His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs)

by Christina OW

  “You here to pick up your family?”

  Antonio looked up again, the smug look back, “That depends.”

  “On what?” he asked in the same easy tone.

  “On whether or not you’re going to use the content of that flash drive against me.”

  Ruiz chuckled. “So that’s what Cheri was looking for in here. She must not have found it if you’re here.”

  “You distracted her.” He pointed to his chin. “I can see she’s got that red mess on you. I don’t know why she likes doing that. Oh yes, I do. So that the wives and girlfriends can see that they’re not responsible for the dreamy look on their faces.”

  Ruiz scoffed. “You give her too much credit. So I’m sure you are here to strike some kind of deal?”

  He nodded. “Yes. You don’t use the flash drive and I give Melody to you.”

  Ruiz laughed long and hard. “Give her to me? What makes you think that I want her?”

  From his peripheral view he saw Melody flinch but he didn’t allow himself to care. One never showed his hand in a poker game and either way, this was her mess he was left to clean up.

  A door opened followed by a loud gasp. “Mon dieu! You animal!”

  Ruiz turned to see the old lady rush to Melody’s side empty handed. She must have left the baby in the room.

  “I’m fine Jackie,” Melody whispered.

  “Fine!” she exclaimed angrily, tilting Melody’s chin up and pushing her hair away from her face.

  Ruiz’s heart stopped at the blood on her forehead and cut lower lip. He held himself to keep from physically reacting because if he did, Antonio would be out the window in a matter of seconds.

  “Let me make myself clear, if you use that evidence against me, I will take my wife and daughter, disappear with them and bring them back when there is barely anything of them left. I’m sure Allan Sinclair would love that, don’t you?”

  Forgetting his control, Ruiz dropped the glass slipping its content on the carpet and charged at Antonio. He picked the little man up and pinned him to the door. “Listen to me you little toad! Don’t threaten my family, or me, or you’ll sorely regret it. And you are not taking my wife anywhere!”

  With raised brows Antonio looked between Ruiz and Melody the fear gone and knew confidence settling in his eyes and Ruiz knew he’d made a blander. “Wife? Oh Melody dear, have you committed bigamy?” He laughed looking back at Ruiz. “You may keep me from taking her away but I wonder if your threats will keep the police from doing so?”

  Ruiz bit down on his jaw, every instinct telling him to pound him into the ground until the grey carpet turned red with his blood, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop until the carpet had soaked up all of his blood.

  “Deal,” he gnashed out. “I don’t want to see you here ever again or I’ll kill you with my bare hands!” Ruiz pulled him away from the door, opened it and tossed him out then banged the door shut before he could change his mind. He turned to Melody and stared at her as he tried to get his emotions in control. He could see the bruises were already coming in.

  He pounded on the door with his fist several times before he turned away and stomped to his room, grabbing the decanter on his way.

  “Ruiz!” Melody cried out behind him.

  “Don’t!” he barked banging the door shut behind him. I should have stayed in Argentina!

  Chapter Eight

  “It’s been two days already. You’re bruises won’t be visible if you cover them with makeup. It’s time you got up and straighten your life starting with Ruiz. Enough hiding and mopping,” Jackie scolded as she opened the heavy curtains to let some sun in before she turned on Melody on the bed.

  Melody clutched the covers tighter to her chest as Jackie yanked on them. She wasn’t ready to move yet and she was most certainly not ready to face Ruiz after their last encounter. “He doesn’t want me. What makes you think he’ll want to even see me?”

  Jackie sighed heavily sitting on the bed by Melody’s head. “He’s angry now as is his right, but with a little time and patience you’ll change his mind.”

  The back of Melody’s throat burned with tears as she shook her head. “You didn’t see the look in his eyes. He’s shutting me out; erasing me from his heart. I could see it. I can feel it each time his vacant eyes settle on me.”

  Jackie gave her a sad smile. “That’s why you hide in here? You’re running from his vacant eyes?”

  “No, I’m running from the truth.” She sat up nervously wringing the sheet in her hands, “How did you…how did you get over the love of your life dying?”

  “Oh Melody,” she began, placing her hand over Melody’s, halting her hands. “Your love isn’t dead.”

  “It feels like it,” she whispered a few tears escaping her. “Not Ruiz, but our love. It feels like its dying, slowly slipping away and I don’t know what to do to stop it.”

  Jackie took her hands in hers. “I have a suggestion. Quit hiding and face him with the truth and to hell with Antonio.”

  “I do that and the whole Calvary will be here by tomorrow morning and I can’t have that. Loraine is pregnant and she doesn’t need the stress from the chaos I turned my life into. I told you what she went through, especially after she lost their first child together. I won’t be the cause of that happening again.”

  “Then why not just your brothers?”

  Melody smiled. “They are like my brothers. Matthew has been Allan’s best friend for more years that I can remember and Reno he’s the best brother-in-law anyone could ask for. I told you all he sacrificed for Riana growing up. And Allan, he’s just the best brother anyone could have. I miss them.”

  Jackie squeezed her hands. “Then why don’t you let them come and end this nightmare before it gets worse?”

