by Jess Bentley
The women tsk at me and then two of them begin fussing over getting me in the dress. The third rushes off to the back to find shoes. By the time she comes back, with a pair of Prada pumps in her hand, I’m snugly zipped into the dress, and feel more beautiful than I probably ever have in my life. The women “ooh” and “ahh” over how I look, and I know I’m probably blushing. So, when one of the women jots down something on a piece of paper, then says, “That will be five thousand, one hundred and eight dollars please. New Zealand dollars of course, miss,” I have to try not to turn green with shock.
“I’m sorry, what? How much? I don’t know if I can…”
The woman holding the shoes just smiles at me. “It’s okay, miss. Charge it to the room. I’m quite sure Pierce Cochran can afford it. And once he sees you looking like that? Ooh la la!” The women all giggle, but I’m confused.
“Wait, how do you know who Pierce is?”
The older of the three women hushes her compatriots, but looks just as invested as them. “Everyone knows who the Cochrans are. Now, anyway. Their business is set to be a big deal in Auckland, and we’ve been very excited about their arrival. Word spread quickly that he was staying in the hotel with his daughter and lady-friend.”
“Oh, I’m not…”
But I don’t have time to finish. The women have me sign a receipt and the next thing I know, they are pushing me out the door of the store, telling me to have a wonderful night. And I am flummoxed as to what it is I’ve gotten myself into, again…
When I walk back into the hotel room, Pierce and Chloe are asleep on the sofa, a classic cartoon blaring away in front of them as they snore identically. My heart swells as I see how much Chloe is like her father, and I realize how hard it is, and will be, to hide from him that I’m her mother. It’s starting to feel like too much. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this secret, along with every other secret I’m currently sitting on. I also don’t know how long Pierce’s been awake, or how long I’ve been staring at him like a dork. He just grins.
“Jesus, Arie. You look beautiful. Beyond beautiful. I’m not sure there is a word for how you look.”
I know I’m blushing. “It was so expensive, Pierce. I’m so sorry. But the salesgirls were talking so fast, and I didn’t really register the currency difference and I can totally take it back right now if you want me to.” I know I’m babbling but Pierce only smiles.
“I would soon cut off my own pinky before I told you return that dress. It’s stunning… But not as stunning as you.”
My stomach does a flip-flop, but thank goodness, I don’t have time to respond. There is a knock on the door as the babysitter arrives. She barely looks older than Chloe, but she assures us she is eighteen, certified, and more than qualified, so despite my visible nervousness, we walk out of the hotel and down the street to a restaurant called Civace. When we walk inside, the place is dimly lit with lanterns and candles, and clearly designed to be a place where romance blooms. I glance over at Pierce and he is trying not to make eye contact… just looking straight ahead for the hostess.
When she finally arrives, she looks a little embarrassed. “I’m so sorry for making you wait! Reservation?”
“Cochran for two.”
The woman immediately begins fussing around, nervous as a hen. “Oh, Mr. Cochran. Thank you so much for visiting us tonight! We’ve reserved you our best table, and a bottle of our most delicious champagne has been chilling in time for your arrival.”
I try and hide how impressed I am at all of this. Pierce always had money, but when we were kids, no one treated him like he was any kind of big shot. And then later, before our relationship ended, he never took me anywhere. Like, ever. We spent all of our time sitting in his room, playing video games and eating bad take-out. It had been like we regressed into children in a way we’d never been before. But now… it feels like we’re grownups. Even though we’re merely friends now, or employer and employee, there is an easiness to our time together that, even in such a short time, I already appreciate deeply.
We sit at a booth in the back of the restaurant, and within seconds, waitresses are bringing us champagne, and plates full of gorgonzola cheese, marinated figs, fresh honeycomb, baked eggplant with ginger and chili sauce, and bruschetta with confit aioli. I’ve never seen such delicious food in my life, and it takes all of my willpower not to start stuffing my face right away. But Pierce looks nervous about something.
“What’s going on, Pierce? Why did you want to come here, without Chloe?”
