“Thank you.” I took a step toward the door, and turned back. Suddenly it was important he know I didn’t make a habit out of hooking up with strange men in back alleyways. “Julien, I’ve never done that before-” He held up his hand, palm out.
“Shhh. Do not speak, bella. You must think me a first rate cad, taking advantage of you like that in an alley like a prostituée. We were overcome with passion - how lucky we are to find such chemistry, no? Please, allow me to make it up to you. Where are you staying?”
“I’m at the youth hostel by the market.”
“Hostel? No no. You will stay with me! Please. It is the least I can do. Let me show you I can play the part of the gentleman.” He spoke with such vehemence I doubted it was an empty offer being made out of some misguided sense of duty or obligation. He genuinely seemed to want me to say yes. Hmm, why not? His place couldn’t be any worse than the youth hostel, and it’s not like I was worried about being raped or anything.
“You’re sure? I wouldn’t be putting you out?”
“You will break my heart if you say no. Now go, attend to your needs. Take all the time you need, I’ll be downstairs when you are finished.”
I was pleasantly surprised by the plush accommodations in the toilet. I was also pleasantly surprised at how little a mess I had actually made of myself. I had been worried the dampness on my thigh was virginal blood, but the majority of it turned out to be him. I made quick work of cleaning myself up. As I washed my hands I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a hopeless riot of renegade brown curls having mutinied from my head during my dancing and subsequent other recreational activities. My eyes were still bright and wild, a little touch of hysteria swimming in their depths. My cheeks were flushed against my pale skin, my full lips slightly swollen from his expert kisses. The shiny sequin from my borrowed dress cast watery reflections on my neck and jaw from the muted light of the wall sconce. This was so very out of character for me. I couldn’t believe the girl staring at me from the other side of the looking glass was the same girl that had stepped off the plane three days ago. A slightly unhinged giggle escaped my throat. She wasn’t.
Julien sat down hard. Several emotions seemed to be warring for control over his face. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. When he spoke his voice was soft and rough with emotion. “I never knew. I had no idea.” He looked up at me beseeching. “You must believe me, Lara. I would never abandon you like that.”
I sighed heavily and joined him on the steps. I couldn’t keep the tears out of my eyes, but I didn’t care. “I have hated you for over three years.” My tears spilled over and my nose began to run. I took my paint rag from my pocket and wiped roughly across my face.
“With good reason, Chérie.”
I shook my head in confusion. “None of this makes any sense.”
The door opened behind me and Nan stepped meekly onto the porch. “Sorry to interrupt. It’s Jodi from the daycare center for you, Lara. She says it’s important.” I took the phone from her, and she had the grace to go back inside quickly, without attempting small talk with Julien. Julien just sat beside me, almost catatonic. I put the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Lara, hi. It’s Jodi. Sorry to bother you, but something weird just happened and I thought it worth telling you about.”
“Oh? But Alex wasn’t even in today...”
“I know, but two men just came in asking about him. They claimed to be relatives of yours, and said they needed to pick up Alex.”
Alarms bells sounded in my head. “What?!”
“I didn’t let on that Alex wasn’t here. I just told them that I couldn’t release him to them because they weren’t on the list.”
“What did they do?”
“They were very polite about everything. They said ‘thank you’ and that they understood. They said they would have you call me to give your permission, and they left. They’re out in the parking lot right now, waiting in their car.”
“Oh, God! That’s really creepy, Jodi. What should we do?”
Julien started paying attention to my side of the conversation, alarmed by my tone. “Two strange men just came to the day care center looking for Alex,” I explained. He paled and grabbed the phone. “Hello? Jodi? Can you tell me, are the men still there?” He glanced around in a panic as he spoke. “Good, good. What time does the center close? Are there still many children in attendance?” He seemed to relax a little at her answer. “No, that wont be necessary, thank you. If they come in again, just allude to the fact that Alex is still there.” He ended the call and grabbed my shoulder. “Lara, listen to me. I think those men have to do with me, and I think you and Alex may be in some danger.”