  Melody procrastinated on that decision. With how much Antonio seemed to hate her brother, would bringing the two into close proximity be wise? She didn’t want anything to happen to her brother. The door bell rang delaying her answer for just a while because she knew Jackie wouldn’t let it go.

  “Jackie would you get that while I fix myself up?”

  She eyed Melody like she was saying it wasn’t over yet before she left to answer the door. Melody got out of bed and quickly tried to make herself presentable. She covered her cheek with makeup, but there was little could do to her cut lip. She covered the healing cut on her forehead with a band aid before dubbing a little concealer on the surrounding bruise. She changed into other slacks and t-shirt and feeling a little more human she walked out of the bathroom to meet Jackie with a grim look on her face.

  “Jackie, what is it?”

  “Your mother-in-law is here.”

  Melody wasn’t sure she had it right and if she did, someone had just dropped a bomb in Paris again. “What did you say?”

  “Your mother-in-law is here,” she repeated slowly.

  Melody could feel the panic rise inside her. Clarissa was here and Ruiz wasn’t to play buffer. He always assured her she would never meet the woman and if she did he would be there to play buffer. Melody had never really liked how Ruiz spoke about his mother. Having no mother made her soft when it came to other people’s mothers and when she told Ruiz that he responded with ‘not every mother was like Cora Albury or Aurora Sinclair’. It was difficult for her to understand that but she did try to, at least about Ruiz’s mother. Now the lady was here and she was going to get an opportunity to see for herself what the other side of the coin looked like.

  Melody took a deep breath and glanced at Esme for a moment in her crib—Ruiz had had the rest of their things moved to the suite a day ago—to make sure she was fine before she took another deep breath and walked to the door. “Here goes.”

  With a bright smile, Melody stepped out into the living room and right into the eye view of a very sophisticated looking woman. Her designer peach skirt suit made her skin look fairer and delicate. Her makeup was light to the touch and seemed completely unnecessary and her blonde ha
ir was held back in a twist, loose enough to give her a relaxed look. She was beautiful at her age and Melody could only imagine the knockout she used to be before Ruiz came along.

  “Hi, I’m Melody, your daughter-in-law.” She wasn’t sure why she said that last part, but she felt like she needed a shield from the woman. What was better than ‘I’m married to your son so be nice?’

  Melody was sorely wrong and she had to hold herself from fidgeting under her critical gaze. Clarissa looked—more like glared—at her from the tip of her exposed toes to her unbound hair. She knew that look very well being raised in high society. With just a look Clarissa told her she was underdressed and not worth standing in her presence. Now Melody could clearly remember why she and her brother left those social circles.

  “Please sit,” she added counting on her debutant education to get her through this visit.

  Clarissa sneered looking away, “I just came to see my son. Point me to the right direction would you and I’ll let you finish your work.”

  “My work?”

  She turned back to Melody with a look of contempt. “He may have married you, but I bet you started out as a hotel maid, didn’t you? I’m rarely wrong about ambitious people,” she finished with another once over glare at Melody before turning her nose up and looking away.

  Melody fisted her hands to keep her anger in check. This was one other thing she needed to apologize to Ruiz for. His mother truly was a bitch.

  “Actually this hotel and the rest of the Red Roses franchise belong to me. And I look like this because I had a late morning with your granddaughter. Babies are messy and require complete attention. You’re a mother, you would know—at least, you should have some knowledge about it.” Melody jabbed at her knowing very well that Esmeralda and not Clarissa who looked after Ruiz.

  “Yes of course,” she mumbled before she said, “You own this hotel? It would explain the poor state it’s in. And my son knew of your wealth before he married you?” She nodded. “As ambitious as his father. Where is the Albury protégée?”

  Melody opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. In the few minutes she’d been here, the woman had insulted Melody, the hotel and her son in one sweep and with such a conversational tone. Melody could see the woman would be a complete nightmare by…how long did she plan on staying? She rubbed at her temples. A migraine and it was just morning.

  An hour later after some serious grooming Melody went out in search of Ruiz. She knew where she would find him, but she dragged her feet, looking around to see the changes he’d already made and silently thanking him as she garnered up the courage to drop the same bomb dropped on her. It was when she was turning into the recreational center that she saw him speaking to the staff there. Whatever he was saying had them nodding seriously and turning to look where he pointed. To her relief they were all new faces and some of them were women. Out of all the old staff after Antonio was done with them, it was those from the recreation center she despised the most—all muscle and tan spray with very little use of the head on their shoulders and excessive use of the one below the belt when they were on the clock. With a few encouraging breathes, she walked to where they were and stood behind Ruiz, giving their new staff a cordial smile in greeting. They all smiled back with slight nods and her own smile brightened. Finally, people who didn’t frown and glare at the sight of her.

  Ruiz stopped speaking and turned around. She took one cowardly step back and like a deer in headlights just stared up at him waiting for him to either glare at her or make a scathing remark. He did nothing. He just stared at her with those vacant eyes for a second before he turned back to the group.

