Covet (11 page)

A
rista Holmes had been
in a terrible mood all week. She’d spent maybe four days total in the same vicinity as Barrett before he’d left for some spontaneous trip to California. She’d tried eavesdropping on Michelle’s phone conversations to find out what was going on, but she couldn’t really figure out why he’d ignored his itinerary for the week. He’d cancelled meetings with the mayor of Las Vegas, a golf excursion with Steve Wynn, and even a conference with some Chinese captains of industry who were due in the day after he left. From what Arista knew of Barrett Evers, this wasn’t like him. He was all business, never cancelling anything. Arista had a feeling this was related to Michelle’s daughter, the one who had crashed into the office last week disrupting everything Arista had planned. Barrett hadn’t been the same since, clearly distracted. He hadn’t even glanced Arista’s way, even when she came into the office in a Givenchy romper that showed off her long, toned legs. (Michelle had reprimanded her by saying it looked like lingerie, not understanding that was the whole point.)

So now Arista was stuck in Las Vegas at a job that bored her to tears, waiting for him to come back so she could remind him what could be his. The Scarlet girl had been such a bore in a sweater and jeans. And sneakers! Arista doubted she even wore make up. She was one of those plain, boring girls that guys sometimes found attractive because they were so safe. She was surprised someone like Barrett would fall for that. He could have anyone. He’d
had
everyone, the man dated supermodels. Or at least, was rumored to. Arista found it hard to fathom what he would see in the lackluster Scarlet Bloom.

On Tuesday morning there wasn’t much happening in the offices of Elixir. Jett Stanley was back and had been flirting heavily with her over the Keurig. But Arista didn’t have any desire to return the affection and had been mostly sitting behind her desk pretending to work on the computer while really perusing Perez Hilton and TMZ and using her phone to post her latest hot selfies to Instagram.

At around ten she heard the elevator next to the lobby ding. It meant someone was ascending to the offices and Arista prayed it was Barrett come back to his senses and back to his life. And hers.

She’d worn something a little less obvious today; instead of showing cleavage and leg, she was only showing cleavage. And her hair was on point in a perfectly coiffed chignon, with more natural looking makeup. If Barrett liked low maintenance than she would be whatever he wanted. Even boring.

Arista watched as the elevator doors opened and the person walked out into the lobby of Elixir Enterprises.

It wasn’t Barrett. It was an older woman with glossy raven hair, and a beautiful face. She was the Sophia Loren kind of gorgeous; clearly an older woman who had probably been a complete knock out when she was young. Her outfit was something out of Anna Wintour’s closet- all grays and neutrals and tailored to the perfection of her small figure. Arista could only hope to age so well. This woman looked like a big pile of money and as she strolled over to Arista’s desk, her pheromones smelled like it too.

“Hello,” Arista said, “May I help you?”

The woman’s expression was cold and she sized Arista up, looking at her from head to toe. Arista was uncomfortable under her judgmental scrutiny.

“I’m Patricia Evers,” she said. “I need to know where my son is.”

Arista’s heart thumped against the inside of her low cut YSL top. This was his mother. The most important woman in his life. And even she didn’t know where he was.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Evers,” Arista apologized. “Mr. Evers has gone to San Diego for the week. He didn’t say when he would be back.”

Patricia rolled her eyes, “I know that much. I need to know specifically where he’s staying. Where is Michelle Bloom? I need to talk to someone who knows what the hell I’m talking about. Actually, even better- get Nancy Sanderson here. Unless she’s gone with him.”

Arista nodded, “I’ll call Michelle right now.”

Within minutes Michelle was in the lobby, trying her best to be kind to a woman she despised.

Patricia Evers had never treated the Blooms very well. She constantly pretended to forget their names and she loved to act as if they worked for her directly, even though they technically didn’t. Michelle rarely had to see Patricia but when she did, it was complete hell.

“I’m not sure where he is specifically, Mrs. Evers,” Michelle said calmly. “He just told Nancy that he’d be in San Diego for the week and that he’d try to be back next Monday. I’m sorry I don’t have more information. Is everything okay?”

Patricia glared, “You can see it clearly now. Do you know where Scarlet is?”

Michelle bit the inside of her cheeks. She really was struggling not to say something incredibly rude.

“Scarlet texted me this morning. She’s also in… California.” Michelle was careful with her words, “But she’s not an employee here so I don’t think her whereabouts are pertinent to this conversation.”

It was the closest Michele Bloom had ever gotten to telling Patricia Evers to fuck off.

Patricia’s voice rose, “
I
decide what is
pertinent
to any conversation I’m involved in, especially with subordinates who work for my family. Get me Nancy. Now.”

Michelle nodded, “I’ll call her. Would you like her to come to the office or would you rather speak to her on the phone?”

“Get her
here
.” Patricia flounced over to the lavish couch against the wall near the windows that overlooked Las Vegas Boulevard. “It’s amazing you’ve lasted here this long, Michelle. I remain unimpressed.”

Michelle said nothing, just walked back to her office. Sadly, Patricia had said worse things to her. But Arista stood there frozen.

Patricia stared at her, “What’s your name?”

“Arista,” she replied. “Arista Holmes.”

“Well, Arista,” Patricia said. “I need a mineral water. Can you manage to get me one or do I have to call someone else for that, too?”

Arista shook her head, “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

As Arista hurried away to do Patricia Evers’ bidding, the thought couldn’t help but creep up in her mind that if this woman was going to be her future mother-in-law, she’d better have a house far away from her and Barrett. Arista knew she wasn’t a saint but Patricia Evers was someone unlike any woman she had ever dealt with. And Arista had been chased out of mansions by men’s wives. None of them scared the shit out of her like this woman.

