Insufferable Proximity (62 page)

“What happened?” Sybille asked Coco, who in return looked to Heaven.

“You or me kiddo?” Coco asked and Heaven looked back down to the ground, unable to look them in the eyes as she relayed the story.

“Someone found out about me and Julian, and they filmed us having sex then sent it to our boss.”

“You had sex?” Sybille shrieked, too astounded by her daughters lack of virginity to fully comprehend the entire statement.

“Yes and someone filmed it!”

“Oh god no.” Sybille gasped.

“Who did this to you?” Coco asked, her temper flaring. Even though Heaven was her niece, she considered her more of a daughter since she had solely raised her for the first years of her life. Coco did not take kindly to someone trying to sabotage her only niece.

“We don’t know, my boss has his private detective Riley Fitzpatrick investigating it.”

“There is no one better than Fritz.” Coco said. The detective was legendary in their area, in his long career he had tracked down a few serial killers as well as solved numerous murder cases. He had even come out of retirement recently to help track down a notorious serial killer.

“Thank God he called Fritz!” Sybille agreed, he had been a client of hers since she first opened her business in the area. She knew how intelligent and dedicated to his job he was. He had solved an infamous case and caught a fiendish murderer, all while he was sleeping with a girl from the brothel.

“So that’s why I need a few days to myself, I need to get away from this place.” she nodded.

“No, I think you should stay here with us, where we can protect you.” Coco objected, “I don’t thinking leaving is a wise decision.”

“I agree.” Sybille added. “You can sleep in your old room, I’ll have food sent up to you and I will make sure no one bothers you.”

“I don’t know.”

“Now is the time to be surrounded by people who can keep you safe.” she winked “Besides you know two of the classes my girls take are self-defense and shooting.”

“Great, it will be a bloodbath at the brothel. Oh excuse me, I forgot, it’s not a brothel anymore.” Heaven said sarcastically.

“No, it most definitely is a brothel.” Sybille grinned from ear to ear.

“Finally!” Coco smiled. “An end to the denial.”

“So how about a huge brunch.” Sybille smiled changing the subject. “Big enough to feed a football team.”

“That sounds like just what you need to get your mind off your troubles.” Coco grinned.

“That and the aged bottle of red wine.” Sybille smiled.

“The one you’ve been saving for a special occasion?” Coco asked in surprise. “Or true love.”

“Of course, what other wine would I drink the day I find out my daughter is in love.”

“What?” Coco stopped dead in her tracks.

“It’s not like that-” Heaven tried to explain, “I just, I-” she shrugged her shoulders, at a loss for words.

“See what I told you, even the mention of the word and the girl is suddenly speechless.” Sybille continued opening the large French glass doors to that led to the massive mauve toned kitchen. “And when is Sevigne ever speechless?”

“Mother!” Heaven snapped.

“Never mind your mother, let’s just eat.” Coco said kissing her niece on the forehead, diffusing an uncomfortable situation, “Cook made strawberry shortcake, she must have had a premonition you were coming.”

***

Sybille had just gotten her daughter settled down when Heaven’s personal phone line at the house began ringing. Sybille watched as Violet, one of the lead girls at the brothel, picked up the phone, but she didn’t need Violet to confirm who was calling, Sybille already knew.

“Hello? No she’s not here.” Violet looked almost confused for a moment before repeating her words. “No, she’s really not here.” there was another short pause before Violet, who was wearing flotation devices around her arms, but was otherwise nude, ran over to Sybille with the phone in her hand.

“Heaven told us to tell Mr. King that she wasn‘t here, but he’s demanding to speak to you.” she whispered as she handed Sybille the phone.

“Thank you dear, that will be all.” she smiled then answered the phone.

“Hello?” she answered nonchalantly.

“Sybille?” she immediately recognized the distinctive deep voice as Julian’s.

“Yes.”

“I need to speak to Heaven.” Julian said.

“I’m sorry.” she answered sympathetically, hearing the worry in his voice.

“Is she there?” he asked but Sybille was silent, unable to tell him the words she told her daughter she would not say. “Please, I just need to know she’s safe.”

“I promised not to tell anyone where she went, would you hold on for a second please.” she said and put the phone on speaker. “Violet! Could you please come back here for a moment.” she called to the girl knowing Julian could hear her clearly.

“Yes Madame.” Violet asked with the sweetest smile, she had obviously already forgotten about the phone and hadn’t noticed that Sybille still held it.

“What did Coco do with that bottle of red wine I asked her for?”

“She took it up to Sevigne‘s room, I think they are having a drink.” she answered.

“Thank you, dear.” she said and Violet nodded before running off. Sybille picked the phone back up and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry Julian, now where were we?” she asked.

“Thank you.” he said graciously.

“Whatever for dear?” she asked in mock confusion before the smile spread widely across her face. “See you soon.”

Julian drove home and waited for Heaven to call. Part of him wanted to go chase her down, but the other part of him was willing to give her a little time to think and clear her head. He sat there in a slump, unable to think about anything other than her. His mind was absorbed with everything that had transpired between them. He was overwhelmed with every conceivable emotion at once. He was out of his mind with worry for her and even knowing she was safe with her mother did not help. He needed to see her, to touch her and let her know everything would be alright.

He understood more than anyone, just how deep her issues with her sexuality ran and he also knew what she had gone through having to face those issues head on for the contract. He knew she had been to war and back with her own emotions and had been forced to break her own rules for the sake of her career. She had just starting to become a little more confident with her sexuality when she was suddenly exposed before her co-workers.

