A Guardian's Passion

by Stein Willard

  “Then why didn't you tell me that you and Jess broke up?”

  Gabriella grimaced. She had almost completely forgotten about Jessica. The past three weeks had been so intense with Trinity coming back into her life.

  “How did you find out?”

  “Jess was here a couple of times and said that she was trying to get hold of you at your apartment. You apparently refuse to open for her.” The blue eyes were pensive. “She said that you broke it off with her. May I ask why?”

  Gabriella walked back to her desk and sank down on her chair.

  “She cheated on me.” Gabriella was shocked to find that she could talk about Jess and not feel a thing. No anger. Nothing. “I came back early from LA to surprise her and found her in bed with another woman.”

  Fran's jaw drop. “You must be joking?”

  “Nope, I'm not. I kicked her out that same night.”

  Fran shook her head in disbelief. “The two of you were so good together. What a shame.” She bit her under lip, pensive again. “We need to get you back in the dating game. I know of a number of ladies who would be over the moon about your new single status. What do you say?”

  Gabriella shook her head and picked up her reading glasses. Telling her about Trinity now would only result in a lot of questions and as for now she only wanted Trinity to be on a need to know basis for the time being. She wanted to keep her as her little secret for just a little while longer. She felt a little guilty having to lie to Fran, but she will make it up to her later.

  “All I need now is time to myself, Fran. After six years it's not that easy to just move on and find somebody else.” She was surely going to go to hell for this lie. “But I will let you know as soon as I'm in need of companionship. Being single doesn't mean that I have to neglect other stuff, you know.” The last she said with a naughty wink and laughed when Fran blushed again.

  Fran wasn't the frank type and after eight years still cringed when she had to type up notes with explicit descriptions of sex acts. It made her all the more endearing to Gabriella.

  “I’ll go switch on the kettle,” Fran said quickly and ducked out of the office, with Gabriella's chuckles following her out. Fran came back later with a steaming mug of coffee and reminded her of the taping she had for the A Woman's World show after lunch. Shortly afterwards her first patients show up and Gabriella was kept busy until lunchtime.

  †

  Gabriella stepped off the elevator leading to the underground parking lot, going through her purse for her car keys. Her hands stilled suddenly and she quickly scanned the semi-dark area. She wasn't alone. She could sense another presence close by. The building housed many other firms and the parking bays were filled with cars. Her car was parked on the opposite side of the parking lot and she made a mental note to ask Fran to get her a parking spot closer to the elevator.

  Holding on tightly to her briefcase, she took a deep breath and started the long walk to her car. The presence grew stronger and stronger until she came to a stop next to her car. Her heart was beating so fast now that she felt lightheaded.

  “Hi.”

  She spun around at the sound of the voice behind her, dropping her briefcase and the car keys in the process. Trinity looked guilty for having startled her. Her shock and fear evaporated at the sight of her green-eyed lover. She walked into Trinity’s arms and held on tightly.

  “You scared a few years off my life, but I'm glad to see you.” She quickly took a step back, her amber eyes suspicious. “You're not supposed to be awake right now, least of all walk in the sun.” She took another step back.

  Trinity smiled. “Vampire magic, remember. With so much money going around, a lot of it has been invested in the development of a daylight drug. It allows us to enjoy temporary exposure to the sun.”

  Gabriella lifted her eyebrows. “I’ve heard about it.” She kissed Trinity and ran her hands over the tall frame. “What a handy invention.” She'd been planning on grabbing a sandwich for lunch from the deli around the corner and driving to the studio, but having Trinity with her was very tempting indeed. She bent down to pick up her keys and briefcase. Her apartment wasn't far from here. Maybe a quickie in the lounge on the carpet wasn't such a bad idea.

  “As deliciously wicked as it sounds, it is a bad idea, my love. You will be late for your appointment.” For a moment Gabriella was startled, before a deep blush warmed her face. Trinity took the keys from her and unlocked the car by deactivating the alarm. “If you like I could wait for you until you are done with the taping and then we can go to your apartment. What do you think?”

  Gabriella cupped Trinity's cheek and placed a kiss on her lips.

  “Sounds great.” She wasn't ashamed to admit that since she'd met Trinity again, all she could think about was having sex with her. The woman was addictive. “I will have to pick up a sandwich though since I skipped breakfast this morning.”

  “I will stop at the deli.”

  Gabriella walked around the car and got in at the passenger side. She'd never seen Trinity drive before and had even doubted as to whether she could. But she wasn't overly shocked when the vampire smoothly pulled out of the parking bay and exited the underground parking area. Vampires can do almost everything it seems.

  †

  There was a slight commotion at the door of the studio as the taping neared the end. Trinity saw the floor manager yank off his headphones and hand them to another guy before he walked over to where two security guards were keeping someone from entering. She turned her attention back to the set and noticed that everyone else was undisturbed by what was happening at the door. The doors closed quickly and thanks to her enhanced hearing, Trinity could clearly hear the muffled conversation taking place between the floor manager and the newcomer.

