Complicated Ties (The Ties Trilogy (A Contemporary Erotic Romance Novel)) (11 page)

Starbucks was full of young men with their laptops out writing their next bestselling manuscripts, as we walked towards the counter and the barrista who was busy serving thirsty customers.

“I’ll get these shall I?”, Lisha asked as we moved forward, getting nearer to the counter.

“Usual please..and tell the barrista no god damn whipped cream, I prefer my coffee without the resemblance to a ice cream float”, the barrista looked up and smiled.

“Welcome to Starbucks...what can I get for you?, the young  lady pulling out a notepad.

“Flat White, and a peppermint hot chocolate with lots of cream”, Lisha pulled out a twenty and handed it to the woman.

“Won’t be a tick...” she replied, moving towards the coffee machine.

“So you are looking forward to Friday then?”,

“Hopefully we’ll get a good turnout...and raise lots of money”, I replied taking my flat white and moving to a recently empty table. We both sat down and began to drink our beverages.

“Just going to text Abigail and let her known we’ve got a marquee”,

“Sure...don’t forget to mention the tables and chairs” Lisha replied while she took a sip of her drink which left cream on her upper lip.

To:ABIGAIL HARKNESS

From:MW

Booked Marquee, plus tables etc.

See you Friday

Maddie

“All done Lish”,

“What’s next then?” she asked looking intently at me, while she picked up a little packet of biscotti.

“Well that’s the DJ sorted, the dresses bought, the marquee sorted, I’ll probably think of something else at some point, but knowing my luck it will be too late.”,

“Shall we... I think Alice is cooking Lunch although I haven’t a clue to what she is cooking”

“If I know Alice, then it will be good, that woman has a way with her hands”,

“Yeah she knows how to use them properly”, the single thought of Alice’s hands made me tingle a little bit.

We headed home with Ant driving through the midday traffic with ease, our conversation turned to the matter of Friday. I could see him look in the rear view mirror, checking if we were being followed.

“No strange vans Ant?”, I asked hoping there wasn’t.

“No Miss, I’ll get you home in one piece”. I turned to Lisha,

“You can bring Nelly to the house, she gets on with my dogs, I’ll put her with Sophie, I’ll sort out a room for your Dad, anyway’s it will become yours and his soon...might as well get him over to stay”.

Lisha gave me the biggest hug ever,

“Oh thanks Maddie, you're the best friend ever”, with that she planted the biggest, wettest kiss on my cheek.

Tired and grateful to be home I decided to have a nap until my dinner date with Daniel Ace, the warmth of my bed lulled me into a deep sleep. The events of the ‘car chase’ played on my mind as the sleep took over.

Images of ‘Dave’ started to infect my dreams, I could see him approach me, his eyes filled with hatred. I could feel the lucid dream take hold as he restrained my arms against the mattress,

“You're going nowhere Maddie White, I have complete control of every aspect of your life” his menacing voice pouring over me like a cascade of water attempting to drown me.

“I’m now going to hurt you until every part of your body is in pain...”, his laugher echoing around the darkness that filled the emptiness of my ‘fake’ room.

His arms came towards my face, helpless to stop him...and began to strike my face with each hit becoming harder than the last,

“Someone please help me...”, my calls going unanswered.

“You can call out but no-one will ever come, you have no friends, no family. Only me Maddie White, you will always have me”, he copcony of laugher making every cell in my body react.

The violence escalated as he started to strike my arms and body, he chuckled as strike followed strike.

“Leave me alone you bastard.”, I shouted, hoping he would leave me alone.

“Bastard?...your the bastard, no your the bitch, the bitch who’s going to die alone with me taking your last breath”, I could see his hand come towards me in slow motion, it striking me across my face.

Dave pulled me up and slammed me into the wall by my neck, I could feel his hands tightening as he attempted to extinguish my life.

The pain started to become intolerable, my body starting to react, I could feel the walls of the lucid dream start to come down as someone began to shake me.

My screaming brought me out of the dream and Lisha came into my vision, I could feel the tears fall down my face, my brow full of cold sweat.

“Maddie, it’s ok...it’s only a dream...Don’t cry sweetie..”, Lisha’s warm embrace made me feel better.

“What was the dream about?”, Lisha asked with concern in her green eyes.

“More of a nightmare...it was Dave...doing unspeakable things...”, Lisha held me tighter as the tears continued to fall.

“It’s ok...”Lisha stood up and kissed me on the cheek.

I looked in the mirror as Lisha left my room, my eyes looking puffy and red, taking a tissue from my dressing table I wiped what remained of my eyeliner from my eyes making me look like a panda, I could hear the dogs barking at each other.

As I emerged from my room Alice came towards to me,

“Miss Maddie, your sister Maggie called, she’s heading back from Paris on Wednesday”, I thought back a few months ago when I surprised Maggie with a house two blocks from Mike, I did think it was a good idea at the time. Ant being Ant helped my sister move in with her kids, getting them settled.

“I’ll speak to her later on Skype, just let her know I’ll call before I head out”, Alice nodded as I headed for my bathroom to shower, hopefully to wash any memory of the nightmare of Dave clear out of my head.

I came back into the living room, Lisha and her dad Eric were sitting on the couch chatting,

“Hi Eric, How you doing then?” I asked pouring myself a coffee from the perlocator.

“I’m good Maddie, how are you...it’s been a while”, Eric’s face smiling.

“You fancy staying for tea, I think Alice is cooking Pork”, asking as I took a seat on a old looking armchair.

“If there’s enough...”, Eric laughed, I knew he was a man who liked the company and from my personal view he was always welcome.

“Make yourself at home, this will be all yours one day”, as I pointed around the room.

