by Shayne Ford
“Tell me, beautiful girl, why do you have to hide?” I ask softly as I stroke her hair.
Slowly, I remove the blindfold. Her eyes sparkle behind her mask.
“You still can’t talk?” I ask, and she shakes her head slowly, tears glinting in her eyes.
A small smile pushes to my lips.
“Are you sure?”
She sways her head again, on the cusp of crying.
“Okay, then,” I say with a different voice and tear away from her.
She jerks upright, and looks at me stunned, holding her words back.
I pick up my phone and clothes and make a call.
“The car is already downstairs,” I say after a few moments with a frosted voice. “You can leave whenever you want.”
Without another word, I swish into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, I walk into the bedroom.
She’s gone.
5
Sheila Lane called.
She’ll be back by the end of the week. Alexander Harrington called the receptionist and left a message for me.
He’ll stop by later on, and then he’ll fly away. He wants me to make arrangements for a hotel in Vegas.
He could’ve called me or texted me or emailed me, yet for some reason, he didn’t want to. As of lately, he no longer communicates with me.
The possible explanations coming to my mind make my stomach twist. It feels as if I’m about to get dumped and sacked all in one, which is not an outlandish possibility.
To top it off, I look like crap. The makeup won’t do it and being back in the office doesn’t do it either. The uncertainty floating in the air puts holes in my stomach.
This last weekend was a nightmare.
The ending of my night with him started it all.
The time we spent together broke me, but when he practically threw me out, I almost lost it.
It turned out that the place he had taken me to was a posh suite in one of Sexton International Towers. Styled in black and white, the bedroom featured walls of glass, dim lights and a lavish bed draped in satin.
I ran out of that place with tears stuck in my throat. I was in no better shape when I got home.
I know what he wanted from me. Had I admitted who I was he would’ve hated me, and the result would’ve been the same.
As expected, Lex hasn’t contacted the Secret Girl again.
I have a hunch he’s not going to do it anytime soon.
I spent the weekend alone, surrounded by silence and secrets, the place I worked so hard to put myself in. Elsa was out. Mom called. I felt bad I had to hide from her Elsa’s secrets too.
Sighing, I look out the window.
It’s been a few weeks since all this started. In the beginning, I thought I found a way–– a path to making an independent living, and becoming a responsible adult for the first time in my life, and yet all I found was chaos.
I work, uninterrupted, for the next two hours. Close to noon, the phone rings.
“Elsa?”
“Hey,” she says a bit rushed, panting.
“Where are you?”
“In the building,” she says, sounding as if she was running. “At your work.”
I hear the sound of the elevator doors opening in the background.
“What are you doing at my work?” I ask, a bad feeling hovering over me.
“May I borrow your car?” she asks without giving me an answer.
I pause.
“Yes,” I finally say, a bit leery. “Why do you need my car? What happened?”
“Nothing,” she says. “I’m here,” she says curtly and hangs up.
A moment later, she enters my office.
“You want to grab something to eat?” I ask, checking the time. “It’s almost noon.”
“No. I’m fine.”
She wears jeans and a plaid cotton shirt. She looks as if she hasn’t slept the entire night, yet her eyes shine brightly, her face glowing. I show her to the chair sitting next to the door.
She takes a seat.
“You want water or something?”
“Water is good.”
“So, are you going to tell me or not?”
I hand her a bottle of water and then take a seat behind my desk. Nervous, I take a sip of coffee.
“I had a fight,” she finally says.
“Who did you fight with?”
“My friend,” she mumbles.
She couldn’t be more elusive.
“Not Jordan.”
“Nah-uh.”
My eyebrows tilt up, shooting her a questioning look.
“Who is he?”
And is he better than Jordan? That’s the question that burns my lips.
“Some guy.”
“What guy, Elsa?”
“Someone.”
She presses her lips together and scrunches up her nose.
I have no doubt she’s not going to tell me.
“Listen... I know you don’t want to talk, and I understand your reasons, but you can’t run away from this kind of stuff Elsa.”
Silent, she looks at me. Thank God, dad is not here to see us, and mom doesn’t know much. We are a complete disaster.
A familiar voice travels across the corridor, making my chest flutter and my pulse explode in my wrists.
Panicked, I look at the door as the sound travels closer.
“Who’s that?” she asked nonchalantly, sprawled in her chair, just as the door opens and I jump out of my seat.
Sporting a slim fit, dark suit and silver tie, Lex shows up in the doorway. My mouth literally drops. I almost want to ask, what’s the occasion, when his cold blue gaze travels to me and sinks into my eyes.
For a moment, the universe hits pause and time freezes.
His face glows, freshly shaven, his elegant features shining through. Chiseled cheekbones, well-defined jawline, a fuller lower lip, and then his eyes washed with light.
The suit jacket fits his shoulders perfectly. Tall, he fills the doorway.
