Authors: Evan Kelsey
"Ruxin,
is Eva with you? She didn't come home last night and I'm worried
about her." I keep from snapping at the man. He doesn't need to
worry about her when she leaves with me.
"Yes,
she's with me." I answer.
I think
he's stunned because he keeps going to say something and stops
himself. "Is there anything else, William?"
"Just-ah,
when will she be home? I wanted to take her to lunch before she
starts her new job."
"She
won't be starting her new job."
"She wont
be?...I thought, uh isn't-?" He starts and I interrupt
him.
"No, I
don't want her working there."
Again the
man is at a loss and I find it very annoying, but I wait for him to
compose himself. "I still want to take her to lunch, can you have
her call me?"
"Yes." I
reply and hang up, reaching my limit with the blathering idiot. I
finish making the coffee and take my phone and the hot coffee mug
into the bathroom where I see Eva relaxing in the bubbles. She
looks tiny in the huge tub, maybe she'll let me join her. I set the
coffee down by her hand.
"Thank
you." She responds, picking it up.
"Your
welcome. Your dad called." I state, as she takes a sip and spits it
out into the bath water. I look at her amused.
"He
called you?" She questions, sitting up quickly.
"Yes, he
was worried when you didn't come home last night."
"Oh, my
God. What did you say to him?" She asks, horrified.
"Just
that I took your virginity and you'll be staying with me for the
next six mo-"
"What?"
She cries out.
"I'm
joking. I told him that you were here and that you'd call him back.
He wants to take you to lunch."
She
visibly relaxes and takes another sip of coffee and set's it down.
"Can I use your phone?"
I hand
her the phone, as she hits send I get in the bathtub with her and
she follows my every movement suspiciously. I smile at her and pick
up her foot, massaging it. This seems to quell her
nervousness.
Eva
Thorpe
"Hello?"
William answers, the phone.
"Hi,
William its me." I say, feeling embarrassed.
"Eva, are
you okay? I thought you'd be home last night?" He asks, I can hear
the disappointment in his voice. He knows who I was with and isn't
happy about it.
"I'm
fine." I reply, not commenting on coming home last
night.
"Ruxin
told me your not starting that job at Gulliver's
anymore."
I look at
Ruxin, who is watching me intently. "Yeah, Ruxin is co-owner and
doesn't want me working there. Don't worry I'll find somewhere
else." I respond, looking at Ruxin smugly and stick out my
tongue.
He shakes
his head, smirking. "That man owns more then half the city. If he
doesn't want you to work, you won't be." William warns, sounding
agitated.
Great I
think to myself, maybe he wants me to move out now. "I have some
savings, if its a matter of moving out I ca-"
"No, no
its not that. I'm just stating the facts. Why doesn't he want you
working?" He asks, curiously.
"He's
travelling a lot over the next couple of months and wants me to go
with him."
"He wants
you to travel with him? Why? He always travels alone, what's going
on between you two?" He questions, getting more upset by the
second.
Shit what
do I say? I have to stall. "How about we meet for lunch and we can
talk about it then?"
"Yeah,
okay. How about Henry's? I know you like the pizza."
"Sounds
great. What time?"
"Noon?"
"See you
then, bye."
"Bye."
I hang up
and put the phone on the edge of the bathtub. Then lean back, close
my eyes and slip into the water. Maybe I should just drown myself,
I think sitting up out of the water and brushing the bubbles off my
face. "He knows." I groan. ;He thinks I'm a big slut because of
you."
"I can
enlighten him if you wish." He replies, moodily. What the hell is
he upset about?
"No,
thanks."
"Are you
going to invite me to lunch?"
I look at
him. "I wasn't planning on it." I reply, honestly.
"I'm
coming."
"Why?" I
ask, truly confused about our arrangement.
"Because
I want to and it will make it easier on you."
"How,
would it make it easier telling my father that I'm sleeping with
you for the next six months."
"You and
I both know you won't be saying that to him. I'll be going as your
boyfriend."
"He won't
believe that. We just met last night." I point out.
"So,
we'll convince him."
"Convince
him how? Show him your bloody sheets?" I mutter, grumpily. I feel
him tense up and I know I shouldn't have thrown that in his face. I
agreed to this, its not only his fault. "Sorry, I just don't want
him thinking badly of me."
"I
understand. Trust me, if I go to lunch he'll know its serious. I've
never been out with a women in a public place that wasn't an event
of some kind."
I scoff.
"Really, you just hit it and quit it. Women let you do that to
them?"
"Yep and
trust me they know the score before hand." He states, before I can
berate him for his callous behavior.
"No one
has fallen for you before or asked for more then one
night?"
He
shrugs. "I have no idea, I don't stay in contact with them. My
security handles it if they come to the office."
I look at
him dumbfounded. If he never sleeps with the same person twice, how
the hell is he supposed to last six months with me? Unless he's
going to be with other women while he still calls me over for a
booty call.
I smile.
"So, you'll probably get rid of me before six months is up
then?"
"I
wouldn't hold your breath."
"If you
are planning on having me for booty calls in between your other
conquests, you can forget it. That's a little too weird for me.
Plus, I don't want to come out of this with any STD's. I guess if
you plan on wearing a condom every time, then maybe." I say,
thinking to myself. If he has others then I don't have to be the
one on my back. Maybe I should encourage him to see
others.
"I won't
be needing anyone else." He states, irritated.