Pierce takes a piece of the bread and carefully spreads some of the cheese and honey on it, as if trying to delay the moment. Finally, he takes a long, deep breath, a long slug of champagne, and steels his shoulders.
“Arie, that meeting I had today. It was with a major new client, and they have requested that I take over their account full-time. That means…” He takes another slug of champagne. “That means I would need to move to Auckland. Permanently. Well, as far as I know anyway.”
I feel sick. Terrified. Alone and afraid all at once, though I really have no reason to. He still has no idea that I’m Chloe’s mother. He has every right to move anywhere he wants with his daughter, at least as far as he knows, or as far as I am allowed to be concerned. But there is no way I can tell him the truth. Not until I am sure that the Cannizzos are going to leave me alone for good. So, all I can do is nod and try to force on a smile.
“That’s amazing, Pierce. What a wonderful opportunity! I’m so excited for you and Chloe.” The words practically stick in my mouth. I’m surprised I can get them out at all. But Pierce rolls his eyes and reaches across the table.
“Stop pouting, you nerd. I want you to come with us.”
My jaw drops, probably for the tenth time today. “You want me to what? Here? Why?”
“Because. I’ve known you for most of my life, Arie. And now that you’re back, however fast this may be, I want you to be a part of that life again. I’m a better person now. I know it. And I think I’m ready to earn your trust back. If you’ll give me that chance. Even if it’s just as friends. I don’t want to lose you again.”
My whole body goes numb. “Pierce, I don’t know if I can just pack up and move to a whole new country. It’s easy for you. You have money, a job waiting here. But for me…”
Pierce leans forward with a serious look on his face. “Arie, I know something is going on for you in New York. Something bad. And it’s damn well time you tell me exactly what it is.”
Pierce
Arie’s face goes completely pale. “What are you talking about.” It’s not a question.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Arie. You didn’t show up at my door, looking for a job, just because there weren’t any other jobs in New York. You could have done anything. Why did you come to me? Tell me what is going on with you.”
She sighs and runs her hands through her hair. She looks so grown up, in a way I never imagined I would get the opportunity to see her. Not to mention so fucking beautiful that I find myself getting aroused.
Get your shit together, man.
“I don’t even know where to start, Pierce. And I don’t want to tell you everything. I can’t tell you everything. Not yet. But… the crux of the situation currently is that I own a ton of money to loan sharks that I can’t pay back, and, well, they are threatening to kill me.”
I feel the rage return, and I think that if one of these guys were in front of me right now, I could kill him without a single shred of remorse. All of my trained reflexes are kicking in, and I just want to neutralize the situation, and make sure Arie is safe. I have to take deep breaths to lower my blood pressure until I can breathe and think normally again.
“Arie, tell me you didn’t get caught up in gambling. After what your uncle went through? After what Marie went through to get him out of it?”
She emphatically shakes her head. “No! Never, Pierce. I would never do that. I was in a horrible position and I needed money. I w
as… I needed to pay a bill. Or the people I needed to pay wouldn’t keep helping me. And the, for a while, it seemed like having to pay these people back wouldn’t be an issue. Then, suddenly, it was an issue again. Now, I don’t know what to do.”
I squint, reading her face. I learned a lot in the SEALs about spotting the signs of deception in a suspect. And Arie is not lying. But she is holding a lot back. And that isn’t going to fly.
“Arie, there are more holes in that story than Swiss cheese. Tell me everything, and tell me now. How am I supposed to help you otherwise?”
She reaches down and wraps her arms around her stomach, and begins to look queasy. I didn’t want to ruin dinner, but I also know this needed to happen. I need to know what she has gotten herself into. So, I reach over and squeeze her arm. “Arie, please let me help you. Please.”
