by A H S Salt
“Boss!” A voice shrieked, as we stepped into the diner. I looked over to the corner of the restaurant, to see a young man coming toward us.
Boss! Cillian owns this diner as well?
My mouth parted in shock as I got my head around the fact he owned a lot more than just The Oval Nightclub.
“Robin!” Cillian acknowledged, shaking his hand.
“What brings you here today?” The young man asked, with a smile.
I glanced around to the strangers occupying the tables. Parents laughed with their kids as they enjoyed meals and a young group of teenagers had their heads down, and eyes locked on to their phones while still managing to eat.
“Needed out the city”, Cillian stressed, “We will be around the back, get someone to come and take our order in a couple of minutes.” Cillian insisted, before leading the way towards the red leather square booths towards the back.
Cillian gestured for me to sit down. I slid over the leather seat, he sat down in front of me in a relaxed position.
“You own this place too?” I asked, looking around at the Black and White pictures of Alcatraz and other landmarks of San Francisco that were scattered on the walls.
“Yeah, this place holds many happy memories for me,” Cillian said smiling while looking around and admiring the room himself.
“My dad and I came here most weekends. After Alan the owner died a year ago, the restaurant and the land went up for sale. I wasn’t willing to see it go to waste or be torn down just to be replaced by housing developments”.
“So, you bought it”
He nodded “If I didn’t everyone would have lost their job. At least with me taking over, they are still able to pay their rent and feed their families at the end of the month”
“You bought the magazine so they wouldn’t print photos of us. You bought this food joint so no one would lose out. It seems to me you like to have control of everything?” Seeing the pattern it was merging.
He shrugged “I buy things that I take an interest in” He stated “The magazine was for your privacy. I won’t have the media attack you. This restaurant was to keep my memories from ever leaving me” He added. He was holding on to every memory he ever shared with his father.
“You sound so happy when you talk about your dad.” Leaning in closer, I sat watching him.
“He was a great man. Just what you would expect of a gentleman.” Cillian stopped talking as he looked over my shoulder.
I glanced over my shoulder to see the waiter coming towards us, to take our order.
I hadn’t even looked at the menu.
Crap! I opened the busy looking menu and glanced it over, wondering what food it was that I smelled outside.
“Pulled pork, and apple burger for me. A coke too, please Noah.” Cillian instructed the waiter.
“I can’t decide, there’s too much to choose from,” I stressed.
My fingers tapped on the tabletop, as I tried to quickly decide. I wasn’t hungry much, having not long had coffee and cake.
“I’ll have…. cheeseburger on its own and a coke please,” I replied, pushing the menu to the side.
“Coming right up.” The waiter smiled, as he wrote in his small pad while walking away.
Cillian tried to reason with me, regarding the morning run-in with my brother.
“You’re going to have to talk to Riley at some point. Maybe you should reach out to him first?” Cillian suggested, clasping his hands together on the table.
“Why?” I asked, leaning my back against the booth, and crossing my arms “They were the ones keeping their secret from me!”
“Jessica” Cillian tiredly exclaimed. He was always so calm and collected, yet I tested his patience more often than usual.
“What!” Knowing my attitude was getting on his nerves. My head was still spinning, that my best friend and brother who had always been open with me, kept what was going on between them. And here I was worried he would hate me for finding out about Cillian and me.
“I don’t get Macey sometimes,” I said venting out “She’s just going to hurt Riley” I looked at Cillian, before leaning over the table “Did you know?” I asked, waiting for a response.
“No!” He began “I knew he was seeing someone, but he always kept the identity of the girl a secret. He would just tell me that it would complicate things. I would never have thought they would hook up after that one night” Cillian said, shaking his head in disbelief.
I pointed my finger at him. “Ha! Right there, you knew all along they had hooked up!”
He sighed, lifting his hands off the table as he looked over my shoulder again. “As I said, Jess, it’s not my business to tell.”
“Two cokes! Your food will be out shortly.” The waiter said, placing our drinks down in front of us.
“Thank you, Noah,” Cillian said.
I watched as he twirled his straw around in his coke.
“A penny for your thoughts?” I whispered.
“What would you like to know?” He asked as he sipped his soda.
“This between us” I started “Is it what you want? Do you feel you’re ready for a relationship?” I blurted the words out, wanting to know if I should be guarding my heart or running with it and enjoy every second of us.
“Jess, as I said before now I have you, I’m not letting you go.”
I settled back and crossed my arms staring at him for a long moment “Cillian” I finally said “I like how possessive you get. It kinda turns me on but the way you say it is a bit unsettling”
He quickly stepped in to reassure me, having noticed how tense I became with his words.
“What I mean is, I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember, I’m ready for this if you are. I’m not wanting to control you or do anything that would have you running out on me. My mother did that to me, please don’t you do it too.” His words were softer as he whispered them.
Something in the way he said those words had me wanting to hold him, to let him know I’m not going anywhere.
He’s talking about her.
His mother! Is that why he doesn’t like me walking out on him when we argue.
Abandonment! Is that what this is all about?
