A Modern Love Story

by Jolyn Palliata

  “Where are you going?”

  “A trip. I leave late tonight. I didn’t wanna tell you until the last minute.”

  “Why not?”

  “‘Cause I don’t want Luc to know, and I didn’t want to put you in a position to where you’d have to lie to Conrad.”

  “Don’t be a moron,” Lizbeth huffed. “I wouldn’t tell Conrad, and I don’t have to lie, either. I’ll be straight and say I don’t trust his ass not to tell Luc.”

  Robbie smiled and snorted a laugh. “Fair enough. I just have to get away from all this for awhile. Get some distance, maybe a little perspective.”

  “What about your job at the museum. You don’t want to give that up.”

  “I won’t be. The trip is through the museum. I volunteered to go to a dig in Florida to learn about proper cataloging of artifacts. From there I’m going to South America to study the recovery and preservation of Mayan relics.” She grabbed at another box and dragged it in front of her. “I figured in Florida I’ll shoot over and stay at the L’s for a few days of quiet before I dive into work. They won’t be there, but it’ll be fine.”

  “Why won’t they be there? Oh, wait. They’re going on that cruise, right?”

  “Yeah. They leave tonight, too. They’re driving down to the Keys and the boat launches tomorrow. I haven’t told them I’m coming yet, but they shouldn’t mind. I have a key, so…”

  Lizbeth looked knowingly at her. “You didn’t want them to tell Luc, huh? That’s why with the big secret.”

  “I know, I’m being childish. But I know Luc, and if he catches wind of where I am, he’ll hound me.”

  “I get it.” Lizbeth stood and took a survey of the area for herself. “How about this? I’ll go get us a couple of coffees, and we’ll hit this like a couple of caffeinated tornados.”

  She giggled. “That doesn’t even make any sense.”

  “Regardless, you get my meaning. You up for coffee?”

  “You are a god, and you should be worshiped.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  *****

  Feeling punchy after his doctor’s appointment, Luc decided to go home and call the L’s. Whenever he needed a second ear—the first having always been Robbie—he knew he could count on Leah and Lawson.

  “She didn’t even tell me where she moved to. Hell, she didn’t even tell me she moved.”

  “I think she’s trying to figure things out,” Leah said gently. “Same as you.”

  “You’ve talked to her then?”

  “Yeah. When she called about the new job.”

  “What new job?”

  “Oh…she didn’t tell you? That’s strange. She was so excited…”

  “She got the museum position,” he deduced, smiling despite his frustration. Then he sighed. He would’ve loved to have heard it from Robbie herself. “She won’t talk to me, Leah. For two weeks now, nothing. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  “I’m not sure what to tell you, Luc. I know this was a bit of a shock to her, especially coming on the tail of what else you’ve been through.”

  “Leah, listen to me. Listen to my voice. You know me almost as well as Robbie does. I love her. I am in love with her. Now, do I sound like someone trying to hurt her?”

  “Of course not, sweetie. But you already have. You need to give her space to heal. After she has her feet back under her, then you can follow your heart and see where it leads you.”

  Luc let her words sink in and, regretfully, agreed with her. If Robbie needed space, he’d give her space. And if being with him wasn’t what made her happy, then she shouldn’t be with him. He’d have to let her go—even though the thought of losing her made him want to fucking puke.

  “Hold on, sweetie,” Leah said. “Lawson wants to talk to you.”

  “Alright. Oh, hey…have fun on your cruise.”

  “Thanks. We will. Love you.”

  He heard a rustling as the phone was being passed off.

  “Luc, my boy. You hanging in there?”

  Luc smiled, appreciative to have such great parents in his life. And then he explained everything to Lawson, in much the same way he had with Leah—albeit with more colorful language, and much more aggression, best-suited to a conversation between two men.

  “You’ll do what’s right.” Lawson said after a pause. “I have no doubt. Just follow your gut, son.”

  It was the son reference that gave Luc pause, and then he quickly, but politely, got off the phone to follow his train of thought.