Arie reaches up and hides her face behind her hands for a moment. When she comes back, there are tears in her eyes, but she quickly brushes them away. “I was sick, Pierce. Really sick. I thought I was going to die. The doctors thought I was going to die. For a while, I was doing everything I could to fight it. And it was expensive. So expensive. I couldn’t afford the treatments, so I was forced to take money from these men I met at an OTB. By then they told me there was no hope, and they said I had maybe a few months to live? So, I took more money to pay off the hospital, thinking, ‘Well, I’m going to die anyway. What are they going to do about it?” And then, there was good news and bad news.” She pauses for a second and sighs. “The doctors discovered they’d been wrong all along. They’d misdiagnosed me, and now they said I was going to live. I just needed surgery, and to take some pills for the rest of my life. But now… I’m very much alive, and very much in debt to some horrible men. And I don’t know what to do, Pierce. I don’t.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Well, obviously, I’m going to give you the money, Arie. Why didn’t you just ask me to begin with?”
She just shakes her head sadly. “As I said earlier, it’s one thing to work for you, Pierce. To come by the money honestly. But I refuse to owe anyone else money. The whole ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ thing.”
“Arie, you aren’t robbing me. It’s my money, and I can do with it as I see fit. And I would never ask you to pay me back. I just want you to be safe.”
Arie smiles sadly. “I appreciate it, Pierce. But I’ve gone to great lengths to make sure they don’t know anything about me other than… me alone. I just need to see if they will let me pay them back in installments now that I have a real job.”
I wince remembering the man from the other day who followed us. “Honey, they know more than who you are. They know where you live, where you work. They know me, Chloe. I think they know a hell of a lot more than you expected.”
Arie starts to panic. “Oh, my God, do they know we’re here? Could they hurt Chloe? We have to get back to her! What if they…
“Calm down, seriously. It’s okay. There is no way they know we’re here. I’ve been watching since we left New York and no one is following us. But Arie, if you’re not going to let me pay them, what do you want to do? You really expect them to agree to a payment plan? Like they’re the bank and you’re refinancing your house? The Cannizzo family isn’t going to be amenable to you paying in installments.”
She leans back away from the table and crosses her arms over her chest. “How did you know it was the Cannizzo family I owe the money to?”
Well. Shit.
“I… I just… um…”
She taps her fingers on the table.
“The house has a security system. I overheard you talking to your ‘friend.’”
“So, you were spying on me,” she says with a scowl.
“I wasn’t spying. I was worried. And apparently, I had a right to be, based on what you’re telling me. But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is getting you out of this horrible situation. And don’t you think moving to a new country will help you get away from them, especially if you can’t pay them off?”
Arie groans. “I can’t just run away. They will follow me. I know they will. They said they will. And I don’t think they will have a problem finding me here, no matter how far away it may be.”
The collection of waitresses shows up again, this time with New Zealand filet and duck fat potatoes, thyme-roasted Portobello mushrooms with peas and mint feta, and spicy Moroccan lamb pie with a creamy mash. I want to keep arguing with Arie, but the food smells too amazing, and the next thing we know, we’re tucking in, eating everything we can get our hands on, and drinking another bottle of the delicious champagne like it’s water. By the time they bring a collection of desserts, we’re both stuffed, and definitely buzzing with the gentle haze that expensive champagne allows you.
A manager walks up as we’re finishing dessert, and he looks equal parts elated and nervous.
“Mr. Cochran, we are so honored you chose to dine at our humble little restaurant. I hope you found everything to your liking?” His face makes it clear that anything less than a glowing review might destroy his life.
“It couldn’t have been better. I suspect we will be frequenting your establishment many times over,” I say, feeling extremely verbose thanks to the champagne. The manager claps his hands together.
“And your wife? Did she enjoy her meal?”
“Oh, I’m not…” Arie starts to say, but I cut her off.
“She did, most definitely. My wife thoroughly enjoyed every dish. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my wife eat so voraciously before.” I wink at Arie, and she blushes. Damn, what has this champagne done to me? Stop being so damn forward, you goon, I think as I watch Arie shrink back into the booth.
“That is wonderful to hear, Mr. Cochran! If you need anything else tonight, or would like to return at any point during your stay in Auckland, just let us know and we will get you a table. No trouble!”