“Stop it, you’ll make Dad blush Maddie..”, Lisha said as she held Eric’s hand.

“You know I’ve ordered a new orthopedic bed for Friday night”, I told Eric, his face beginning to look shocked.

“Seriously?...”, a smile beginning to form on his face.

“That’s how Maddie operates, she has this way of making people welcome.”, Lisha began to chuckle her face turning red.

“Well it’s a little too late to cancel the order...do you guys want to have a proper look around to see what you need to do to the place?” Lisha looked at Eric as he took a notepad out, they both left the room as I started to write my ‘speech’ for Friday.

An hour passed as Lisha and Eric came back into the room, the smell of cooking filling the house as Alice came in.

“Tea is served, Pork with seven different vegetables, with apple pie for after”, we followed Alice into the dining room, with Eric telling me of his plans.

“You know I’m going to have turn one of the bathrooms into a wet room, better access to the house...”, with Eric flipping through his notepad.

With the three of us seated around my Queen Anne dining suite, I began to pick at the meal at Alice had prepared,

“You know I’ll keep the beautiful decor, I do like the oak panelling in the library..it kinda reminds me of a bygone era”, Eric told me between forkfulls of his dinner.

“What about leaving the furniture behind?”, he asked jokingly

“Dad...really? asking Maddie about leaving the furniture behind, what is she going to use in her new house?” Eric started to  laugh.

“I don’t mind giving you the furniture, you know how much you guys mean to me”, I said as I pushed my plate to the side.

After eating the food that Alice had prepared, Eric and Lisha headed home, Lisha returning to stop at mine again later on that night.

Sitting on my couch I opened my laptop, I powered up Skype and dialled my sister, Maggie.

Her familar face came into view,

“Hey Mags...Just thought I return the call, you coming back Wednesday?”,

“Hello from Euro Disney Mads...Yeah coming back Wednesday, although Ellie and Elfie will miss this place, thanks for letting us use your apartment, saved us some money in hotel bills”,

No worries Mags, Glad you're enjoying your last few days there, Anyways I’ll speak soon, I’m heading out. Say hello to the kids and give them my love sweetie..”,

“Yeah speak to you soon, say hello to Lisha for me would you, love you”, the familiar call disconnected symbol appeared on my chat window. I loved my sister dearly even though she was my half-sister. Hopefully I’ll get the time to see her again.

I had to get ready for my dinner date with Daniel, opening my wardrobe I picked the out the sluttiest dress I could find,  and moving to the drawer to my Georgian regency chest of drawers,  I pulled out a pair of Simon Perele french knickers and Falke silk stockings carefully attaching them to the suspenders that clung to my waist.

While I was applying my makeup, the doorbell rang, the clock revealing that it was 5:50pm, I headed towards the front door and saw the silhouette of Daniel Ace standing there, as I opened the front door               he stood there dressed in a white silk shirt and tight black jeans that attempted to hide his ‘package’

“Well you look ravishing Miss White...rather ravishing..”, he placed his hand on my face and looked into my eyes.

“You look rather handsome Mr Ace”, he moved forward and took hold of my hand. His face coming closer to my face as he kissed my hand, it sent a chill that started in my hand and ended at the bottom of my back, his presence drawing me in.

“Shall we..Miss White?” he asked leading me out, grabbing my bag and jacket. A pleasant white limousine was parked in the drive with its driver standing outside it. He moved towards us and opened the passenger door, the white leather and dark gray carpet inviting me in.

“Would you like a drink?”, as he pulled a bottle of Bollinger out from between the seats.

“Well as you’ve already produced the bottle, who am I to refuse?”, I took the glass that Daniel had poured, it’s pink consistency looking enticing.

The drive across town was pleasant, an hour later we arrived outside The Fairmont Hotel, with Daniel grabbing my hand and guiding me into the lobby towards the elevator,

“Good evening Mr Ace”, a concierge said as we entered the interior of the elevator.

The doors opened into what I presumed was a normal hotel room, however as we walked further in, it turned out to be a penthouse on two floors.

“Welcome to my place, hope you like it?”, Daniel walked towards the windows and with a press of a button the glass suddenly became frosted,

“I though we were going out?”, I asked as Daniel came towards me.

“Actually I want you all to myself, no interruptions”, his eyes open and full of emotion as he caressed my hand.

“Sounds promising...so what we gonna have to eat then?”, I asked, taking a seat on his corner sofa.

“All good things come to those who wait...anyway it’s a surprise”, Daniel walked me around his penthouse showing me his endless rooms that filled it, from it’s six bedrooms, library, personal office, games room, open plan kitchen and front room... it was big. Of the rooms he didn’t show me three of them were dedicated to his employees.” ‘Lisha was right about him, although at the time of being shown his penthouse I forgot about it, me being totally overwhelmed.

As we came into the dining room the dining table had been set and the food that had appeared was a sight to see. From lobster to oysters every conceivable piece of exotic seafood was in front of me. We both sat down as he poured more champagne, this time a Bollinger Grand Annee Rose, as he handed it to me, his fingers brushing against mine.

“So Mr Ace, did you enjoy what we did in your office..”, his face beginning to remember what we both experienced that day.

“To be honest Miss White, you blew my fucking mind” although I was shocked at his response I did enjoy it.

“So what if you had that once a week...for me to blow your, as you put it ‘fucking mind’”, I told him using my fingers to show him inverted commas. Daniel’s face looked surprised.

“Isn’t that supposed to be the other way round, me asking you if you would like it once a week”, he stood up and held my hand as he guided me away from the dining room into a bedroom that was decorated in red and gold with a queen sized bed covered in black silk sheets and pillows.