The Other Lodge

Montreal

"Aren't you sad you're going to miss the auditions for the Carrie's musical?" I ask to Cheryl while we enter the car.

"No. This is way more important, Kevin will have to find another star for his musical." She smiles and kisses me.

I smile and start the car. Montreal, here we go.

Montreal

I park the car in front of the most luxurious hotel of the town and the warden comes to us.

"Miss Lodge, pleasure to see you again." He says and takes our suitcases.

I greet him politely and we go to our room.

"Wow. So this is what the Lodge's lifestyle looks like?" She looks everywhere impressed.

"And you didn't see NY yet." I chuckle and hug from behind. "I hope you're ready because today is going to be hard."

"What are we going to do?" She asks.

"First, I have to meet a friend who will tell us where the best business party of the night is. Then we are going to buy outfits for the night. After that we're coming back here, you take a nap, I do my business and then we go to the party making sure all is set as I planned it."

"And when do you rest?" She worriedly asks.

"Tonight, when I'll be sure it's okay and that my family will be protected." I answer.

"I hope it will be soon enough."

Around 12, we decide to go to the Old Port so we can visit a bit the town and eat before joining my friend. Elliot is one of my best mate, we went to school together as his father is a good friend of mine. He is from Montreal so I know he will be helpful.

At 1 pm, we walk to a park where I quickly spot Elliot.

"Hello there beauté!" His Frenchy side is showing already.

"Elliot, mate! It's so good to see you!" I hug him.

"Same here! Who did you bring with you, mon amie?" He asks.

"Elliot, this is Cheryl my girlfriend, Cheryl this is Elliot when of the best guy I know." I do the presentation.

"The best one." He winks at her and shakes her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Smile Cheryl.

"So tell me, why are you here?" He wonders.

"Business." I chuckle.

"Oh did Hiram Lodge let your beautiful girlfriend in the business?" He chuckles too.

"Hell no." I say. "This beauty will never be in business with my father. Still I'm willing to let her in mine." I wiggle my eyebrows.

"You finally decided to let your old man down? Honestly it was about time, I told you he was just tearing you down." He says.

"Well, it's not done yet but I'm working on it. It's just a bit more complicated than expected." I tell him and Cheryl looks at me weirdly.

"Does he even fail at failing?" He laughs.

"Be more respectful to my old man, would you?" I chuckle and I hit his arm playfully.

"Sorry miss Lodge, I will not do it again." He raises his hands and laughs. "So tell me, what can I do for you?"

"Is any type of business party organized tonight?" I ask.

"Well, my dad is celebrating a huge deal tonight at Le Crystal, you should stop by. I promise the St Clair won't be there." He winks at me.

"Oh so you heard about that?" I ask.

"I was in NY when a Redhead from Riverdale attacked Nick and the car accident reminded me of something. I put two and two together, ma belle." He chuckles.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shrug innocently.

"Oh yeah I know." He laughs. "Anyway, be sure to be there at 7."

He smiles and leaves.

"Will I learn something else today?" Cheryl asks shocked.

"What?" I raise my eyebrow.

"You want to do your own business, letting your father down Jade. You never told me that." She says.

"Well, as I said, it's not done yet. I can't say something like this if I'm not sure about it."

"Why would you want to do that anyway? You're great with your family."

"So you think it's easy for me to do everything for him and then see he is doing awful things with my ideas?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"The SoDale thing was my doing, my idea. I did researches, I paid the Serpents to trash the drive-in so my father can build something more luxurious instead, I went through the Southside during countless nights to find good things to do in here, I made sure to offer a better life to the people in here by buying the land they are living in and closing their trashy school. I wanted to upgrade their standards of living so everyone in Riverdale will have the same quality of life and my parents could make money of it." I stop.

"Babe.." she tries.

"No... just no Cheryl. Do you see what he is doing with my ideas?! Building a fucking prison? Why the hell would he do that?" I ask angrily.

"I... I don't know."

"Well I do Cheryl. I thought a lot about it and I know. Opening a prison means having inmates in it. Inmates that aren't good people, people to who you can sell drugs and whom you can manipulate to be yours later."

She seems to realize.

"Yes baby, my dad wants to bring organized crime to Riverdale... and all of this thanks to my brilliant and devilish brain..."

"Why don't you stop him?" She asks.

"I told you, this idea was mine, without me there is no SoDale Project, no prison idea, nothing. If I try something I'll be the one supporting the charges."

"So what are you going to do?" She wonders.

"Train Veronica so she can be my new hand of work." I say.

"And she will be okay with that?"

"She will not even realize." I answer devilishly.

"That's the girl I love."

Cheryl kisses me and we start walking to some luxurious store so we can buy something for tonight.