“Cillian, I’m not going to leave. It’s early in our relationship but I have no doubt that this between us is going to move fast.” I shuffled out my booth to sit next to him, both of us turned to face each other.
I cupped his face in the palms of my hands.
“I am not going anywhere, not now that I know you want me too.” I pressed my lips against his lips, savoring slow lingering kisses, his breathing became long exhales like it was a sense of relief leaving him.
“Sorry to disturb.” A voice said.
Cillian gently pulled my hands down from his face, offering an apologetic smile to the waiter as he put our food down in front of us. Cillian was sure to thank him before he walked away.
I lifted my burger to get tucked right into it. Cillian took the conversation in a different direction.
“The salon, when are you planning on opening it?” He asked, biting into his burger.
I sipped my coke before I answered.
The salon.
Damn it!
I asked Macey to work with me, now what’s going to happen. Cillian’s right, I’m going to have to talk to them at some point.
“My dad said a couple of weeks, I’m not too sure of the dates, hopefully soon.” I sighed, pushing my plate away to the side. I had only managed a few bites of my burger. I wasn’t feeling hungry all of a sudden, there is so much still to do in getting prepared for the salon.
“He’s dealing with the premises?” Cillian fussed, talking business. Laying his burger down, and propping his elbows on the table.
“Yeah! My dad didn’t want a paper trail of my name, for Elijah to find me. But, it’s too late for that now!” I replied the same uneasiness rose in the pit of my stomach at the mention of his name.
“Tell me about
Elijah,” Cillian asked, giving me his full attention, as he shifted to face me.
“There isn’t much to tell,” I whispered, as I tried to shake off the crumbs that had gathered on my jeans, trying to avoid talking about my ex with my current man.
“Jess, please.” Cillian insisted, not dropping the subject.
“Fine!” I moaned “He was a good boyfriend, or so I thought. I didn’t notice he was beginning to control me by manipulating me, making me believe when anything went wrong it was my fault.” I took a deep breath before going on. “Everyone tried to tell me, but I was too naive. I was too blind to see the truth. Even Riley knew something was wrong, but I kept telling everyone I was fine.” I paused, taking a sip of my coke as my throat had dried up.
“I remember, Riley was so worried about you. He thought he was physically hurting you.” Cillian caressed my face with his knuckles, as he told me about when Riley opened up to him.
My mouth dropped open, unsure how to respond to his confession. When he told me the other night Riley needed someone to talk to, he was confiding in Cillian. I finally understood, Riley was worried about me, he wasn’t talking about me in a way I had thought.
“I wanted to come and see you, to ask you if you were okay. But, I wasn’t sure if I was overstepping the line.’ Cillian said, wrapping his arm around me, as I leaned into him.
“I wish you had” I whispered.
“I’m here now” He soothed.
Cillian had always been there for me over the years. Why is it now we’re only learning about each other’s feelings?
I smiled to myself, knowing everything was going to be fine. Cillian was good for me, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let my deluded ex-boyfriend control me after all this time. It’s time I started looking forward to my relationship with Cillian.
“Stay at my place. Let’s get to know each other more, not just as Riley’s sister or best friend. Just you and me.” Cillian suggested, pulling out his wallet. He lay money down on the table before stepping out of the booth to offer me his hand.
“Okay.” I smiled, taking him up on his offer. We held hands and made our way out.
“Bye, guys,” Cillian shouted to the staff behind the front counters, where all the stools sat facing the open view kitchen.
“See ya, boss!” The waiter that served us shouted back.
1
SCANDALOUS PAST
CHAPTER 15
We walked towards the car, the dust from the ground gathered around our feet. Cillian paused for a brief second. I stopped because he stopped.
Wondering if he had spotted more photographers I put my hands up to shade from the glare of the sunlight.
“What’s wrong?” I scanned for movement to see if anyone was in the distance.
“I need you to drive” He blurted out. I barely caught the car keys in time, as he tossed them to me, before tapping his fingers over his smartphone.
“Wait...what?” Confusion rippled through me “You want me to drive your Jaguar?” Stuttering, hesitant to drive such an expensive car. I wasn’t exactly known for being the driver of the year; Macey is always forever holding on for dear life with my driving.
“Cillian-” I paused, unsure of what to say next.
“-You have a license, don’t you?” He questioned, walking towards the front passenger’s door.
“Yes, but-”
“-I’m giving you permission. Come on, you’ll be fine.” He coaxed, as he pulled on the passenger door handle.
“I’ve never driven anything so big Cillian. I can’t drive this.” I replied.
He grinned “You’re good at riding things!” He winked at me, before sitting in and slamming shut the passenger door.
Really! He wants to try and talk about sex right now.
When I sat in the driver's side, I adjusted the seat for my legs, slowly pulling the seat belt over me, my fingers touched the Jaguar cat that laid directly in the middle of the steering wheel. I was completely baffled by all the little buttons that were rimming the steering wheel. Having never driven anything other than my Yaris.
Starting the engine, the low purr had me excited to try it out.
