Dark Secret

by Summer Cooper

  That terrified me, but I’d examined those tender edges of emotions that I’d blocked out long ago. For now, I’d just wanted to be with her again.

  It was nice to come home to her, with music in the air, the smell of food ready. It had almost reminded me of when I’d come home from school to find Dad in the kitchen. I’d clamped down on that quickly and went to Stephanie to kiss her and give her a hug. It had felt good, like the world had suddenly dissolved into only us.

  I had news, but I didn’t want to share it yet. Everything had been agreed on the resort I’d wanted to buy. The current owner had the final papers in his hand, and the real estate agent said the rest wouldn’t take long after that. Papers had to be filed somewhere, and deeds had to be applied for. The state would drag its heels, I was certain, they always did, but I’d own the place soon.

  I’d given her the single rose I’d bought from a street vendor, and it rested now in a vase on the table. She’d got this look in her eye when I gave it to her, like she’d wanted to cry but had swallowed it down. Was the flower wrong? I thought women liked roses! She kissed me and thanked me for the flower and now her eyes landed on the flower. She got this far away look, as if she was in a happy place. So I knew it was a good thing then.

  I didn’t ask her about her family, and she didn’t ask me about mine. From that, I gathered that she had her own past history to contend with. She’d never said anything about them or alluded to them in any way. Maybe she didn’t have any.

  It wasn’t beyond reason to think that. In today’s world people died in car accidents, from drug overdoses, got caught in the crossfire of gang wars. Hurricanes, floods, and other storms took others. There was always something. Or maybe her parents hadn’t wanted her.

  My father, at least, had wanted me. Mom had only wanted me to ensnare my dad. After that she’d barely had anything to do with me. They called it post-partum depression at first. She’d leave me crying for hours in my crib, in dirty diapers and wet. Dad had to hire a babysitter to take care of me while he was at work. She’d go out, as if she didn’t have a child waiting at home for her.

  She’d always been like that, up to the day she’d died. She’d said she loved me that night, but it wasn’t a good kind of love. She’d loved that I’d brought her Dad, and she’d been told time and again that she was supposed to love me. She just hadn’t been able to. She felt guilty that I’d lived and breathed, and if anything, she’d regretted my existence.

  I’d pushed up from the table and tried to rid my brain of the thoughts that plagued me now.

  “I have cherry cheesecake for later. Or now if you’d like?” She’d looked up at me, eager to please.

  “We can have it later. Shall we go for a walk? I need some air.”

  “Sure. Let me grab my jacket.”

  I was glad she’d decided to join me. I held her hand as we went down to the front exit of the building and headed for the boardwalk. It was a bit windy and the air carried the smell of the saltwater. Seagulls screamed overhead, even though it was almost dark now. They were noisy, but amused Stephanie.

  “They’re so big. I bet they could pick up a small animal and carry it off.” She’d moved to my side and put her arm around me as we walked along.

  The boardwalk was empty right now, and we’d made it down to an arcade before I knew it. “Care to go in?”

  “I’ve never been in an arcade.” Her eyes were wide with excitement. “Let’s go in.”

  She’d put her hand down into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out $50. The jeans were topped by a burnt amber pullover sweater, and she had on black low-top boots. She was sexy, even in her casual attire.

  “Hmm, should we make a bet?” I asked and gave her a smug grin.

  “A bet on what?” Her head tilted slightly to the left, and she looked confused. It was so sweet.

  “Well, you see, you get tickets for all the games you put tokens into. The one to come out with the most tickets, wins.”

  “What do we do with the tickets?”

  “You usually turn them in for prizes. Care to take the bet?”

  “Of course. You’re on, buddy.” She had no idea what she was betting on, but she didn’t care because it was me she’d made the bet with. She knew she’d like whatever I chose as my prize.

  Just like she’d loved the other night when I’d tied her down to a wooden barrel and teased her into perdition. Then, I’d let her have what she’d wanted the most, and it had been beautiful. Whatever I came up with as a prize would be equally beautiful.