I had never fainted before. I always thought fainting was something reserved for Victorian women in tight corsets or new fathers in delivery rooms. Luckily I had already been sitting, and Julien had a hold of me, so rather than fall to the ground I merely sagged against him.
I only lost consciousness for a few seconds. I came to on the porch with Julien’s concerned face staring down at me. “Lara? Lara are you alright?”
This day had started out so normal. How was it that it could shift so dramatically so fast? Why was Julien here? How had he not known about Alex? Where was my monthly child support coming from if not him? Who were those men, and what was their interest in my baby? My head was swimming in chaos. I started to feel woozy again. As my eyes began to roll to the back of my head, Julien hauled me up into a sitting position, then slumped me forward so that my head was tucked between my knees. “Breathe, Chérie. Nice deep breaths... That’s right.”
Very slowly I felt my thoughts begin to calm. Breathe in... Breathe out... Repeat. When I was confident that I could do so without passing out again, I raised my head and focused on this enigma before me. “What is going on, Julien? Who are those men? What do you mean we’re in danger?”
“I can’t say for sure, caro. I am in possession of some valuable information, and it has been suggested to me that perhaps I should lay low for a few days. That’s actually why I came here. I hadn’t thought anyone would think to look for me here.” He paused, “Of course, I hadn’t any idea I had a son here, either.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Well, somebody obviously knows.” I put my weight on my hands to stand, and flinched at my sore knuckles. He gestured for me to give him my injured hand. I gingerly set it into his outstretched palm, noting wryly that his perfect face appeared unscathed. “You have a head like a rock.”
“I have heard that before. It doesn’t appear to be broken. You should ice it - on the road.”
“On the road?”
“Yes. We should be leaving. If those men could find your day care center, surely they know your home address.”
I hadn’t thought of that. The realization sent a cold shiver down my spine.
My grandparents took the news of possible danger in stride. Having no perceivable threat, involving the police would be pointless. Nan blustered around the kitchen packing food into a bag. Pops just sat in his seat at the head of the table, a stalwart fixture in this house he had built himself.
“Lara. I’ll not be chased out of my own God damned house.” He was speaking to me, but looking at Julien. “You’ll forgive me, young man, if I don’t jump to believe such a fantastical story, delivered by my great-grandson’s absentee sperm donor.”
My jaw dropped in shock. It was very unlike Pops to be so crude. I think between watching my mother raise me alone, and then watching me follow in her footsteps of single-parenthood, he had lost all patience for errant ex-lovers of the women in his life. “Pops! Julien is only looking out for our best interests.”
Pops scowled at me. “Well, he’s a little late to the party.”
I tried a different tactic. “Pops, whatever your opinion of Julien may be, the fact remains that strange men tried to get ahold of Alex today.”
Pops closed his eyes as if suffering from a headache. Nan ca
me over, handing me the bag of food. “She’s got a point, Daniel. What’s the harm in getting away for a few days? It will be like a vacation.”
“Nancy, I’m not an idiot. Some philandering piece of euro-trash comes to my home without warning, telling me we’re in some kind of vague danger, and we need to leave right away - oh, and we need cash, lots of cash because the boogie men we’re running from are tracing his credit cards. It’s all a little suspect to me.”
Julien was taking the insults with quiet restraint. I got the distinct impression he agreed with my grandfather on several counts in regards to his lascivious nature. Having him here in front of me was bringing back so many memories. My earlier admission of virginity had brought our first night together to the forefront of my mind.
I was confused when Julien led me toward the docks. I used my master skills of deduction to figure out why when we stopped in front of a super-yacht. This was where he was staying? Everything I knew about yachts could fit inside a thimble, but I knew enough to estimate the cost of this one to be somewhere in the multi-million dollar range.
“You own a yacht?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.
Julien chuckled softly. “No, Chérie, I am staying with a friend. This is her vessel.” He assisted my boarding and led me through a small door and down a hallway.
