by Avril Rose
She sets down her things in the hall and walks with me to the kitchen, where I open a bottle of wine. She's standing, leaning against the table, looking mischievous and amazing. And she’s miles away from knowing what's going on behind her back.
My animal instinct springs to life. I feel a deep need to protect her.
Does she have any idea what she does to me?
I don’t even dare ask her about her day. I’m afraid I'll give myself away.
“I went to the Italian place. Is that okay?”
“Perfect. I love that place! Did I tell you I have Italian roots?” she says.
“No! Do you have family there?”
“Yeah, some distant cousins near Naples.”
“Do you see them often?”
“No. We went to see them with my parents once but it was a long time ago. I don’t really remember it. The photos are the only memory I have of the trip.”
“I’ve never been to Italy. But it’s a country I’d love to visit.”
“What countries have you visited?”
“I’ve been to the United States a bunch of times. To Harvard for school. Then New York, California, Florida... Mostly for work. I took a trip to India recently. And Australia four years ago.”
I stop when I realize she’s staring at me, dumbstruck.
“How have you traveled so much already? You’re so young. My travels include England and Spain, that’s it. And those were school trips!”
“I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to see what was going on in other places, across our borders. The country I know the least is probably our own!”
And off we launch into another long conversation. I love these moments with her, learning about each other, sounding each other out. The minutes fly by at incredible speed. She’s as curious about me as I am about her.
She's sitting on the table. She obviously feels at home here, and I must say I like it. Now the apartment feels empty when she’s not here. It’s hard to imagine that just a few weeks ago, my relationships were limited to one-date affairs, and no women had ever set foot in my place. Zoe has brought me a long way. Does she realize it?
I pull her thighs apart to move closer to her and kiss her lips. Her breathing accelerates as soon as we touch. She tilts her head back, giving me free access to drop kisses all the way down her neck. I slowly unbutton her shirt, revealing her elegant lace bra. It's flesh-colored and contrasts ever so slightly with her golden skin. I brush my fingertips across her skin, savoring the sight of her chest that is heaving faster and faster. While I may have decided to take my time, she doesn't seem to be on board. In just a few seconds, I’m stripped down to my boxers. She kisses my chest, full of desire, running her index finger over my muscles.
I stifle a cry of surprise when she grabs my hard cock, quickly pulling it from my underwear. Our tongues tangle together, hungry. Her skilled hand caresses my shaft. I wrap her hair around my wrist to tilt her neck backward, sucking on the delicate skin of her neck. She manages to stand up, surprising me by her strength. She pulls a condom out of her back pocket and hands it to me with a knowing, clever look on her face before she strips down. She's so sexy.
She rips the packet open and places the protection on me, then sits back down on the table, her hands on my hips, inviting me to enter her.
“Is your table solid?” she teases.
“We're about to find out,” I retort, amused.
Tonight she's the one in charge of my movements, guiding both their speed and intensity. I take control before she explodes around my cock. I life her from the table, wrapping her legs around my waist. In this position I can feel her even more intensely. The sensations our bodies create when they unite are incredible. I’ve never felt this before. I move away carefully to press her against the closest wall, and start thrusting again, softly at first then more violently when she requests it. The orgasm is mounting in my loins. Her features betray her; she's about to come as well, moaning, almost crying under the painful fire of desire that’s consuming her. I come as soon as her pussy contracts under the effect of her orgasm, pulling her under, panting and fulfilled.
We sit there for a few minutes, still connected as we catch our breath in the silence of the night.
I’m not afraid of what she does to me anymore. I feel invincible.
14
Zoe
Whenever I’m with Liam, my worries seem to fly away. I feel safe in his protective arms, comforted and at peace. I feel like myself.
The Liam effect.
Nuzzled against my sleeping lover’s torso, I smile stupidly.
Tonight was magical, yet again.
Liam has so many good qualities. Among those I appreciate most: his respect for my silence. He knows something is tormenting me about Temple Coffee, but again, he didn’t insist I talk to him about it. I know he’ll be there to listen when I decide I’m ready. And I suddenly realize I am. I trust him, and I know he’ll give me good advice. I fall asleep, promising myself I’ll talk to him about my financial issues.
A ringtone pulls me from my slumber. I feel like I just closed my eyes.
What? Is it already morning? Not possible!
With my eyes closed, I reach down toward the floor, searching for my stupid phone.
It takes me a few seconds to realize it’s not my usual alarm tone. I open my eyes and try to figure out what exactly is going on.
It’s an alert message, blinking insistently on the screen.
I jump out of bed when I read the word “intrusion.”
Shit! It’s the alarm at Temple Coffee that just went off!
I signed up for a security system just two months ago. With all his talk about how dangerous Anderson is, Victor got me thinking about it. And he doesn’t even know I put it in.
“What’s going on, Zoe?” Liam asks, still half asleep.
“Someone broke into the coffee shop. I need to go!” I say, throwing on my jeans.
He springs into action and jumps out of bed too.
“I’m coming with you. There’s no way you’re going alone in the middle of the night.”