  Lawson was a father to him, even though he wasn’t blood, he was a father to him. Luc knew he could call Lawson at any fucking hour of the day, for any reason, and he’d never be turned away. He could ask Lawson for any damn thing in the world, and if the man had it to give, he’d hand it over. Even living hundreds of miles away for the past six years, Lawson was no less a father to him than if he lived right fucking there in Vermont.

  It suddenly occurred to Luc what Robbie had been talking about—what should’ve been obvious to him. He didn’t have to be in Payten’s life to be a good father. He didn’t have to see her every day to prove he loved his kid, or to be in the kid’s life. What mattered was the time he spent with his kid—the time him and Robbie could spend with his kid. What mattered was always being there for the kid, not for Payten.

  Well, Jesus fucking Christ.

  Luc grabbed his keys and strode out the door. Payten’s first, then Robbie’s. No. This time, he didn’t want to wait. Robbie first, then Payten.

  *****

  As he weaved in and out of traffic on the way to the museum, he thought about what to say. What the hell could he say?! I’m sorry…again. I love you so much…again. Shit. He knew she wouldn’t want to hear any of that, and he couldn’t blame her. Okay, so he’d just tell her what he figured out and that she was right. And then tell her he wanted to be with her, but understood she needed time. Then he’d have to just wait and see what decision she made.

  Crawling amongst the other cars, Luc wondered how he was going to find her at work. That place was fucking huge. He figured he could just wait and watch for her, but that felt a little stalker-ish and he didn’t think he’d have the damn patience anyway.

  He glanced to the side and saw Payten stroll out of what looked like a doctor’s office. Curious, he jerked the wheel to the side and parked at the curb. Payten told him she didn’t have any doctor’s appointments for a few weeks yet. Squinting against the sun sitting low in the sky, he finally made out the name on the building. It was a clinic of some sort, but it was the picture of a woman cradling a baby that was a dead giveaway.

  He waited until Payten pulled out of the lot and turned down the street before hopping out of his truck. He didn’t know what she could possibly be hiding from him, but he was going to find out.

  One look at the stern-looking nurse behind the counter had him deciding his plan of attack.

  “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said with a smile. “I was supposed to meet my girl, and I was running late as usual. I really don’t know how she puts up with me. Anyhow, I was wondering if I could join her in the back? Her name’s Payten Carmichael. Lovely woman, blond hair, blue eyes.”

  “Yes, she was here. But I’m afraid you just missed her, Mr. Carmichael.”

  Luc didn’t bother to correct the name and instead used it to his advantage. “Oh, God. Could I be a worse husband?” he asked, rhetorically. “I assume she saw the doctor.”

  “They already went over the results.”

  He leaned closer. “And?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Doctor-patient confidentiality. You understand, of course.”

  “Of course.” Luc nodded, trying to look sheepish as he lowered his voice. “But if the news is bad… I don’t want her to have to go through that.”

  The nurse’s expression softened as she considered him, and then she leaned forward as well. “The results came back…”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m af
raid your wife is infertile.”

  Luc stared at her with his mouth hanging open, thoroughly stunned.

  “I’m sorry,” the nurse said, regret clear in her tone.

  “So…no chance of pregnancy,” Luc murmured.

  “No, Mr. Carmichael.”

  “None.” He swallowed hard. “Whatsoever.”

  Her expression became guarded and cold as she pulled back to study him.

  Luc quickly dropped his face in his hands. “She must be destroyed. She wants children so bad. God, what she must be feeling.”

  The nurse’s voice was soft, and a glance in her direction showed the skepticism had fled. “There are other options. The doctor went over them with her.”

  He nodded numbly, an action he didn’t have to feign to achieve. What the fucking hell?! She wasn’t even pregnant?! That goddamn bitch!

  “You should go to her.”

  “Yes, yes. You’re absolutely right. We have a lot to talk about.”

  *****

  Luc didn’t bother knocking when he got to Payten’s—he just barged right in. “Payten!” he hollered from the foyer.