“The woman in the evening gown?” I had seen her again as we left the club. Julien had collected his tux jacket from a chair at her table, but I had been making sure Svetlana had an escort home, so I had missed the opportunity for an introduction.
“You are as perceptive as you are beautiful. Oui, Marla. She is a close friend of my mother.”
“Wow. I wish my mother’s friends let me crash on their yachts.”
That made him laugh outright. “Well, Marla is a very generous woman.” He held open a door to a small cabin. He was positioned in the narrow entrance in such a way that I was almost pressed against him as I entered. He halted me midway and asked softly, “Do you have a cabin preference, mademoiselle?”
His close proximity made my wits scatter, and it was all I could do to form a coherent answer. “Preference?”
He tucked a wayward curl behind my ear and clarified his meaning. “Do you prefer a cabin to yourself, or would you like... company?” His sexy droll made ‘company’ sound like an erotic promise.
My breath caught in my throat. I heard myself answering him and it was like an out of body experience. Who was this flirty girl? “That depends. Do you snore?”
He smiled wickedly. “I’ve never been told I do, but if you find that to be the case, by all means, wake me up Chérie.”
I never got the opportunity to find out if he snored. He kept me awake through the small hours of the morning, teaching me things about myself I never would have imagined possible. When I had finally collapsed atop him in a completely sated mass of nerve endings, he could have snored louder than a chainsaw and I’d not have stirred.
I had no notion of what time it was when my brain began to function properly again. I could hear the sounds one usually associates with a harbor - seagulls, water sounds, buoys knocking against unknown objects... I cracked an eyelid and noted that the space beside me was empty. Julien had gone. I threw my covers back and stumbled into the en-suite.
Having answered nature’s call, I decided to indulge in a hot shower. The shower was fully appointed with high-end French shampoo and body wash. I took full advantage, luxuriating in the feel of the rich lather on my skin. I was deliciously sore, having employed muscles I hadn’t known existed. The hot water was like heaven, and by the time I turned it off, my entire front was a rosy pink in color.
Stepping out into the steamy bathroom, I wrapped myself in a plush robe hanging from the back of the door, and wrapped my hair in a towel, turban style. I was delighted to find a new toothbrush in the drawer of the vanity, along with toothpaste, floss, hand lotion and cold cream. This was one very well stocked guest room.
I didn’t dawdle long. I was growing hungry, and starting to wonder how I was going to find Julien on this floating palace. I dressed in a pair of khaki capris and a white cotton blouse, grateful I had thought to stop for my pack on the way here the night before.
I had no idea where I was in relation to the main lounge areas of the yacht. I picked a direction and started walking. Luckily I came upon a woman in uniform before I managed to get too turned around. She gave me a friendly smile and a “Bonjour, mademoiselle.” I smiled back.
“Good morning. Parlay voo Angles?” I asked in my rudimentary French. She shook her head apologetically. What followed was an impromptu game of charades in which I eventually managed to convey my interest in finding food, and Julien, but not necessarily in that order. She perked right up at the mention of Julien.
“Ah, oui, Monsieur Julien. Suivez-moi,” she said, motioning for me to follow her.
She led me down a series of hallways and into a small dining room that was open to the deck on one side. The table was laid with a variety of breakfast foods and fresh fruits. She indicated that I should sit, and to help myself to a plate. “Monsieur Julien arrivera bientôt.” She must have gone to collect Julien, because it wasn’t long before I heard his smooth voice in the hall. He was speaking in rapid French, his tone cajoling and playful.
He was just as beautiful in the light of day. He had showered, and dressed in linen trousers and a tight, white v-neck t-shirt. He looked like he had been custom made for this yacht like the dining table or deck loungers. My stomach did a little flutter dance, remembering how we had spent the night, this sexy stranger and me.
He paused upon seeing me, and a quick, flirty smile touched his mouth before he turned to his companion, letting her enter first. “Here she is now, Marla, may I introduce Lara Divoll. Lara, this is Marla, the beautiful benefactress of which I spoke.”