  “I'm sorry but we cannot allow you in. Any disruption now will affect the taping,” she heard the floor manager said firmly.

  “I need to speak with Dr. Talos,” a female voice was saying and at the mention of Gabriella's name, Trinity quickly turned to face the door.

  “I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until after the taping.”

  “How much longer before you're done in there?” the woman asked sharply.

  “Another twenty minutes or so. Now will you please let us do our job until then?”

  There was short silence before the woman answered.

  “I'll wait for her in the green room. Please give her the message.”

  ~~~~

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gabriella sighed with relief when she heard the floor manager indicate the end of the taping and she waited patiently for the sound guy to remove his gear. Her eyes searched the studio for the tall frame of Trinity and she smiled when she caught the green eyes staring back at her from behind a studio camera on her right.

 

  Gabriella's eyes widened when she realized that Trinity had just spoken directly to her mind. She saw the amusement in the green eyes and smiled too. Inger had told her that she and Paloma mostly communicated telepathically and she had meant to ask Trinity why she'd never tried that with her. Her thoughts went back to what Trinity had said and she shook her head.

 

  She saw Trinity nod before she was ushered to the door by one of the floor assistants. Just then the producer came over to her and they quickly discussed the taping schedule for the next week. Ten minutes later she made her way over to the green room.

  “Nice show, Doc,” one of the young assistants called to her on the way to her green room. She smiled back at him as she pushed the door open.

  She stopped it her tracks when Jessica quickly came to her feet. She hadn't seen her for over three weeks and she couldn't help but notice how worn-out she looked. Her beautiful grey eyes were dull and her hair had grown longer than she usually kept it. Gabriella slowly closed the
door behind her. Just when she was about to speak, Jessica held up her hand.

  “Please just hear me out before you tell me to leave. I know I've hurt you, but I want to know if there isn't a way for me to show you how much I regret what I've done to you.”

  Gabriella couldn't help the feeling of melancholy that washed over her. Had it not been for Trinity, she would've been in the same state as Jessica. Severing six years of emotional attachment was not an easy task. As she looked into Jessica’s eyes, all she could see were warm green eyes. She rudely squashed the feeling of melancholy. She was in love with someone else. Someone she knew loved her back as much as she did. Someone she trusted completely with her heart. Her silence seemed to make Jessica even more frantic and the photographer began to pace up and down only to stop before her again.

  “There must be something I can do to save our relationship and win back your trust.” The grey eyes were pleading with her and Gabriella felt her heart constrict. No matter what Jessica has done to her, she wasn't sure she could utter the words she knew she had to say. Not when those dove-grey eyes looked at her like that. The anguish in them was heartbreaking.

  “You shouldn't be here, Jess,” she said lamely.

  “You didn't answer the door when I went to the apartment and you didn't come to the office for the past four days. I found out about the taping session from Fran and I knew this was the only place to talk to you.” The grey eyes stared deeply into her. “What can I do to make you take me back, baby?”

  Closing her eyes, Gabriella prepared herself mentally for what she was about to say. She slowly opened her eyes; finally ready to do one of the most painful things she'd ever had to do in her life.

  “We can't get back together again, Jessica, because I've met someone else.”

  A mixture of shock and hurt flashed across Jessica's face and she stumbled back until her back hit the wall. The grey eyes shot full of tears and Jessica slowly lowered her head. Gabriella wanted to walk over to her, but a sharp command stopped her from doing just that.

 

  Gabriella felt like the worst kind of criminal standing there looking at Jessica. As angry as she was at Trinity for commanding her on how to handle the situation, she had to admit that Trinity was right. Comforting Jessica now would only confuse her and Trinity didn’t want to give the other woman any hope of reconciliation.

  “I'm sorry for hurting you, Jess,” she said instead. Jessica lifted her head and Gabriella saw the tears on her face. She had never seen Jessica cry before and it was uncomfortable to witness the woman’s pain.

  “Did you hook up with this person because of what I did to you?”

  “No. I've known her all my life, but we only met again three weeks ago.”

  Jessica wiped her face with the back of her hand and pushed herself away from the wall to come stand in front of her.

  “I deserve this, you know. I've always known that if and when you ever found out about my affairs that you'd leave me.” She sniffed and tried to smile through her tears. “I have been very happy with you and I wish I can tell you that I will try to accept your choice and move on, but I can't and I won't. Who knows, maybe one day you might decide to give me another chance.”

  “Jessica…” she began, but Jessica shook her head.

  “You’re a woman worth fighting for and…” A sharp knock on the door startled them both and they turned together to see who it was.

  Trinity opened the door and stood in the doorway, looking from Gabriella to Jessica and back to Gabriella.

  “Are you ready to leave?”

  Gabriella turned to Jessica.

  “I’ve got to go. Goodbye, Jess.”

  Trinity nodded in Jessica's direction and held out her hand to Gabriella.

  “I will try to win her back, you know.” Jessica said suddenly and Trinity's green eyes flashed, but she didn't say anything. Instead she held the door open for Gabriella and followed her out.