  “In here,” she called out.

  He strode into the newly-finished office to find her sorting through fabric samples and paint swatches. “I think I found the perfect theme for the nursery,” she gushed, holding up some pictures. “You have to take a look at these. They’re fabulous!”

  “Cut the crap, Payten.”

  She froze as a hardness he’d never noticed before crept into her features. “You’re cranky.” Tossing the pictures on the table, she turned toward him with her arms crossed. “I don’t think you’re getting enough sleep. Once the baby comes, we’ll have to talk about your hours at the bar. It might be time to sell it. You’ll be needed here, at home.”

  Luc had to remind himself that first of all, she was a woman, and secondly, she was a lawyer. With those two thoughts in mind, he backed up a couple of steps before talking. “What fucking baby?”

  Payten’s eyes popped wide. “Luc, I—”

  “Drop it, bitch. I know the goddamn truth.” His tone was flat and calm, belying the rage under the surface, but knowing this was a safer route to take.

  “You can’t talk to me like that. I’m the mother of your child. I deserve some respect.”

  His hands fisted as he took a step forward. “You fucking bitch! I went to your doctor’s office. I know you can’t have kids!”

  Her hand flew to her mouth. “That’s a lie. I miscarried…” He saw how hard she was biting on her lip, and wasn’t surprised to see the tears that followed. “I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “Oh, fuck off, you manipulative piece of shit!” He took another step forward, his whole frame vibrating. “I’m walking out that fucking door, and I don’t want to see you anywhere near me or anyone else I know. If I fucking even think I see a strand of your bleach blond hair in my vicinity, I will make your life a living fucking hell! Do I make myself clear?!”

  She stared at him, a mixture of emotions presenting across her features.

  “Do I?!” he roared, his voice booming through the air.

  She flinched, but then sneered. “Crystal.”

  *****

  Luc wanted to call Robbie right after he found out the truth, but it took him a couple of days to not spew forth a string of profanities at the mere thought of that blonde bitch, Payten. Besides, he wanted to make sure she stayed away first, and so far, she had.

  He was still planning on giving Robbie the space she needed, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t give her the facts. She’d been just as affected by all this shit as he was—she deserved to know. Finding Robbie, however, proved harder than he’d thought it would be.

  Sitting in the office at Hooligan’s, Luc mulled over the information he’d received when he called the museum. Or, actually, the lack thereof. She left on an assignment. That was all they would tell him. Well, that was fucking helpful.

  The sound of Lizbeth and Conrad’s voices in the empty bar had Luc jumping to his feet, and darting through the door.

  “Lizbeth,” he called out, stopping the couple by the main door. “I need to get a hold of Robbie.”

  “Isn’t that just tough shit for you? What do you need her for?”

  Luc averted his eyes in embarrassment. There was no fucking way he wanted to admit to her that he’d been swindled by some bimbo. Besides, Robbie deserved to know the truth first. “I’ve got something important to talk to her about.”

  She raised a brow.

  “It’s private,” he clarified.

  “Either you tell me and I pass it on, or you’re shit out of luck, slick.”

  “Lizbeth, he said—” Conrad began, but cut off when she shot him a glare.

  “Look. She doesn’t want him to know, and I’m respecting her wishes. If the two of you don’t like it, then you can both go to hell.” With that she shoved through the door, and let it slam behind her.

  “Well, shit,” Conrad huffed.

  Luc felt guilty—he didn’t want to get between them again. “Go after her, man. Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”

  Conrad nodded before ducking out the door. Just as Luc was about to call the L’s, another possible source of information, his cell phone rang.

  “Luc Cintrone, please.”

  Luc didn’t recognize the voice. “Speaking.”

  “This is Dr. Gales office calling about the results of your hair strand test. The doctor would like you to come in for a consult.”

  “Can’t you just give me the results over the phone?”

  “I could, sir. But the doctor would still like to speak with you in person.”