He understood, but he could not help feeling frustrated with her for just disappearing like she did. He comprehended the need to take some time to think before facing the problems that plagued her, but she had no right to run away from him in the process. They were in this together and he would take all the blame on his shoulders as well as defend her to his death.

After hours of deep thinking and over analyzing, he felt his brain finally slow down and promptly fell asleep. After a restless sleep full of horrific nightmares, he woke-up bright and early, ready to go get Heaven. He felt he had given her enough time to think and at this point he refused to wait a moment longer. He jumped up, not bothering to change his clothes or bathe before he went down to his car.  He had a plan to fix some of the mess and he needed to make a quick stop to pick something up before he headed to her mother’s house.

***

The loud doorbell rang relentlessly through the halls of the brothel and Sybille smiled to herself. She already knew who it was, but was surprised he had waited until morning since Julian was as impatient as Heaven.

“Answer the door for me will you?” Sybille asked Violet, who in return smiled from ear to ear. Violet had managed to lose the flotation devices this morning and had thrown on a mismatched bikini. Violet had a heart of gold and was possibly one of the sweetest girls that Sybille knew, but by no means the brightest. Although what she lacked in basic common sense, she more then made of for in compassion and respect.

“But it’s Sevigne’s friend,” she shook her head, “I meant her ex-friend.”

“Well are you going to let him in?”

“Should I?”

“It’s bad manners to make someone wait at the front door, don’t you think?” Sybille asked sweetly.

“I don’t want Sevigne to be angry with me, she just finally forgave me for spilling that wine on her shoes last year.”

“Why on earth would she be upset? Don’t you remember when they were here last and what a happy couple they were?” Sybille smiled sweetly, although she was getting a tad bit irritated with Violet’s line of questioning. Usually, Violet never questioned anything, but for some reason when it came to going against Sevigne, she was cautious.

“But I thought Sevigne said-”

“Nonsense darling, they’re perfectly happy.” she smiled. “Now be a dear and do go let him in before he leaves.” she winked and sashayed away.

Violet walked over and opened the door, seeing the handsome man standing there.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m here to see Heaven.”

“Oh yes of course, come in, Sevigne is in her wing. You do know where it is correct?” she asked as her big round eyes opened wide.

“Yes.”

“Good, then tell Sevigne I said hello.” she smiled than walked away as Julian headed straight to Heaven’s bedroom.

He opened her bedroom door then stopped for a moment, stunned by the scene before him. She was curled up like a lifeless rag doll on the middle of the red comforter spread over her bed. There was a large ball of tissues wadded in her hand and the half empty box they came in lay next to her. He closed the door behind him then walked over to her, seeing her tear stained face and felt his heart begin to ache. He knew she had been crying all night and he cursed himself for not following his instincts. He knew he should have gone to her directly, instead of foolishly waiting until morning.

He sat down next to her on the bed, watching her red rimmed eyes flutter open before she frowned and turned away from him. He turned her back around to face him, his large hand preventing her from turning back.

“I want you to get dressed and come with me.”

“No.” she sounded pitiful.

“Come on, you need to get out of this room and get some fresh air.”

“No, I’m never leaving this room again.” she pouted, looking like a little girl. He smoothed the hair back away from her face then slid his hand down her cheek.

“You can’t stay in here forever, Princess.”

“Yes I can.” she rolled over again, and this time he let her. He slid his hand over her back, scanning her shoulders before he bent and lightly kissed the side of her face as she continued talking. “There’s some invisible-stalker watching every move we make and we have no idea who this person is.” she put the tissue to her eyes. “That person could have been right there watching the tape with us at work and we would have had no idea who it was. Everyone is a suspect! And if that isn’t enough for me to stay inside, don’t forget that same phantom-stalker played live footage of us having sex for everyone we work with!”

“Fritz is going to catch him and this will all be over soon.”

“Even if he does catch him it is not going to erase that video of us from everyone’s mind. Everything I worked so hard for is gone now, I went from a respected member of the firm to your personal whore in record time.” she began to sob but Julian turned her back around to face him.

“You had a contract with me and fulfilling the obligations of that contract does not make you my personal whore. I’ve never felt that way about you and neither does anyone else.”

“They watched us have sex on tape Julian, how could they not think I’m a whore!” she sat up and faced him, her back to the headboard.

“Again, you were under contractual obligation and unaware there was a psychopath filming us, that does not make you a whore.”

“But there were no rules in that contract that said I had to enjoy it!” she finally admitted it. “That’s what makes me a whore.”

“No, that’s what makes you human. There is nothing wrong with enjoying sex Heaven, our bodies are designed for it.”

“I just wish no one had seen us doing it! I wish I could rewind time and go back to that day.”

“The day you broke into my office?” he asked, misconstruing her words as the corners of his mouth twitched down.

“No, the very first day I let you get away with the whole ‘sex in public’ fixation you have.” she shook her head, “I should have stuck to my guns and refused, then no one would have been able to film us.”

“But you wouldn’t go back to the day you broke into my office? That would prevent all of this.”

“No, I wouldn’t change anything I did that day.” she said honestly.

“I’m surprised to hear you say that, I thought that was your biggest regret.”

“No, you’ve shown me things I never want to forget. After all of this my only regret is not getting to know you sooner, because now I have to leave the firm.” she whispered as the tears began to puddle in her eyes again.

“You’re not leaving the firm.” he pulled her into his embrace, comforting as she began to cry again.