I thank him and call the remote monitoring service. They pick up on the second ring.
“Hello. This is Zoe Pasquier. I received a message that there was an intrusion.”
“Hello, Miss Pasquier. One of our agents is on their way.”
“Okay. Thank you. I’ll meet them there.”
“It’s very important that you wait for the agent to check the premises before you go inside. He’ll make sure no one is there. If the intrusion is confirmed, he’ll contact the police. Do not touch anything. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
The operator made me nervous with his instructions.
On our way over, the silence is oppressive, much more than the darkness. We move quickly to get there as fast as possible. Liam furrows his brow, obviously worried about what we might find. I’m way past worried. A panic attack is threatening to paralyze me.
My heart starts beating even faster when I see the rotating light of a police car cutting through the darkness. If the police are there, it’s a bad sign.
I freeze when I see the scene play out in front of me.
This can't be real.
“Zoe? Come with me!” he guides me gently, pulling me from my thoughts.
We hurry toward the police officer who is guarding the entrance of my business.
“I’m Zoe Pasquier,” I say, identifying myself. “I’m the owner of this business. What happened?” I ask, anxious.
“Do you have an ID, miss?”
“Um, yes, of course.”
I take my ID card out of my inside jacket pocket and hand it to him.
“The security agent arrived after the intruders responsible for this mess had left. He's the one who contacted us.”
“This... mess?” I repeat, my voice trembling.
“There is a fair amount of damage inside. Two of my colleagues are checking for fingerprints, but if I were you, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
“Can I look inside?” I ask.
“No, not right now, you need to stay here. It shouldn't take them long,” he assures me.
The minutes seem to drag on forever. Almost an hour later, wrapped in Liam’s arms, which can barely warm me up, we are finally allowed to check out the damage for ourselves.
I walk in hesitantly. I’m speechless when I see the destruction before me. There are broken dishes on the floor, the furniture has been tipped over, and my beloved armchairs have been slashed. Mirrors, light fixtures, menus, lamps, books. Everything was torn apart or destroyed. I walk around the shop, devastated. My forehead wrinkles when I realize the cash register is perfectly intact. They didn’t take the money!? What were they looking for, then? Was this just a senseless act?
My hands are pressed against my mouth in disbelief, my eyes filling with tears. A painful lump begins to form in my stomach. I can’t swallow.
Why? Why would they do this to me? All of these memories of my father... They destroyed everything!
A hand touches my shoulder.
“Zoe? Honey? The police want to talk to you before they leave.”
I place my hand in his, thankful he’s by my side. I never could have gone through this alone.
One of the police officers explains that they will carry out an investigation in the neighborhood starting tomorrow morning and I need to go to the station to file a report.
“A bit of advice,” the officer adds, “take photos of the damage and contact your insurance company to make sure you can clean up before they send a claims adjuster.”
"Thank you, sir. I’ll do that right away.”
“Give me your insurance policy number and go make us a coffee, Zoe. I’ll call them.”
I do what he says without complaint. I can't think straight. I hear Liam’s voice in the distance, on the phone with the insurance call center. I managed to make two espressos for us. Apparently the intruders didn’t have time to get to the back of the shop. I still have some dishes that were untouched.
“Zoe? We can clean up if you want.”
“First I’ll take the photos, but yes, I’d like to after that. I’m supposed to open in less than four hours,” I say in a steady voice.
“Uh... Do you really think that’s a good idea? Or even possible?” he asks as he indicates the damage with his hand.
“I don’t know,” I reply in desperation. "I'll take care of it, you need to go home. You're working tomorrow and—”
"Are you joking? I'm not going to leave you here to deal with this on your own,” he says, taking me in his arms.
He kisses my forehead, pensive.
“Do you have anyone you could call in as backup?”
“Yeah, I was just thinking that actually. I’m going to call Victor, Chloe, and Lisa. They’re going to hate me.”
“I’ll try to get in touch with Hugo,” he says.
“Hugo?”
“Mister Delmotte, your friend’s lawyer. You remember him?"
“Yes,” I confirm with a weak smile.
That was the day our relationship started to take off. I feel like it was forever ago.
***
“Oh Chloe, you came! Thank you! Weren’t you asleep?” I ask, examining her carefully applied makeup and rather elegant ensemble.
"Well, yeah! Why?”
“Oh nothing... You didn’t have to come in heels, you know,” I tease gently.
I’ve never seen Chloe in any other kind of shoe, to be honest. I thought inviting her to do an urgent cleanup at 4 a.m. would be my opportunity to see her in sneakers. Wrong!
“Make fun all you want, Zoe. But with my stilettos, I don't need a stepladder, unlike you!” she retorts, pinching my cheek.
“Are you looking for someone?” I ask suspiciously.
She scans the shop, trying to figure out who has been hiding in the back since she walked in.
“Oh rats, the police already left! I love a man in uniform.”
“You don't miss a beat, do you?”
Everyone showed up, including Liam’s friend Hugo.
“I’m not too late?”
“No, no. It’s so nice of you to have come to help, sir.”