Patricia Evers was possibly the devil herself. And part of Arista felt bad for Scarlet Bloom. And another part of her thought Patricia might be just the salvation she needed.

B
arrett and Scarlet
walked on the beach that evening, hand in hand, like they had long ago on the shores of another coast in a whole other universe.

“I think about Easter Island all the time,” she confessed. “It was the best week of my life. Every time I would miss you I would go back to that trip in my mind.”

Barrett wrapped his arm around her, “I know. Except I haven’t thought of it in a long time. Too painful.” He kissed her head, “But I regret nothing. It lives in my memory with the rest of you.”

She touched his face, “I wished everything was different. Every day.”

“It can be,” he said. “We can be together again. I get it, my vampire of a mother scared the shit out of you. Because of that, I’ll never speak to her again, not that I spoke to her much anyway. You were young and vulnerable and you didn’t know what to do. But now we can make it all okay again.” He smiled, “I knew there was a reason you showed up in Las Vegas.”

Scarlet said nothing, just looked out at the crashing waves of the Pacific.

“I wish it was that easy,” she whispered. “There’s so much we still have to talk about.”

Barrett shook his head, “And we will. But right now, I just want to catch up on everything I missed.” He pulled her close to him, “Namely your body. Your smile. I love you, Scarlet. I never came close to ever stopping.”

She held onto him then, living in that moment with him. As much as she wanted to believe everything he said, she had the burden of knowledge he didn’t have. Knowledge she didn’t know if she could ever have the courage to share with him. It would all be so simple if this was just about a mother from hell. But like with all things, there was more under the surface.

But for that moment by the ocean, Scarlet Bloom tried to forget the past and hold onto the present.

T
hey’d landed
in the middle of the day at Mataveri International Airport on Rapa Nui, otherwise known as Easter Island. They’d slept for half the flight, tangled up in one another, and the flight attendant awkwardly had to knock on their door to let them know they were close to landing.

“We’re finally here,” Barrett stretched his muscled arms. “Although I wouldn’t have minded more time in this bed with you. Best flight I’ve ever experienced. Commercial just won’t ever be the same.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes, “Since when have you ever flown commercial?”

Barret laughed, “Okay. You got me. And now I never can. You’ve ruined me.”

Scarlet held the cotton sheet to her chest and leaned over to kiss his shoulder, “I think I’m the one who’s ruined.”

“Good,” he said. “Makes a man proud to hear a woman say that.”

They slowly got dressed into more casual clothing and waited in the lounge as the plane descended, munching on fresh fruit that had been prepared for them.

“I feel bad we never even took advantage of the chef I brought on board with us,” Barrett said. “Maybe on the way back.”

* * *

B
arrett had promised
isolation and sure enough, he’d rented an entire five-star resort, the only one on the island. It faced the ocean and Scarlet stared out at the horizon, hardly believing this was her life.

“Pretty view?” he asked from behind her, handing her a glass of champagne.

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted. “You’ve really outdid yourself, Barrett Evers.”

They shared a long, lingering kiss as a slight breeze hit them, blowing the long thin skirt Scarlet was wearing around her legs.

“I want this to be something you remember forever,” he said. “Something you’ll tell your grandchildren about.”

They held one another then as they looked out at the Pacific, both contemplating different things. Barrett still wasn’t sure when he would ask her the big question. For all his planning, he hadn’t thought on that moment enough. The ring sat in his luggage under a pair of Cole Haan shoes.

Scarlet wondered what would happen next, after this trip. She was finishing her last year of school and she knew they would see one another less. Barrett would be taking his LSAT and applying to law schools, and she would be finishing up at Emory. After that, she didn’t know what the future held. But being with him in that moment made her excited for it to arrive.

* * *

T
hat first day
they made love through the afternoon until it was time for dinner. Barrett had the resort chef bring food to their room so they could eat out on the terrace and watch the sun set as they noshed on sushi made with fatty tuna and topped with caviar.

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Scarlet asked. “By the way, I don’t think I can ever have sushi anywhere else now. This is so unbelievably good.”

“Perfect. I want this trip to ruin anything else after it because you compare everything to this week,” he grinned at her, reaching across the table to take her hand. “And I think tomorrow we’re going to hike to the statues.”

“The moai,” Scarlet said. “I’ve only seen them in history books. They seem like something from another world.”

“I’ve been fascinated with them since my first trip here when I was twelve,” Barrett replied. “And I always said that if I ever fell in love, this would be where I take her. So she could be as astounded by human achievement as I was. They’re extraordinary.”

“And I’m the only woman you’ve brought here?” Scarlet asked.

“The only one,” he said. “I’ve never come close to bringing anyone else.”

Scarlet walked over to him and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

“I love you,” she said, kissing him gently on the mouth. “Are you finished eating?”

He nodded, his hands sliding up her skirt. Her skin was soft and smooth. When he reached the top of her inner thigh he could already feel how wet she was.

“I’ve never heard of a woman who could always be so ready for a man,” he whispered into her ear. “You’re always so ready for me to take you.”

“How could anyone not respond to your touch?” she asked, rhetorically.

He picked her up and carried her out to the pool and to the cabana that overlooked the ocean. He slid her skirt down as she pulled off her silk tank top.

“Look at me while you fuck me,” she begged him. “And don’t stop.”

He was used to giving her direction but he only wanted her to have everything she wanted. For an hour he slowly gave her what she craved. Nothing was said, the only sounds coming from either of them were ones from their pleasure, her climaxes filling the night air with her chesty moans.

They finished inside their suite around ten, both exhausted from the exertion of the day. As Scarlet fell asleep in his arms he whispered to himself, “Tomorrow. Everything changes forever.”

He never slept so well in all his life.