  An idea occurred to me, and either way, I knew we would both win. We went into the arcade and bought some tokens. We started off on the easy games, the games for the kids like Whack-a-mole, and moved up to video arcade games and a few others. We raced in simulations on racing motorcycles, and to my surprise she’d beat me on that one.

  We turned our tickets in, and Stephanie used our tickets to get a giant penguin the arcade had behind on the shelves, then we left, happy and laughing.

  “So what’s your prize then, sir?” she asked with a gleam in her eye. The lights had come on overhead, and her eyes glistened in the light.

  “Have you ever been to New Orleans? I have a few days free and thought, well, it might be nice to wake up with strong Cajun coffee and some beignets for breakfast.”

  She didn’t answer right away, and I’d wondered if I’d said something wrong. “Sure, yeah, that sounds good.”

  That didn’t answer my question, though. “Have you ever been?”

  “Yeah. Uh, a few times. I never really left the hotel I was at, though, and it wasn’t a big deal. Not like this sounds like.”

  My old Stephanie was back in an instant, and I’d pulled her close. It didn’t sound like she’d had any fun on that trip to New Orleans. I’d make sure she had a lot of fun on the next trip.

  “Is tomorrow too soon, pet?” I asked as we walked along, arms around each other.

  “No, not at all. I don’t have anything planned. I’ll just need to head home this evening to pack some clothes.”

  “I’ll drive you over.”

  “Oh, sure, thanks.”

  I really didn’t want to spend a moment without her that I didn’t have to. Which was another thing I wouldn’t examine right now.

  Once we’d made it back to my apartment, I set up a private charter to take us down to the Big Easy, booked a bed and breakfast in the French Quarter, and arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport. After that I’d driven her to her place, and she’d made sure she had everything she might need.

  I’d noticed that Stephanie never asked for money, and her home was filled with name brands and very expensive furniture. Whoever she was, when she wasn’t with me, it was someone with money. I knew when I met her at the bar that she came from money, though. The way she spoke and the way she held herself all screamed of private school.

  The luggage she’d rolled out of her bedroom was also a luxury brand. It wasn’t a big deal; it just meant one thing was certain—she wasn’t after my money. In fact, it didn’t surprise me a bit to find out the money I’d given to her as part of our arrangement had all gone to local charities.

  No, that would never have to be a concern.

  Not that I had any, not really. She didn’t want to sign a contract, well that was her business. Other than that, Stephanie was sweet, beautiful, intelligent, and fun to be with. She had an infectious laugh that invited everyone around her to join in the fun. Her smile lit her beautiful face up and made her even prettier.

  She was generous, kind, and, dare I say it, loving. I’d learned what that meant from my father and my adoptive parents. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known. The world had been a giant asshole to me.

  After my adoptive parents took me in, they’d sent me to therapy and to a local private school. The kids there had been merciless to the white trash kid taken in by the rich people who had been duped into feeling sorry for him. For a long time, it had hurt me, but over time, and with t
he love of my new family, I’d got past most of it.

  I’d come to expect little from the world but hurt, and I had arranged my life around that. This celebratory trip to New Orleans might be misguided, but either way, I’d get to spend some time with the woman in my life in a beautiful setting. It could be magical in New Orleans, and later that night, after she’d gone to bed, I’d made a phone call.

  “Hello, Celia,” I said into the phone when a woman’s sultry voice came over the line.

  “Oh, Dylan, you devil. It’s been a long time.” The older woman, ageless but with a mature voice that gave her age away, spoke into the phone with a purr.

  “It has been, and I’m coming down tomorrow. Do you have anything going on at Pepper’s?”

  “We do, indeed. What did you have in mind?”