“Zoe, none of that between us. Liam’s friends are my friends. Call me Hugo, alright?”
“Happy to. You know Lisa,” I say, as my friend, in her final days of ABT, comes to join the group, her arms full of trash bags.
“Yes. Hello, Lisa.”
“Hello, Hugo.”
I know Lisa, and I know she’s feeling extremely awkward about calling her lawyer by his first name.
Lisa and her principles. She must be fighting hard to restrain the Miss Manners inside her.
“My God, what a disaster!” Victor exclaims, taking me into his arms.
It seems to me that Liam’s expression turns somber when he sees Victor come in. I can't see his pupils anymore and he’s shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Is he jealous?
Fatigue and shock are starting to get to me, obviously.
“And they didn’t steal anything?” Chloe asks again, for the umpteenth time.
“It makes no sense,” Lisa repeats.
As they lament the state of the world we live in, I try to organize my thoughts and assign specific tasks to each person.
“Chloe, you’re in charge of cleaning the windows and mirrors that are still intact. Victor, you can clean the counter area. Lisa and Hugo, can you load the broken dishes and anything else that can’t be salvaged into the big trash bags? And Liam, how about cleaning the floors?”
“And what’s left for you to do?” Chloe asks, her hands on her hips.
“I'm going to check our inventory. You want to switch?”
“Hell no! No math for me at four in the morning, thank you!”
The atmosphere was tense at first when my friends walked in to discover the damage and my sad, pained face. But it's lightening up as time passes.
Having them here gives me energy, and I’ve decided to open the shop on time. Some windows were broken, but they’ll be repaired by the end of the day. The insurance company assured Liam of that. As for the rest, I’ll take the time to repair the objects I love most and I’ll wait for the insurance check to replace what’s been destroyed.
I have enough stock to last a week.
My need for a loan resurfaces brutally in my mind.
One problem at a time, Zoe.
“Hey, Busty Barbie,” I say to Chloe. “Can you take down this light fixture for me?” I tease.
“Enough with the nickname, Zoe, or I’ll tell Liam the one you had for him,” she threatens playfully.
“What’s all this about nicknames?” Liam asks, curious.
“Zoe has nicknames for all of her regulars,” Victor explains.
“You’re all a bunch of traitors,” I say, shocked.
“And may I please know mine?”
"Yes, of course. It's...”
“Victor!” I exclaim. “Don’t say it!” I laugh.
“It’s 00S,” Chloe blurts out.
“00S?”
And without thinking twice, she explains the meaning of the nickname.
“Whose side are you on anyway!?” I say aghast.
“Yours, obviously! Otherwise we wouldn't be here, my dear,” Victor says.
“Alright, you get a point for that!” I concede, dropping my arms in defeat.
“00S, eh?” Liam asks, coming over to me.
He kisses me sweetly, unconcerned with the people all around us. Our long embrace is interrupted by a clearing of throats. Our friends pretend to be embarrassed, making us smile.
“Wait,” Chloe asks. “Where’s Lisa?”
"Oh, you’re right. We haven't seen her in a while. Hugo either,” Liam notes.
We all seem to take stock of what he just said. Exhausted by all the work we’ve done in just a few hours, we burst out laughing nervously. When Hugo and Lisa come back in, we pretend to be oblivious, giving each other knowing winks.
“Hey, should a lawyer really have a relationship with a client?” I whisper to Liam.
“Let’s say it’s preferable if it can be avoided, for ethical reasons. But there are other divorce specialists in the firm, if that makes you feel better,” he says quietly in my ear.
The sun is about to rise as we finish cleaning the shop floor. Lisa, accompanied by Hugo, which did not fail to make us all smile, went round to all our apartments to collect crockery and any decorative items we might want to contribute. Everyone is helping me put things in place for opening time.
I give them each a hug as they leave. The day is going to be hard for everyone. I don't have the words to thank them for coming to my aid.
“Go home and get some rest,” I say to Victor.
“Are you joking? You’ll never make it all day alone! I’ll open up while you go take a shower and get some shut-eye for an hour or two.”
“But—” I try to protest.
“There are no buts about it, Zoe. You didn’t sleep all night. As soon as you look a little less like a panda bear, you can take over again, alright?”
“Alright,” Liam replies for me. “Come on, I’m taking you to your place. It’s going to be a long day. Victor is right, you need to rest at least a little.”
Victor gives us a forced smile as we pass in front of the shop in the car. Is he tired? Yes. But he doesn't seem too shaken by what happened. Or maybe I’m exaggerating the damage which, after all, is only material. I don’t know anymore. I seem to be so much more attached to the place than Victor is. It’s hard to know what he really thinks about it.
Same goes for Liam, too. Why are his eyes so somber again now that he’s watching Victor fade away in the rearview mirror? His hands are so tight on the wheel that his knuckles are turning a ghostly white.
You’re going insane, Zoe.
***
I slept more than I wanted to. I take a shower to gather my thoughts and prepare myself for the rest of the day, which is going to be long. I have a lot of phone calls to make.