“Yes?” I manage to say.
“Have you made the arrangements?” he says, as my eyes roam over his silver tie shimmering against his white shirt.
There’s a lag in my response, so he steps inside and catches sight of Elsa. A different expression slides onto his face.
Surprise.
Recognition?
Pleasant surprise??
My heart hits the floor.
“Hey,” he says softly, the tenderness flashing in his voice, hitting me hard.
A smile lights up her face.
“Hey,” she says, and I’m about to lose it.
Dumbstruck, I watch Elsa rising to her feet, twining her arms around his neck, and kissing him on his cheek.
What the hell? Have I slipped into a different universe?
“How are things with you?” he asks, affable, and my mouth drops open even more, my eyes popping wide.
“I’m good,” Elsa says, her cheeks scarlet.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he says, suddenly in a great disposition.
He glances at me briefly.
“It was nice seeing you again,” he says to her, and then he throws me a cold look and a few words on his way out.
“Let me know when you know the answer,” he says.
Answer? What answer?
What is wrong with him?
The doors close behind his back. I look at Elsa livid.
“How come you know Lex Harrington?”
“Is that his name?” she asks, amused.
I erase the distance between us.
“This is not a joke,” I say, dead serious.
“I just know him,” she says, grinning mysteriously.
I can’t tell whether her intention is to drive me crazy or to hide something from me.
Whatever it is, the ground slips from under my feet.
I grab her shoulder.
“Tell me for fuck’s sake,” I growl under my breath, and her smile fades away.
“I danced
for him.”
“You what??”
Suddenly I feel as if the air was plucked out of my lungs. I pull away from her, fanning myself. I drink water, my lips still dry.
“When was that?”
She rolls her eyes.
“When I was working. He was one of my regulars.”
“Regulars??”
“Yes. He used to come on Fridays.”
Suddenly the Friday hotel charges on his account begin to add up.
I get close to her again. I give her a pointed look.
“Have you slept with him?” I ask.
Suddenly, she pulls a five-year-old expression onto her face, the one she used to have for my mom when she’d eaten something she wasn’t supposed to.
“Why is that your business?” she says.
I’m about to scream.
“This is serious. Elsa. Please tell me you didn’t sleep with him.”
Suddenly she leaps up and stretches her hand out.
“May I have your car keys please?”
“I need an answer,” I say, with a menacing voice.
“We’ll talk home. I’ll pick you up,” she says. “If you don’t want to give me your car, fine. I’ll take a cab.”
Ugh!!
Stubborn little brat!
Without a word, I turn around, fish my keys out from my purse and toss it in her hand.
Barely breathing, I watch her walk out the door.
I pick up Lex’s schedule from my desk and dash to his office.
“Yes,” he says after I knock on his door the first time.
I walk in.
Elbows resting on the desk, eyes trained on his phone, he doesn’t make the slightest gesture to acknowledge me.
“Lex?” I mutter, my voice soft.
He glances at me, his eyes searing me briefly.
“What is it, Miss Fox?”
He can’t be doing this to me. He can be coming into my office, kiss my sister as if we’re family and then give me this bullshit.
“How come you know my sister?”
A soft smile curls his lips.
He tosses the phone on his desk and raises his gaze.
“What kind of question is that, Miss Fox?”
“Please answer my question.”
He purses his lips, weighing me briefly.
“I had no idea she’s your sister. I’m sure she can answer your question.”
“How well do you know her?” I ask, anger barreling through my voice.
He pushes out of his chair and strides to me.
The closer he gets, the harder I start to quiver. He stops in front of me and brushes a strand of hair away from my face.
“Don’t drag me into your family drama, Miss Fox. You have no right to question me.”
“She’s my sister.”
“And she is an adult. I’m sure she has her reasons to withhold that information.”
I look at him, my lips trembling with fury.
“Anything else you’d like to know?” he asks, a smirk stretching across his lips. “How was your weekend?” he casually throws at me.
His gaze drags down on me, his lips pursing as he takes inventory of my gray shift dress and matching shoes.
“I gather not so good,” he says.
This is the worst time to play games with me as my hand itches to slap him.
Tension sets in my jaw.
“What is your problem, Lex?” I ask, almost growling.
A smile barely touches his lips, flashing faintly in his eyes. He studies me for a moment.
“My problem? I don’t have a problem, Miss Fox. What about you?” he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.
His shirt stretches across his hard chest.
I fail right there as my eyes glue to his pecs.
“Good. If you don’t have one, I need to know if you made the arrangements for London.”
“Yes.”
“I hope you made it for two people.”
“Excuse me?”
Is it me or he crushes a smile?
“You said, you’re going there for business meetings.”
“I am.”
“Is Edward Preston going with you?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
He pauses. I stay silent,
“No, he’s not,” he finally says.
“Who else is coming with you?”
