Naked Obsession

by Rice, Rachel E.

  Sydney walked slowly to Steven to give whatever comfort she could. She had her own problems and it wasn’t money. But Steven’s problem was both.

  “I will make whatever loans I can to help you with your business, but the home, let it go.” The Porsche you don’t need. Steven shot a look at Sydney. He rolled his eyes; put his hands together as if praying. Sydney read his expression. “What do you want to do Steven? That is the best I have to offer. But until you know the damages that Jose’ inflicted you…” Steven cut off Sydney’s voice.

  “I know…I am destitute. Just kill me…kill me!”

  Sydney stared and took a deep breath. “I told you Steven, you are too old to allow someone to fuck you around.”

  “And what about you? Look what has happened to you?”

  Sydney and Steven began to laugh. They both had skeletons falling and hiding in their closets. Sydney and Danny and Page. Sydney and Robert. The list went on until they were both hungry. Sydney managed to fix a sandwich and settled down with a glass of red wine. The nanny came in and told them to keep quiet, which they obeyed.

  “Steven first we need to find a solution to your problem before we can discuss mine. I will have my attorney and auditors go over your books. They’ll be able to tell me what you need to sell to make your company viable. You can start by selling Jeremy’s painting of me.

  “Are you just being mean?” “Is this personal?”

  “You dam right it is.” Sydney sneered

  “Look…look I don’t want to get into the middle of anything because my ass is exposed.”

  “You’re in the middle of this and you left your ass exposed when you let Jose’ control your money and ass…I mean your assets.” Steven sat straight up as Sydney got his attention.

  “Let’s not get ugly.”

  “Steven what can you tell me about Jose’?”

  “I know he has family living in Paris. He wanted to take me there and propose to me in the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.” Steven stated wistfully while still clutching onto a dream.

  “Well then let’s go to Paris, we can try to locate him or find out his whereabouts. Phillip still has this Gulf Stream jet I’ve wanted to sell. Now is a good time to try it out and put it on the market. It will probably sell for ten million.”

  “When can we leave?” Steven smiled, he hadn’t in some time. It was as if a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulder. He grabbed Sydney and kissed her on both her cheeks.

  “Tomorrow. That will give me time to make arrangements and you time to get packed. I’ll call you with the details.

  Steven left instead of staying the night. He had a new sense of purpose and he realized that he would not lose everything he had worked for in one swell swoop. He would have the opportunity to fight for his life’s work.

  Steven left Sydney thinking of Phillip. Sydney had not thought about the jet since Phillip died in Italy. He had a home there also, and she was making plans to sell it too, because she didn’t want the memories anymore. The villa reminded her of the peace and security of Phillip’s love, because now all that peace and serenity was absent.

  She never missed anyone more than Danny, but it was Phillip that brought stability and peace to her life. Phillip was a playboy but he put that aside for her. She loved him for it. She finally got what she desired in life, if she couldn’t have Danny. Now they both were dead and she was empty once more. Now Jeremy was getting married and leaving her with Danny’s memory and children to raise alone.

  Her thoughts had been interrupted by the phone. The ring disturbed her. It was a familiar ring the kind she received when Phillip died. Sydney stood frozen. Then she thought that it was wiser just to put herself out of her misery and answer the phone.

  “Sydney, I called to invite you to my wedding.”

  “Why are you calling me, aren’t you suppose to send out invitations?”

  “Why are you making this so difficult? You don’t want me.” Jeremy’s body screamed for Sydney to admit that he is the love of her life and she would not be the same if he were married.

  “How can you say that when you know that Danny could be alive and come home?”

  “For Christ sakes admit that Danny is dead and marry me.”

  “Have you lost your mind? You can’t marry me and Nadia.”

  “I only want to marry you,” he stated half-crazed with passion.

  That was all Sydney wanted to know and she slammed the phone down. Not that he could hear the punctuated sound that woke the nurse.

  * * * *

  Jeremy could not sleep. He woke early to call Sydney in his false arrogance, but he got more than he wanted. He didn’t want to admit that he didn’t love Nadia, he did not want to admit that he lust, love, and craved Sydney with all his being. All the strength he accumulated from the constant phone calls by Sydney, were negated by that one brief careless call.

  He prowled around his apartment, and then decided to go to Paris, meet Nadia’s parents and marry her. Jeremy made impetuous decisions every day. That is how he saw the world. He had to grab hold and control those around him, but when he could not he waited for the right time, now there were no right or wrong time. He could not stop his life and stay in one place until maybe Sydney decided that she wanted him. He could not stop his life just because she could not accept that Danny was dead and would never return.

  He strode to the phone and called Nadia’s secretary to arrange a flight to Paris. After that was done he called Nadia.

  Nadia raced to pack because she waited for this all her life and there was no way in hell she would sit back and allow Sydney and her children to steal her unbelievable handsome man who would become a rich painter with her pull and encouragement. Yet Nadia never knew what made Jeremy tick. She didn’t know very much about him. All she knew was, he wanted her as his wife and that would be enough for her.

  Jeremy arrived at her apartment in the Village five hours later with a small carry on bag. Nadia looked at him.

  “Aren’t you bringing more than one change?”

  “I thought we could meet your parents and hurry back.”

  “Did you forget that you have a showing at my friend’s gallery?”

  “I must have forgotten I had to speak with Sydney about the children before I left.” He looked up at the light fixture, then put his hands in his black jeans and tugged on his black sweater. “I have something to tell you and I hope you understand. I don’t want to start out our marriage with lies.”

  Jeremy had never been honest with a woman in his life. He would lie to his mother about Danny. He tried to be honest and maybe he was trying now.

