, you've had a bad day yesterday, you earned it, eat it"

Prudence gasped "your right, you're so lucky, between my dodgy thyroid and the fact I put on weight at the sight of food, I also don't exercise enough but that's my own fault".

Holly nodded empathically "Prudence you can't do everything, you can't be a mum, you can't be a successful businesswoman, you can't be an athlete, you can't work fourteen days a week and do all that"

8:30pm The Scarborough

Prudence finished her Black Sea Bass main dish and took a mouthful of water. The heat in the restaurant was killing her. She loved the restaurant but it was quite small and seating space was uncomfortable for her. It was one of the restaurants that her husbands catering business outsourced staff too and she eat there before, but didn't like it for its size.

They are discussing the social media post.
"What about your housekeeper Prudence, she's very religious" states Holly interlacing her fingers into a hand gun gesture and resting it against her lips.

Instantly Prudence shook her head in disagreement "No, no not Valeria" She extends her hands outwards "She's been with me for twelve years now, she was practically in tears this morning when I told her, no definitely not!"

Holly leaned forward defiantly "Prudence you can't take a chance with this woman, think of it, what if your alone with her in the house and she decides she's had enough and attacks you, what then!!"

Prudence rubbed her lower chin in thought "Valeria was three years older than her and physically in better shape, but she couldn't visualise her even hurting a fly yet alone attacking her, she doubted she even looked at social media. She extended out her hands "She doesn't get social media, she is constantly complaining how much time her grand children are on social media, she even reprimands Arabelle at meals if she's on her phone and ignoring Donny and I".

Holly leans back on her chair "Prudence, she has your trust, you can't take the chance that she's manipulating you, your an extremely wealthy woman, if she is filled with so much hate and rage to write that, then imagine what it will be like the day she does have enough and attacks you. YOU WILL NOT HAVE A CHANCE!".

Prudence adjusted her glasses on her nose then extended out her hands and drew a shallow breath "It could be anyone, she isn't going to put a good paying job at risk by assaulting me and risking a jail term and time away from her grandchildren". She took a drink of water "She maybe saying behind my back that she hates going in and helping that fat cow get dressed and bringing her meals and doing her ironing and cleaning but I pay her well way way more"

"Oh Prudence please!!" interrupts Holly "If this is someone close to you, they are going to hurt you!!, you don't put up a statement like that without greater intent. For your own safety you need to protect yourself"

Prudence places her left hand on her heart "I can't hide myself away, It could be anyone, I can tell you now it's not her, there is no shortage of people that fat shame me, that begrudge me that are jealous of me and she isn't one of them".

Prudence fans her face with her right hand, she worried that her make up would start to melt " I'm going to use the restroom".

With a struggle Prudence wiggles to the side of her seat and groans as she stands up, the walkway is very narrow, she labours slowly and carefully between tables, terrified that she'll hit off diners, she hears the odd giggle as she passed, she preyed it was at their conversation and not her. At the tiny bar and cashier desk was a door leading to the washrooms, she really hated the next part, the washrooms were up a narrow flight of stairs, she took two shallow breaths and then began plodding up them, the heat quickly sapped the energy from her.

When Prudence had reached the door at the bar, Holly stopped recording. She attached the video to a whatsapp number not saved and simply put the message 'Roly-poly Prudence waddling'.

A waitress approached the table "Would you both like to see the desert menu". Holly smiled "It's ok, we'll have the molten chocolate cake with ice-cream each please and my friend was wondering if she can have some cream too!"

"No problem" replies the Waitress "Anything to drink?". Holly thinks momentarily "I think we're good thanks".

Prudence cautiously walked down the stairs cautiously, she couldn't really see where the steps were and was terrified she would fall, she hated all stairs but she hated them in particular.

Prudence gasped in horror at the chocolate cake awaiting her "Oh please tell me, that's not for me?" she whined.

"As I said Prudence, tonight is diet free night so we're enjoying ourselves".

Prudence shuffled into her seat with effort "I've had too many diet free nights" she moaned "though when I did diet I put it back on and more, I just gave up trying then"

"So any word from Donald?" asked Holly

"I never checked", she rummaged through her black leather hand bag and pulled out her phone and places it about a foot from her face. "No, nothing" she gasped "I hope he is okay. We requested the congressman to meet elsewhere but he refused, he is such a sleaze, his current girlfriend is twenty, two years younger than his youngest son".

Holly places a desert spoon into her cake and tuts in disgust "Could ye not have refused, brought him to a nice restaurant or something, met him in his office"

Prudence grimaces in disgust as she placed a spoonful of cake in her mouth "When the congressman is extorting and blackmailing you, he does it where he can't be seen, and if you don't well you can expect your business to be put through hell by authorities. My poor parents had to content with extortion from the Mafia, his father was a congressman too, just as horrible and just as useless when it came to getting help. Of course also liked to dip his snout in the trough".

"Wow this cake is beautiful Prudence, I just hope Prudence that Donald gets to like the girls there, ruins many a good marriage".

Prudence lets out a slight giggle "Poor Donald was terrified, he was even considering a bodyguard. I told him if a girl comes near him, keep his hands in the air or behind his back, if he even touched one by accident, who knows what they will do, bad enough the congressman blackmailing us but the gangsters that run those places they would kill you in a heartbeat.

Holly wipes her mouth with a napkin "That was devine, longer run for me tomorrow" as she stands up "Am going to use the restroom".

Prudence sighs "You can do some miles for me too" She watches with envy as Holly easily makes her way through the narrow walk way, "What if she's right and it is Valeria?", she pondered to herself "Surely not, maybe she should pay her even more, just in case"

She catches the attention of a waitress "Is everything okay Mrs Sternwood?"

"It is, that was splendid as always, may I have the bill please?".

Holly struggled to keep herself from smiling as she watched Prudence pay, she knew she would. She made her way down to the table "Please tell me Prudence you didn't pay, this was my treat??"

Prudence adjusted her glasses on her nose "No!!,I appreciate all you have done for me today and appreciate you would spend time with me this evening, I enjoyed it"

Holly smiled "Am annoyed with you that you paid but I will get you lunch during the week!".