I tip a glass in his direction, and he scurries off back to the kitchen. Arie looks me, flabbergasted.
“Your wife, huh?”
I wink at her. “Want to head back to the hotel, Mrs. Cochran?”
When we walk through the door of our hotel room, we discover the babysitter chilling out on the couch, watching TV and flipping through her phone. I look at my watch and see its 9pm, so I suspect Chloe is asleep. The babysitter turns with a grin.
“She went down like a trooper. Been asleep for an hour, sleeping like an angel. She had dinner before, so she should be good until the morning! And with that, I’ll be on my way,” she says as she gathers her bags and starts for the door.
“What do I owe you?” I ask before she can escape. But she just shakes her head with a smile.
“Not a thing. The hotel has taken care of your bill. You two just enjoy the rest of your night.” She gives me a wink before she leaves, then shuts the door behind her. When I turn around, Arie is standing in the middle of the living room, and she looks so beautiful, I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. I don’t know what I want to do; part of me wants to cross the room and pull her in my arms and kiss her. For real. Like I’ve never kissed her before. Her huge, beautiful blue eyes are flashing at me, so full of life, and energy. I am suddenly completely overwhelmed by my passion for her. But, I don’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability, after everything we talked about tonight, and ruin it with my stupidity, or my lust. So, I just stand there like a fool. I don’t do anything about the tension coursing through the room.
But suddenly, she does. Arie rushes up to me, grabs my head in her hands, and ferociously pulls my face down to hers. She kisses me, hard. She nibbles at my lips, and plunges her tongue into my mouth, and I can’t help but respond in kind. Yet, suddenly, grief takes over me. Grief for the way I treated her before. Guilt for the man I used to be. And I don’t want to hurt her again, even though I want nothing more than to make love to her right here on the living room floor.
“Jesus, Arie. If you don’t stop doing that, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to, h
oney,” I warn her as the tug in my groin clues me into just how much I have been longing for her touch these past few years.
“Who said I want you to stop?” She is breathless from our frantic kiss, her eyes alight with passion and wonder. “Chloe might wake up. I don’t know how much time we have, but I don’t want to waste a second of it.”
She drags me over to the living room, leading the way, holding tight to my hand; she is determined in her steps, and when we get to the stairs that lead up to the loft, she gives me a playful glance over her shoulder. Then she kisses me again, a frantic and demanding kiss, as she pulls me down on top of her on the stairs. I am suddenly enveloped by the familiar scent of her, spicy, yet homey. Her hair smells of lavender and roses, and it brings back a flood of memories that threaten to drown me.
I take off my jacket first, then my shirt, and she reaches out and lets her hand run up and down my chest. As I drop my pants to the floor, however, I am suddenly hit with a pang of self-consciousness. No one but my family and my doctors have seen what a mess my leg is now, and I am afraid she will be horrified. I wince, and start to step away from her, but she just looks up at me with a sad smile. Then she stands up too, and slowly unzips her dress. After it falls to floor, she takes my hands and puts them on her stomach, where I can feel a thick scar across her abdomen. My heart begins to thud a thunderous beat as she stands in front of me, defiant and brave, dressed now only the slightest wisps of lace underwear, and so beautiful I think I might cry. Arie looks up at me and whispers,
“We all have scars, Pierce. You and me, we fought hard for ours. They are nothing to be ashamed of. They make us beautiful.”
I can feel tears welling in my eyes, so rather than let her see me cry, I swoop her up into my arms, and set her down on the stairs again. I bury my head in her stomach, kissing her navel and then tracing kisses along scar and back up, as my hands drift along her sides and ass. She moans as I squeeze the mounds of flesh in my hands, full yet soft… just like her. I glance up into her lovely face, and then ease my way back up, so I can kiss her perfect lips again. She is less aggressive now, but I can see the lust smoldering in her sapphire eyes. Arie closes her eyes to me as I plunge my tongue into the depths of her beautiful mouth, savoring each moment, each taste. Her tiny hands hold tightly to my shoulders, then loosen their grip as they begin to explore my body.