  “I have a, uh, friend.” I heard a soft chuckle of amusement. Celia knew I didn’t do relationships; she must be dying of curiosity with that little admission. “She’s a bit on the innocent side, but she wants to explore what the world has to offer. I thought of you and your place.”

  Peppers was a secret sex club, exclusive to those in certain income brackets. People like me. It catered to requests, when made, and sometimes held special events.

  “I think I can arrange something. Is she one of your usual types?” Celia purred down the line.

  “Not at all. Something totally different. She wants to explore things like voyeurism, exhibitionism, and BDSM. The usual for your club usual, really.”

  “I think I can put together something for tomorrow night, babe. Around nine pm good for you?”

  “Sounds perfect. Thanks, Celia.” I smiled as I turned the phone off and headed to bed with Stephanie.

  She was a warm, soft lump beneath the covers, and I’d pulled her body close to mine. I didn’t care if I woke her up or not. I was selfish for a moment, because I’d needed her to reassure me that I wasn’t insane. I’d exposed myself to so much since I’d met her. I’d relived memories that were better left buried and had questioned my own sanity. I still did, but she made me not care whether I was sane or not.

  She made me not care if we were in a relationship or not, despite my protests. All that mattered was that she was there, and I didn’t have to ask her for anything. She gave me all I’d needed plus some. v

  Emily

  I’d always wanted to go to New Orleans, I’d thought as the plane touched down and we’d prepared to exit. Rather, I should say, I’d always wanted to go as something more than my brothers’ secretary or babysitter. I’d never had the chance to explore the place or to look around. I was always doing some task or taking care of the kids. I’d rarely left the grounds of our hotel in the city. The times I left it was to find a pharmacy for something the kids had needed, and I’d taken a cab.

  I’d never been able to experience it properly, so to me this was my first visit. It was a place of fantasy for me, a place that movies and books promised was magic. I could now find out just how magical it really was. I’d read about it in dozens of books, looked up places online to visit, but there’d never been a chance to stroll the streets and explore.

  Once, Jesse brought me back some cold beignets, and a couple of times I’d ordered the sweet confections through room service, along with a nice cup of café au lait for breakfast, but I’d never gone out and had a po’ boy sandwich, or anything like that. I’d never visited the graveyards that were famous the world over, or seen the countless sites that had made the city famous for hundreds of reasons.

  This was a chance to get to do as much as a person could do in New Orleans in a short amount of time. I’d looked over at Dylan with excitement in my eyes and grinned. It wasn’t even nine am yet. The time went back an hour here, and that gave us extra time.

  “What are we going to do first?” I was like a kid let loose in the candy store, and I was all but bouncing with my excitement.

  He’d booked us a bed and breakfast, something else I’d always wanted to try, and had found the perfect one. It was full of antiques and very private. As we were the only guests, it was also going to be very quiet.

  “We’ll get checked in and drop our bags off. Then, we’ll explore as much as you want to. We have plans later this evening, so don’t exhaust yourself too much with the sites today. We have two days, and we can always come back later. I’ll have to get back to Myrtle Beach for some business, but we can come back once all of that is sorted.”

  We got into the back seat of the black car that waited for us, and the driver pulled out of the airport. Before I knew it we were speeding along the highway.

  “I’d love to come back when we have more time. Thank you, Dylan.” I’d smiled and leaned into his arm as the city passed around me.

  The car sped down an exit, and before I knew it we were pulling up to a gated two-story home. It was everything I’d dreamed a bed and breakfast would be. The exterior was done in that style that screamed Louisiana, right down to the iron scrollwork on the upstairs balcony. The house was painted in a faded gold tone, but it was a pleasing tone, and the whole thing just screamed romance. To me, at least.

  I couldn’t stop smiling and the woman who greeted us, the owner I’d soon found out, gave us a tour of the home before she showed us our room. My heart melted, and I couldn’t dim the grin that spread over my face. There was the antique four-poster bed I’d dreamed of, right down to the mosquito netting to keep us safe from the evil creatures as we’d sleep. A large window to the left side, just down from the bed, let in the morning light.