"You
might get sick of me. I retract my previous statement. You can
sleep with whoever you want, but you have to wrap it up if I still
have to sleep with you." I warn.
"I'm only
going to repeat myself one last time. I wont be needing anyone else
and I've never had sex without a condom, so you don't have to worry
about any STD's." I look at him. His eyes are cold and his jaw is
clenched tightly.
"You're
mad."
"Yes." Is
his reply.
"Why?"
He takes
a deep breath. "Hand me the phone."
I do as
he asks and he hits a few buttons and says, "Julia, I need you to
go shopping for a simple dress, something for a casual lunch, shoes
too. Get everything. Size 3 dress and seven shoe. Bra 32C. Drop it
off at my place." He hangs up and looks at me.
"I'm mad
that you would think that you're the same as the others. I thought
I made it obvious that you're not."
"Did you
just order me a dress?" I ask, not quite believing that he could
just order someone to go buy me a dress.
"I didn't
think you'd want to wear your gown from last night to
lunch."
"I could
have went home to change first. You don't need to have someone go
get me a dress on a Sunday, don't they have the weekends
off?"
"They
work when I need them to work. I pay them very well."
I drink
the rest of my coffee and look at Ruxin who is concentrating on his
phone. I don't understand this man, not at all.
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Eva's
POV:
I
wouldn't get out of the bathtub until he was out first. Now, I
believe Ruxin is off pouting somewhere. I walk into the bedroom in
a towel and he isn't there, so I grabbed one of his white tee
shirts and go to find him. This place is huge and when I find the
kitchen I get distracted and make myself another cup of coffee. I
hear him talking and I follow his voice to the double doors of his
office. The doors are open so I walk in and sit down.
He raises
an eyebrow at me and I wave. He's either surprised by my audacity
to come in while he's on the phone, or me wearing one of his shirts
without permission. I don't really care if either bother him. He
wants me here, he has to deal with me. He continues his
conversation, so I look around the room out of boredom. Spotting
some pictures on the shelves behind him, I stand up and make my way
to them, setting my cup on the desk as I go. I pick up the
expensive silver frame and look at the young women smiling back.
She looks a lot like him, dark brown hair and long lashed beautiful
light blue eyes. I remember him saying he has a sister, "What's
your sisters name?" I ask.
He stops
his conversation. "Kelsey." He replies and continues speaking to
the person on the phone. I pick up the next photo on the shelf of
him, his sister and his parents, at least I think its his parents.
He looks a lot like the man in the photo, except the man in the
photo has cold dead eyes. Ruxin, shares that look occasionally, but
for the most part his eyes are generally soft and penetrating, not
cold. The women is small and almost fragile looking next to her
tall husband. She looks beautiful and happy, just like her
daughter. While Ruxin and his dad look fierce and
determined.
"You look
like your dad, except that his eyes are colder and
harder."
The door
bell chimes and I look at Ruxin, who is looking at me like I just
said the most interesting thing in the world. "What?" I
ask.
"Many
people, my parents included say the exact opposite of what you just
said."
"Really?
I don't see it." I shrug as the bell chimes again. "Do you want me
to answer the door?"
"I'll
call you back." He says, hanging up the phone.
"Come
with me. If you don't like it I'll have her go get something
else."
"I'm sure
its fine, Ruxin. I'm not exactly dressed, I'll wait in your living
room."
"No, come
with me. I don't want to invite her in." He refuses and makes me
come with him. He opens the door to a tall thin women with a pretty
face and gorgeous and thick curly black hair. This is his
secretary? She looks like a model.
I smile
at her, but she ignores me and hands Ruxin the garment bag. "Is
this everything?"
"Yes,
sir."
"Wait
here, I want to make sure it fits." He orders and closes the
door.
"Ruxin,
you can't shut doors on peoples faces. Let her in."
"No, just
try it on." He hangs the bag on the door knob and takes my shirt
off. I cover myself with my hands as he takes out the underwear and
hands them to me. Mortified as I see his gaze settle on different
areas of my body, I dress as quickly as possible. He takes the
dress off the hanger and puts it over my head and slides it down.
It has black and white stripes, is form fitting and it touches the
floor. It's causal and cute, I love it. He takes out the shoes and
puts them on the floor. I step into the black wedge heels and
smile.
"Its like
Christmas." The Christmas I never had. We never had any money
growing up, I didn't understand until later why I didn't get any
presents from Santa.
"Its too
tight." He complains. I look down. It's tight but its meant to be
that way. It doesn't look slutty or anything. He opens the door.
"Get her a jacket or something to go over it."
"Ruxin,
its August. I'm not wearing a jacket."
"Then you
won't wear that dress. Go get something less revealing." He is
about to shut the door when I stop him.
"I'm
wearing this or take me home to get something. This shouldn't even
be an issue." I turn to the woman. "Hi, I'm Eva." I introduce
myself and hold out my hand. She shakes it quickly and lets it
drop. She doesn't tell me her name, so I just say, "Don't go get
anything else, this is fine. Thank you and enjoy your Sunday." I
smile and shut the door.
"You
think she's going to listen to you? I'm the one that pays her
salary."
"What is
she doing working for you anyway? She belongs on a runway in
Paris."
He
scoffs, "Just because she's tall doesn't make her a
model."
"She's
beautiful." I argue.
"Well she
better come back with something else for you, or she will be trying
her luck in Paris."