  He held Nadia with both hands and brought her close. She dropped her bag resting on her arm. “Nadia I have a child.” Nadia stood wide eyed and listened. She was not surprised. A man as handsome with a body to die for and creative must have children somewhere. It would not be normal if someone didn’t want a piece of him to look at for the rest of their life.

  “That doesn’t matter. I want you no matter what. As long as you don’t tell me that you’re a murderer. That I couldn’t handle.” She smiled and kissed him on the lips and tried to pick up her purse. Jeremy pulled her to him again. “But it’s more than that…” He paused and stared into her eyes. “Sydney…

  “Don’t say it Jeremy.”

  “I have to say it. The baby is mine.” He grabbed Nadia as she was slipping out of his hands.

  “I knew it was something. I knew she was more than she appeared to be. She is a slut. The worst kind.”

  “Don’t say that!” He walked away from Nadia. “You don’t understand.”

  “What is there to understand?” Nadia said with sarcasm.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

  Nadia saw that he was angry, so she held her emotions. She did not want to get into an argument with him and she thought that this could work to her advantage. She knew that she couldn’t have children. She planned to keep this from Jeremy until they were mar
ried. Maybe never tell him. Jeremy didn’t need to know, at least not now, and maybe she could convince Sydney to give Jeremy his baby.

  But Jeremy was on a different plane. Jeremy thought that if he had a child with Nadia then Sydney would not have a hold on him. That is why he did not say anymore. He felt sure that Sydney would come to her senses when she had been convinced that he would marry Nadia. Jeremy wasn’t thinking straight he was all over the map. He didn’t know what he wanted. Have a baby with Nadia. Marry Sydney.

  * * * *

  Steven dressed and ready to catch a flight to Paris sat in his foyer, bags packed and sitting on his remaining assets, a pair of alligator Hermes luggage. These were the only things Jose left him, including his underwear, he thought. His mouth curled downward in an upside down happy face.

  How could he be so stupid to put himself in such a mess? He knew what possessed him, and he managed to squeeze the words from his lips, “Love. Stupid, blind, crazy love.” There appeared to be no sane explanation for what he did; there was no other explanation that he would accept to explain giving control of all his money to a man he had just met. For all he knew he and Sydney were going on a wild goose chase. The possibilities of finding Jose in Paris were remote but worth the chance.

  The information Steven cobbled together from the bills and flights suggested that he could be in Paris or Spain. He sat peering at his Blackberry, hoping that Jose would e-mail him, or Sydney would call and say she was ready to go to the airport. He had to get out of New York and if it wasn’t for Sydney, he wouldn’t have two nickels to rub together, or a token to get out of the midtown tunnel. Then the phone rang.

  “What’s taking you so long?” Steven demanded.

  Sydney had been aware of how distraught Steven had been over the loss of his fortune. “You know Steven, I have children and a small baby.”

  “I didn’t know they were coming. You are bringing the nanny?”

  “Of course. Now get outside because the Limo is double parked.”

  Steven excited to change scenery, hurried into the elevator and down to the sidewalk. Going to Paris was the best news he had heard in this whole nightmare. He felt new again. It’s with Sydney’s help that he could look to the future, and he felt exhilarated. It took a few minutes to reach the car. The doorman helped with the luggage.

  After the doorman loaded Steven’s luggage into the limousine, He greeted the children, and their faces lit up as if they were seeing Santa to tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

  Steven acted as a surrogate father whenever Danny hadn’t been around or when Phillip Cross died in a car crash. He was always there for Sydney and the children. The children welcomed him because of his childlike behavior. He knew how to reach them. He was a child like them or they felt so. They loved and trusted him. He just wanted someone to love him.

  Sean and the twins screamed in unison, “Uncle Steven,” they all clapped and chanted for Steven. He pulled candy and toy cars from his pockets. The baby sat nursing a bottle of breast milk while Sydney quietly cradled him in her arms. She stared blankly out of the tinted limo window not seeing anything or anyone.

  * * * *

  Nadia and Jeremy hailed a cab and headed to J.F.K. Airport. Both were silent as they rode along the expressway. Yet Jeremy held Nadia’s hand tight. He glanced her way, “Did you tell your mother and father I would accompany you?”

  “Of course dear. I informed them that we have some important news to share with them.”

  “You didn’t…” Jeremy stopped.

  “No I didn’t tell them that you asked to marry me. You know that you can get out of it if you want.” Nadia scanned Jeremy’s face.

  Jeremy squeezed her hand, “I don’t want to change my mind.” I plan to ask Sydney for my baby.” Jeremy turned his body away from Nadia. He peered blankly through the cloudy cab window not seeing anything or anyone.

  – THE END –

  Read on for an excerpt from

  Burning Obsession

  Book #3

  Brazil

  Danny stumbled out of the plane unaware of the trauma he had endured. He wandered through the thick forest among the sunless sky. He had walked for days always looking up to see whether it was night or day. The trees were so large and the vegetation so thick that even if someone sent out a rescue plane they would never see him. He had to find his way out. Suddenly he heard sounds and he stumbled in that direction.

  Men hunting Jaguars came on him, his eyes swollen, his clothes torn and tattered, and his handsome face scarred from insect bits and metal. Scares ran the length of both sides of his face, down his neck, across his chest in vertical and horizontal lines.

  The hunters brought him to a village and there he began to heal. Months passed and he was able to walk around the room which served as a hospital for the indigenous Indians in the area. Adjacent to the hospital sat a hotel of unbelievable wealth.

  He knew what a hotel of that magnitude meant. It would be filled with tourist from all over the world. He trudged to the sparse window to get a closer look. His footing wasn’t even and he stumbled as he lumbered to peek at the back of the hotel. After passing an old worn mirror returning to his bed, he gasped at the sight of a stranger in his room. He took a second look and there was a semblance of a man that resembled him, and his mind asked, “Who is that stranger?”