A playful grin creases his lips.
“That’s not your business. I just need accommodations for two people.”
“Is it a man?” I press further, stubborn like a dog who found a bone.
He tilts his head to the side, his eyes laughing.
“No. It’s a woman. Satisfied now?”
I’m so far from satisfied he has no idea.
“Is there anything I need to know about her? Food and lodging preferences.”
“Sure. She doesn’t like to show her face in public and doesn’t talk much, so make sure her privacy is a top priority. I want her fully protected,” he says, and I’m pretty sure he pushes back his laughter.
My knees slacken.
His eyes drill mine. Unable to hold his gaze, I look down.
“So when do you leave?”
“I’ll call you tonight and let you know,” he says. “Anything else?” he asks with a dismissive voice.
“Yes,” I say, shifting my gaze back to him.
His eyebrows tilt up.
“Sheila Lane comes back on Friday.”
“And?”
“And I was wondering if I have a job come Monday morning.”
He purses his lips and looks at me with smiling eyes.
“I don’t know. It depends. If you don’t, you can always freelance.”
“What do you mean?”
“Find something else...”
“Seriously now.”
“Seriously... We’ll figure something out next week when I come back.”
“Okay,” I say with a soft voice.
For a few moments, I search his eyes looking for something different.
“Why do you have to behave like that?”
“Like what, sweetheart?”
“As if your mad.”
“I’m not mad. Do I look mad?”
He smiles charmingly. Of course, I don’t buy it, but I’m out of ideas how to make him stop.
“Fine, whatever...” I say, waiving him off, and tearing away from him.
“By the way, Miss Lane comes back on Wednesday, so make sure you clear your desk by then,” he says.
I spin around as if bitten by a snake. His gaze lifts off my ass.
“What?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get paid through the end of the month,” he says calm, and I clench my teeth, barely withholding myself from bursting out.
6
DAHLIA
I have no idea how the rest of the day goes by.
He leaves a couple of hours later, and Elsa picks me up after five.
We drive back in silence, and as soon as we enter the apartment, I dash into the bathroom. Minutes later I peel off my clothes and scream into a towel.
The door opens, just as I sink into a tub filled with warm water and foam.
“Are you okay?” she says, leaning against the sink.
“No, I’m not,” I say, aggravated.
“What happened?” she asks.
I run my hand over my face before I glance at her.
“What happened? Everything happened,” I snap.
“What do you mean?”
I start shaking my head, tears welling up in my eyes.
“You know... You think it was hard for you,” I say after a few moments. “Losing daddy, having to face mom’s tears and the emptiness in our house. You thought I had it so much better. Or her. But we hadn’t. We just chose not to act out. The way you did. She didn’t run away as you did, and despite the fact that selling the house was an option, she didn’t even consider to move away. That very space reminded her of him,
and as painful as it was, she couldn’t let go of it. I, on the other hand, had to go on with my life as well. It wasn’t easy,” I say, wiping tears from my face. “And as hard as it was, you made everything even harder. Every time the phone rang late at night, we thought something bad had happened to you. For a while, I thought you had a good reason to act that way, but now I don’t. You’re no longer fifteen, Elsa. You hadn’t acted that way, not even when you were a teenager. You are a grown up woman now. You can’t behave the way you do. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t act irresponsible and mess with everybody else’s lives.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I don’t care whether you want it or not. Stop behaving like a teenager. There’s a reason why I asked you if you slept with Lex Harrington.”
“I didn’t know it was Lex Harrington.”
I shoot my hand up.
“That’s not the point. I asked you something. I know what’s been going on at Silver. Perhaps not with every client and maybe not every night, but no man gets his cock hard so he can drag it home along with a set of blue balls.”
“I told you there were other women for that...”
“Stop spinning it, Elsa. I’m not a kid. I was there. Remember? Because my genius sister said it would be a good way of making money. And it was. Two nights. And now, here I am, about to lose my real job, and go back to live with mom.”
“I haven’t slept with clients,” she says, serious this time.
“So how come you and Lex Harrington got so friendly.”
“I danced for him a couple of times, and we had fun, but he was never interested in me. Not in that way, anyway. Besides, the word was he was having someone else. Someone, he fucked in a hotel room nearby. A girl said there could’ve been two women, but nobody knew for sure. We didn’t even know his name. We all knew him as Alexander.”
I let out a sigh.
“Is that a good enough answer for you?” she asks, and I nod.
A few moments of silence slip by.
“Why are you so stressed out?” she asks, suddenly concerned.
I lean back against the tub, slowly running a hand over my face and rubbing my forehead.
“I’m not,” I say and pause for a moment. “I know why Jordan was angry with you,” I mutter softly, trying to shift the topic, not looking at her. “He thought you slept with someone else and that’s how you got pregnant. Who was the other man?” I ask and glance up at her.