  “She is also a part owner of the Red Roses hotels—actually the franchise was a gift to her from her older brother, Allan Sinclair.” He reached back with one hand, grabbed her arm and dragged her forward to stand in front of him. “Allow me to introduce to you Melody Sinclair—”

  “Albury,” she quickly cut him short, “I’m his wife. Melody Sinclair-Albury—I’m a hyphenate,” she finished with a nervous laugh. She could feel Ruiz tense up behind her and she was glad they had a crowd around them. “It’s nice to meet you all, certainly an upgrade from the old staff.”

  “Excusez-moi,” a woman Melody’s height called with a raised hand.

  “Oui? Anything you would like to ask?” Melody encouraged.

  She looked around at the others nervously before turning back to Melody. “We heard you are the wife of the old manager, Antonio Otorion.”

  Melody gave her a well learned fake chuckle that only those who knew her or went to the same debutant school would know. Ruiz hated on the lifestyle but some of those lessons had helped her out of some hairy situations. “Oh, he liked telling people that. He took advantage of the fact I was pregnant and indisposed, and my husband absent opening another hotel in another part of the world to run this place to the ground. That creature was never my husband. Any other questions?”

  Her face fell and Melody realized she wasn’t asking out of curiosity sake, she had her eye on Ruiz! Melody stepped back and tucked her hand into Ruiz’s massive one. He looked down at her with a raised brow, shook his head and snorted before he faced the group again. “We’ll pick this up later after I’ve had a word with my wife.”

  Melody held herself from flinching at how he said ‘my wife’ and hoped the bitterness had escaped the others especially the one who had her eyes set on him. She grinned widely at them and bade them goodbye as they dispersed, “Bienvenue dans les Red Roses famille!”

  “Yeah right,” Ruiz mumbled walking away and pulling her behind him in a run. His grasp on her hand was so tight she couldn’t yank her hand away, instead she held onto his wrist with her other hand, running after him as he stomped away muttering to himself.

  “Ruiz, you’re giving me a workout!”

  He suddenly stopped, turning around and she ran right into his chest. He let go of her hand and grabbed her arms to steady her then set her away from him. “What was that about?”

  “What?” she asked innocently.

  He made an impatient groan, turned away and began walking. “I don’t have time for your games Melody, what do you want?”

  “Your mother is here,” she yelled after him. She watched in fascination how fast his feet stopped moving. He stood there, as still as a statue for a moment before he turned around and charged back to her.

  “Please tell me you didn’t just say—”

  “That your mother is here,” she finished sweetly. “You always said she was testy but you never told me what a sweet disposition she has,” she finished with a sarcastic smile.

  Ruiz chuckled, “Her sweet disposition wouldn’t have anything to do with the way you are dressed, would it?”

  She couldn’t deny that her mother-in-law’s critical comments didn’t have anything to do with her digging through her once in a blue moon cloth pile. Those clothes were all designer and stuffy like the silk shirt, printed scarf she’d tied around her neck and cashmere pants with nice dress shoes that she now wore. And of course her hair was held in a twisted ponytail and she had very light makeup to finish the sophisticated look. She even had on her wedding and engagement rings.

  Melody pouted. “She said I was the hotel maid when I was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt.”

  “Poor you,” he said with a bored tone, walking towards the elevators.

  Melody ran after him. “You wouldn’t believe what she said next!”

  “What would that be?” he asked once they were in the elevator and he leaned past her to press the button to their floor.

  “That you are as ambitious as your father, that you married me for my hotels and money. Can you believe her?”

  Ruiz rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Yes I can.”

  Melody crossed her arms over her chest and pouted even more when she didn’t get the reaction she wanted. “She probably thinks you knocked me up to make sure I married you. You know, because I wouldn’t want to be socially shunne
d as an unwed mother.”

  Ruiz drew his hand away from his eyes and stared at her as if she’d grown a second head, “They still pin scarlet letters on unwed mothers and adulterers?”

  Melody knew he was making fun of her again but she didn’t give in to her normal reaction of giving him the silent treatment, probably what he was banking on. “Laugh all you want Ruiz Albury, but you can’t change the social circle your mother and I are associated with. But your mother, she’s just plain mean!”

  “Why weren’t you mean back? It’s not like you to hold your tongue.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I was tempted, but it’s not right to be rude to ones mother-in-law especially on the first meeting.”

  “Learned that from your debutant classes did you?” He sighed. “Well, lucky for you she won’t be your mother-in-law for long,” he groaned when the elevator doors opened. “I really didn’t need her drama right now.”

  Melody was rooted to the ground by his comment. She knew a divorce was on the horizon. He had said it, she’d felt it but she never truly believed…she chewed on her lower lip as she struggled to keep the pain in her heart from flowing out of her eyes.

  “Are you coming?”

  She jumped at his booming voice. “I don’t have much of a choice,” she rushed out of the elevator to catch up to him before he reached their door. “Ruiz wait.”

  “What?”

  With a shaky hand she pulled his ring out of her pocket, “I thought we’d have more of a defense against your mother if you wore this. Show a united front.”

  He looked at her open hand with his ring laying there and back to her face and she hoped she had masked her feelings well. She wanted him to wear it because he wanted to not because of the lame excuse she’d just given. If he did wear it out of his own accord it would give her some hope, stupid and unrealistic as it may be but it was still some hope.