I stood and offered her my hand across the table. She nodded warmly in acknowledgment, but didn’t reach to accept it, waving it away instead. “Sit, please. It is lovely to meet you.” Julien pulled out a chair for her and she sat with a feline grace, leaning fully back against the chair back and watching intently as Julien sat himself beside me. “So, Lara,” she said, “You’re quite the dancer. Have you had professional training?”
I blushed under her scrutiny. Up close I could see that she was older than I had previously thought, probably in her late forties. That made sense, I guess. Julien had said she was a friend of his mother’s. “Oh, thank you, no. I just kind of let loose and go with it...” I cringed inwardly at my lame answer. There was something unnerving about this woman.
Julien put his hand on my thigh under the table. “She is a natural. She has impeccable rhythm.” My leg jumped, knocking into the table pedestal and causing the water glasses to rattle.
Marla arched an aristocratic brow. “That’s quite an endorsement, mon jouet préféré.” Marla served herself some fruit. “What brings you to Cassis?”
The uniformed woman reentered carrying a tray with champagne and orange juice. She set about making mimosas and placing them before each of us.
I took some fruit of my own. There was a lot of honeydew melon. I didn’t much care for honeydew, but I didn’t want to seem unappreciative, so I discretely aimed for the grapes and cantaloupe, hoping no one would notice. “Fate, I guess. I just sort of spun the globe and decided to go wherever my finger landed.”
Julien looked at me with new interest. “How adventuresome, mademoiselle.” His hand pressed lightly against me in a subtle caress.
I smiled back. “Not as adventuresome as it seems. I cheated a little. The first go round I landed on Greenland.”
Julien chuckled and raised his mimosa. “Well then, au deuxième tours! To second spins.” I clinked glasses with him, and Marla raised hers as well.
“Oui, au deuxième tours, et la vie de petits plaisirs.” Her voice was silky and she was smiling, but I couldn’t help noticing a small tone of condescension.
I smiled back as
pleasantly as possible. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak French...”
Her eyes flicked to Julien again for a fraction of a second, then returned to me. “I said, ‘to second spins, and life’s little pleasures’. After all, what is more pleasurable than enjoying the Mediterranean with good company and good food?”
“Mama, where’s my yeyow car?”
Alex abandoned his post at the toy corner in the living room, and came over to lean against my legs. I ran my hand over his soft curls. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe in your bed?”
Alex stared at Julien, the shield of my legs giving him courage to talk to a stranger. “Who are you?” he asked.
Julien opened his mouth to answer but no words came out. Instead he looked to me for guidance. I just stood there staring back at him like an idiot. Realizing no help was forthcoming, he looked back to Alex and gave him a warm smile. “I’m Julien.” Was all he said.
A quiet, dull tone sounded in the entryway. It was the motion sensor from the opening of our driveway, signaling a vehicle entering our property. I locked eyes with Julien, my heart thumping in panic. “What’s that?” he asked, unable to hide the urgency in his voice, no doubt as a result of what my face must have looked like.
“It’s an alarm of sorts. It signals that a car has entered our driveway. Someone is coming.”
Julien’s expression was a convincing enough motivator for Pops to hurry into his study. I knew he was heading for the gun cabinet, and my assumption was confirmed when he returned moments later with a shotgun. Alex perked right up when he saw it.
“We go hunting?” he asked.
I scooped him up, holding him tightly to me until he squirmed in discomfort. “No Mama, too tight!” I eased up, but wouldn’t put him down. “Shhh, baby. Let’s play a quiet game.”
Pops and Julien positioned themselves at either side of the front door. They had their faces pressed against the wall in order to see the approaching car as early as possible. I could hear the sound of tires on the gravel drive. From my position near the table I couldn’t see clearly out the window. Instead I watched Pops and Julien for reactions. A car door closed and Julien sagged with relief.
Sudden Legacy Page 2