  “Fine. What did the test say?” He heard the rustling of papers on the other end.

  “You tested positive for Rohypnol, ketamine and MDMA. They were ingested fairly recently, too. The doctor will discuss that with you, along with the short- and long-term effects.”

  “What the hell are those? I’ve never even heard of them.”

  “You may know them better by their street names: The date rape drug, Special K, and Ecstasy. Did you willingly consume any of these drugs?”

  “Of course not! One of them I’ve never even heard of. What do they do?”

  “The doctor can give you more details than I can, but Rohypnol is a benzodiazepine, ketamine is a hallucinogen, and MDMA acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic. Ecstasy has actually been known to trigger effects for weeks afterwards, several of which are psychological.”

  “Great,” Luc mumbled, pulling his hand through his hair. This was all he needed on top of everything else.

  “Can I schedule an appointment for you this afternoon?”

  “Yeah. Whenever. I’m wide open. Wait. What about the STD test I had him run.”

  More rustling of papers. “That came back negative.”

  At least he had one thing going for him.

  *****

  “So you two haven’t had any weird mood swings, or blackouts, or anything?” Luc asked as him, Conrad and Lizbeth sat around Conrad’s kitchen table.

  “I haven’t. Have you, gorgeous?”

  She shrugged, then winked. “No more than usual.”

  Luc half-smiled at her joke. “Lizbeth, do me a favor? Make sure Robbie knows about this, okay? Make sure she’s all right.”

  Lizbeth nodded. “I’ll let her know.”

  “Thanks.” Luc pushed away from the table and looked at Conrad. “You sure you got things covered for a few days?”

  “You bet. Lizbeth agreed to help out, too.”

  “How long you gonna be gone?” she asked.

  “Three days, tops. I’m going up to the mountains. Gotta clear my head.” He still hadn’t bothered to tell them why, and was content to let them think it was because of this whole drug business.

  “Think the cops will figure out who did it?” Conrad wondered out loud.

  “Who knows. They said they’d stop by for a statemen
t later in the week.”

  “Don’t forget to tell Payten you’re leaving. I don’t want her nagging us for three days.” Lizbeth scowled at the idea.

  “You won’t need to deal with her,” Luc said, catching Lizbeth’s curious expression as he turned towards the door. “I’m gonna call the L’s before I split, then I’m outta here. See you in a few.”

  *****

  Robbie sighed as she hit the play button on the answering machine again. She knew she should feel guilty for listening to the L’s message, but she had already heard it when it had been recorded a few days ago.

  Hey, Leah. Lawson. I know you’re on your cruise, but I guess I’m kinda hoping you’ll get a chance to check your messages while you’re gone. I wanted to let you know what’s all going on around here. Rob took off on some assignment or something…you might know where. Since I don’t, I haven’t been able to touch base with her. If you talk to her, could you ask her to call me? I gotta fill her in on some shi— Some stuff. Oh, hell. I might as well tell you. After our last talk, I figured out what Rob was all pissed about. That I could be a father to my kid without having to be there for Payten. Of course, Rob could have just told me that… Anyway, I was heading to the museum to find Robbie when I found out Payten wasn’t really pregnant—she played me. Who the hell knows why? Oh, and there’s gonna be an investigation or something over some drugs someone slipped me. I’m figuring it happened at the bar. Conrad and Lizbeth are fine, and Lizbeth is gonna check on Rob. Anyway, I’m taking off for a few days to clear my head—gonna do some hiking in the mountains. If you get this, give me a call on my cell, otherwise I’ll catch you when you get back. Love ya, guys.

  Luc’s voice sounded so distant, so sad. That culminating with the fact she missed him something fierce and empathized with what he was going through, had her wondering what she should do…if anything at all.

  The phone ringing brought Robbie out of her contemplations, and she nearly answered out of habit before stopping herself. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was no one she knew, and let the machine pick up instead.

  This is Sam Tombs calling for Lawson Selwyn regarding the Colin Byrne investigation. If you could please give me a call at your—