  “It’s perfect, thank you.” I’d turned to the owner, and she’d smiled.

  “I’m glad you like it. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.” She left us then, and I did what I’d been aching to do since she’d opened the door.

  I walked up to the bed and then jumped onto the mattress. “Oh, God, it’s so soft!”

  It was like being on a cloud, and even Dylan’s chuckle of amusement couldn’t dim my happiness. He came to the bed and climbed up over me.

  “Happy then, pet?” He’d kissed the right side of my face softly and pressed his hips into mine.

  “Very happy, Dylan.” I’d put my arms around his neck and kissed him with gratitude that soon turned to something more stirring.

  “No. Not right now,” he said and pulled back, a smile in place of the passion that had just been there. “We have streets to explore. Come on, get those incredibly sexy but impractical heels off, and put on something you can walk around in.”

  I didn’t want to leave the bed, but I did want to see the place. I groaned, but got up to dig around in my luggage for some flat shoes. I’d found a pair of white canvas shoes and put those on. At least I’d had some sense and put those in my bag.

  We were soon in the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter, and I could smell and see so much that had already started to endear the place to me. I didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me to come down here after I’d left the role of secretary and babysitter for my brothers. I’d gone to Myrtle Beach because it was a familiar refuge.

  I should have come down here, I’d thought, but then, I wouldn’t have met Dylan. I’d snuggled in close to his side, and we’d stopped at a café to have a light breakfast. The smell of coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla wafted from the entrance, but we’d decided to sit outside. It was cool, but not too cold, so we’d stayed outside at a table there to enjoy the sunshine.

  “There’s a shop here in the French Market that sells quaint little local art. We’ll head down there after we eat, if you’d like.” Dylan sipped at his coffee and took a bite of his breakfast sandwich.

  “That sounds good to me. I want to see it all.” We’d already passed a lot of bars and jazz bars that were closed at this hour, but would soon come to life as the hours passed. We’d stopped at a couple of shops and passed more than a few colorful people already.

  I couldn’t wait to see what the night brought to life. I’d savored my first taste of the square donuts covered
in powdered sugar from a proper cafe, but we were soon walking again. Before long we were in a shop filled with more things than I could imagine. Soaps, dolls, paintings, statues, and hand-blown glass filled every space.

  Dylan picked out quite a lot and arranged to have it shipped to him in Myrtle Beach. I bought a few paintings and some of the glass art for the house, and that was being delivered to our bed and breakfast. I’d take it back with me on the plane when we went home.

  We headed back to the bed and breakfast soon after that and had a nap. It was nice to snuggle down with Dylan, and I’d wanted to do more than cuddle, but he told me to behave, so we slept. After that we showered and headed out to eat.

  The streets were lit by ironwork streetlamps and the bright lights from shops and bars. I’d smiled as we walked to a gourmet restaurant owned by a Cajun chef. We’d ordered gourmet versions of Cajun food, and it was delicious, but I’d wanted to know more about this ‘date’ he had planned for us.

  “What all did you bring with you, clothes, I mean?” he asked as he wiped his mouth and pushed his plate away.

  He was dressed in a casual black suit, and I had on a burgundy wrap dress with long sleeves. I had a black one that matched it with me, and a white dress, with a full pleated skirt and a box neckline. I didn’t think either would be suitable for a night-time event.

  “I don’t think I have anything suitable to wear.”

  “That’s fine, I know a place. Let me just arrange for a cab.” Dylan went and talked to the maître de and soon came back.

  “It’s all arranged. Are you done?” He’d looked impatient, like he was also a bit on edge. Where was he taking me?

  I’d soon found myself in a rather romantic looking boutique, looking at a variety of dresses. I had no idea where we were headed, but I figured I should be looking for something sexy. Dylan had disappeared then quickly came back with a dress that I would never have picked out.