“Where to?” I asked, turning my head to Cillian only he was too busy texting, it took him a few seconds before he looked up, smiling at me.
“My apartment.” He said, encouraging me to go.
I accelerated off, the smooth drive began to relax me. I always remember watching Top Gear with Riley many years back, he was such a big fan of the British motor show, the Jaguar reminded me of the expensive-looking cars they would test out. I made my way over the Golden Gate Bridge, I concentrated on the road as Cillian was sending emails or whatever it was he was doing, work stuff probably. It took me about twenty minutes in total to get to Cillian’s apartment, maybe a little longer than it should have. Secretly having taken my time, to enjoy his car.
I noticed there were a group of men by the apartment grounds, they were talking amongst themselves. I started to slow down, to turn into the underground parking. The men quickly turned, it was clear to see it was the paparazzi with their cameras around their necks. They rushed towards us, trying to get pictures. I put my foot down hard, the sound of the tires screeching echoed as we entered the privacy of the underground garage.
Cillian held onto the handle above the door, looking behind to make sure they weren’t trespassing.
“How do you get used to that?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.
“I don’t think anyone does, you just need to get on with it. They will eventually find someone else to bother.” He answered as I parked the car.
Both of us walked side by side towards the elevator, Cillian’s hand locked with mine, lifting it to his mouth brushing his lips against my fingers. He stopped briefly to press the button.
Having a few seconds to spare I reached up and wrapped my arms around him, he reached down and kissed me.
The dinging of the elevator had him pulling away gently from my kiss to lead the way.
We stepped in, side by side “Don’t be angry, and don’t walk away!” Cillian stressed as the elevator door closed over. I turned to him, with a curious look, as he pressed the number twenty on the keypad.
“Why would I be angry?” I asked, frowning at him.
“Riley and Macey are upstairs outside my apartment, waiting for us!” He announced, taking a deep breath in. Unsure of what my reaction would be.
“You texted Riley, didn’t you? Why would you do that Cillian?” I demanded to know.
I knew he was acting shady before, “So, me driving the way back was just a distraction?” I pressed.
“I knew if I told you on the way here, you would have demanded me to pull over. You would do what you do best; run away.” He pulled me into him.
“I don’t always run away!” I said, sulking into him. I was aware I had to face them some time or another.
“Jess, I’ve known you for a long time. When things get tough, or you’re not getting your own way, you run,” He whispered, holding me tightly.
“Not all the time, and not this time,” I said pulling back slightly, looking up at him and offering him a smile. He somehow had a way of making me feel like nothing was too big to tackle head-on.
When we reached Cillian’s floor, we made our way towards his apartment. Riley was standing with a pizza box in one hand and a six-pack of Budweiser beers in the other. Macey was leaning against the wall, one leg tucked under her bottom with her arms crossed, her long glossy black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, her curves on display as she wore tight Navy jeans and a fitted black cami silk vest top.
My silk vest top!
She had raided my wardrobe yet again!
The sound of us approaching had us all looking at one another.
I turned my head to Cillian and swallowed hard.
“I’m right here. We can do this!” He whispered, his words had me feeling confident my brother, and I could get back on track, from our ar
gument from this morning.
We all stood awkwardly waiting for Cillian to open the door, unsure what to say.
I’ve never been like this with my brother or Macey. If I’m forced to get used to them parading around, then he will have to get used to Cillian and me, it’s only fair.
Stepping into Cillian’s apartment, we all made our way into his living room, Cillian switched on the fire, and lights before standing behind me, his arms curled around me, not hiding the fact we were together. I watched as Macey took in the elegant décor of the apartment, her mouth parted in shock as she noticed the view from the window. It was the same for me when I saw it for the first time too. The dark waters of the San Francisco Bay illuminated by the glistering sun reflecting light. Riley sat down on the couch, eyeing Cillian and me closely. He opened the pizza box, Macey was quick to sit next to him, helping herself to a slice of margarita.
I decided it would be best to sit down on the fluffy rug at the table, not wanting to be too close to them. Cillian settled down behind me, holding me.
An awkward heaviness in the air lingered. I broke the awkwardness, to ask the questions I needed the answers to.
“How long?” I asked dryly, watching Macey place the half-eaten slice she had devoured down as she shifted closer to Riley.
“Only a couple of weeks before you walked in on us having sex,” Riley said, answering for them both, looking down at his hands as he rubbed them nervously.
I looked at them with a sneer of disgust.
“That was months back. You’ve been going behind my back, since before I caught you! Why didn’t you just tell me?” My tone was even louder as I glared at Riley.
My brother exhaled harshly.
“Macey. A little help”
I shoot Mace a look, she shuffled forward on the edge of the couch.
“Jess” She drew in a long breath “We didn’t think you needed the extra stress.” She was careful with her words, she didn’t mention Elijah since my brother didn’t know the full extent, only that I broke up with him.
“I’m sorry, I should have been the one to tell you,” Riley replied, offering everyone a beer.
Cillian reached out and accepted the beers on my behalf. I was still confused, were they together or not?