  They were in the car when Trinity broke the silence. She turned to look at Gabriella, who sat quietly, staring out in front of her.

  “I like her.” That's all she said as she maneuvered the car out of the studio's parking lot and into traffic. Gabriella didn't question Trinity when she drove straight to her office; on the contrary, she was actually glad that she was so sensitive to her feelings. After what had happened at the studio between her and Jessica, she was not in the mood for making love.

  “I will stop by later to take you home.” Trinity said and Gabriella was surprised to find that they were already at the office.

  “Where will you go in the meantime?” she asked. There was something they had to say to each other, but she wasn't sure what. Trinity's eyes were hooded, a sign that she was trying to hide her feelings.

  “It is Friday. I will go play a few sets of chess in the park and come back here. Will you be fine until then?”

  No. I feel as if I’ve hurt you in some way and that you can’t wait to put space between us. Her inner turmoil didn’t bleed into her voice when she spoke. “Yes.”

  “Let me know when you are ready to leave. I will come right away.” She patted Gabriella’s hand. “I will walk you to the elevator.” Trinity opened the driver's door and walked around to the passenger door.

  †

  As nonchalant as she was acting about the situation, Trinity was seething inside. She was really trying to be understanding about the situation, but her jealousy was slowly getting the best of her. She needed to put space between them quickly, before Gabriella picked up on her mood.

  The door opened and Gabriella climbed out of the car. Their eyes met before Trinity stepped back allowing for Gabriella to pass. Gabriella didn’t move away. Instead she looked at Trinity with sad eyes.

  “I'm sad because she was my closest confidant for six years. She supported me, encouraged me, and celebrated my achievements with me during the course of our relationship. No matter how many affairs she has had, I will always remember what she meant to me during our six years together.” The amber eyes were serious. “However, it doesn't mean that I regret the break-up, because I love you very much. I just wish there was an easier way to let her down, instead of hurting her the way I know I did.”

  Trinity nodded, grateful to Gabriella for putting everything in perspective for her. She understood it all better now. Just the other night when she had confronted Clarissa, she had experienced the same emotions that Gabriella was feeling. She had felt the same guilt for being with Gabriella while Clarissa obviously still loved her and wanted her back.

  “Please tell me you understand?” Gabriella pleaded. Trinity reached out and pulled her into her arms.

  “I do now. I must admit that I was a little jealous before now.” She bent her head and they shared a warm kiss. “You need to go now before you are late for your next appointment.”

  They held hands as they walked to the elevator and just before Gabriella entered the elevator they kissed again.

  “I feel like going out tonight. Would you like to go to the movies? I can have Fran call to find out what's showing.”

  “Sounds good. Why not make it a real date and include dinner.”

  The amber eyes shone brightly.

  “See you later.”

  †

  It was Friday evening and as usual most New Yorkers were suffering from severe bouts of insomnia, but tonight Tristan didn't even notice. He had a date and even if it killed him he was going to continue acting like the charming gentleman. After all this was just a means to an end.

  He pulled out a crisp note and handed it to the girl behind the counter. Tristan felt his ire spark as the girl snapped the gum between her teeth. He didn’t know what offended him more, the chewing and snapping or the strong overpowering odor of the strawberry flavored gum. If she'd known what he was capable of doing to her she'd stop her rude behavior immediately, he thought as he felt a thrill go through his body. The beast inside
was sharpening its claws, Tristan’s mild irritation having roused him. He should feed before he picked up his date just in case his hunger overwhelmed him and he snacked on her instead.

  Pocketing his wallet, he once again fixed his attention on the bubblegum-chewing girl, trying hard to keep his face from pulling in a sneer. He looked around him quickly and grimaced. There were too many people present. He turned back to the girl who was in the process of blowing a bubble, while fishing in the cash register for his change.

  Ach, what the hell. Looking hard at the girl he soundlessly murmured a few lines and clenched his hand in a tight fist. The girl suddenly looked up from the cash register, her eyes wide in panic as she began to sputter. Her hand clutched at her throat, where the strawberry flavored gum she'd been chewing on a second ago, was lodged. A lady to his right screamed in alarm as she rounded the counter to perform the Heimlich procedure on the girl.

  Tristan smiled inwardly at the woman’s feeble attempt to save the girl. Not tonight. With grim satisfaction he saw the girl give a final gasp and go limp. He rarely used the power of compulsion to kill. He loved doing it physically, but after tonight he might just reconsider his disdain for the method. Taking his flowers from the counter he walked out the door. Suddenly the night didn't seem so dreary anymore. Pulling up the collars of his trench coat he walked down the street, whistling a merry tune as an ambulance sped passed him.

  †

  Trinity looked at Gabriella from across the table as her lover tore into the pizza slice. She'd hoped to take her to some fancy restaurant and a bit of dancing afterwards, but the brunette had insisted on going for pizza and a diet Pepsi instead. Gabriella looked up and smiled at her, the corners of her mouth sported crumbs from biting into the huge slice.

  “You should try some. It's really very nice,” she said around a mouthful.

  Trinity pulled a face and shook her head. “No thanks. I am on a strict liquid diet.”