Showcase

by P. Roper

  The moment he asked the question, the doors opening at the other end of the table pulled everyone’s attention. The air left my lungs and my heart tried to beat itself right out of my chest, recognising the tall blonde man who issued apologies all the way down the table before depositing himself into the chair beside Jacqueline. As soon as he was seated, he stared. There was no shock there; he knew I would be here. As if sensing my panic, Nathaniel’s hand landed on my thigh under the table. His finger tracing circles on my skin there, to sooth me. I glanced at him and when I met his eyes, I realized. He knew too. Suddenly nauseous, I swallowed the lump in my throat. Niles, the older brother of the man who brought me home, was N.

  Chapter 10

  “Ah Niles, good of you to finally join us. Glad you could deign us worthy of your time for the occasion.” The comment was dripping with sarcasm and disdain. Clearly Nicholas Halstead favoured his younger son over the older.

  “Yes father,” N began. “I just couldn’t bring myself to miss this one. There is after all, so much to be thankful in our world. Isn’t there?” My attempts to avoid his eyes were futile. The hostility that laced his voice, which I had only heard giving quiet orders before, made me look up.

  “Right. Now, where were we?” Nicholas asked. “Ah yes, Deliah. How did you and Nathaniel become acquainted? I understand you met while he was in Europe recently. Yet I couldn’t help but notice that you have a distinctly American accent.”

  Clearing my throat, I started. “Yes, I was in Amsterdam for a year. Traveled a bit around Europe too, but it was my home base so to speak. I was born in Connecticut, but I grew up on military bases up and down the east coast here.”

  “Father is a military man, then?”

  “Was, sir. KIA overseas several years ago.”

  “I see. I am sorry.” The dignified man, paused to clear his throat, “I’m also certain that many of us are still curious about how you came to know my son?”

  I arranged my face into a smile that I hoped came across as genuine. Looking back to Nathaniel briefly, I saw worry in his eyes. He knew I was upset and I could lay all the cards out. His hand, still on my thigh, skated up the slit in the skirt of my dress. As his pinkie met the lace of my underwear, I took a breath and turned back to the head of the table.

  “It’s actually a sort of funny story,” I start, sitting up a little straighter as Nathaniel’s pinkie snaked inside the lace. “I saw his face in a crowd one night that I was working and a week later, we collided. We banged into one another rounding a corner. The interaction left me soaking wet. Because the coffee in my hand spilled down my dress. Ever the gentleman, he wrapped me in his coat and offered me a ride. I took him up on the offer and here we are.” With each innuendo laced word, I noticed N tense in my peripheral and felt Nathaniel’s pinkie press on my clit.

  I turned to him then, a smile still on my face and my brow rose. Clearing his throat, he seemed to take my silent message; sliding his hand back down my thigh before speaking to his father. “Indeed. I damn near knocked her off her feet.” Then looking back to me, he said, “I couldn’t leave you there without at least offering my assistance. You’d practically been burned and I firmly believe in kismet.”

  With that one sentence, I realized that he knew what N had done. He knew and he sought me out anyway. I narrowed my eyes at him for a flash. While his father said something about them looking forward to getting to know me better. Audrey pulled most of the room’s attention, asking Mrs. Halstead about further plans for the remainder of the year.

  Once everyone’s attention was diverted, Nathaniel leaned into me. “I know and I promise we will talk about it tonight. But please, not here.” His breath touched my neck just below my ear, as he whispered barely loud enough for me to hear, despite his proximity. I felt his sigh more than heard it before he added, “Also? Clever words, pretty girl. If you’ll let me, I’ll get you wet and take you for a ride again tonight?”

  I pulled back to meet his gaze, putting a smile on my face that we both knew was fake. “Later,” was the only word that left my mouth. But it seemed to relax his shoulders slightly, regardless.

  Dinner continued on, some of the best food I’d had in my entire life filling my plates. Before I knew it, our last dish was being cleared from the table and people were beginning to stand. Conversations moved to other parts of the main floor, some spilling onto the back porch. Noelle pulled me into the foyer to introduce me to a couple of her friends that I had yet to meet, while Nathaniel finished a conversation at the table.

  When drinks were brought around on silver trays, a waiter sought me out to hand deliver glasses for myself and Nathaniel. So, drinks in hand, I went looking for him. Once again, I heard him before I saw him. This time, he sounded exasperated as he spoke one word. “Mother.”

  Her sophisticated voice came next, filled with annoyance. “What were you thinking, Nathaniel? Bringing someone like her into your life. A single glance is enough to determine she isn’t our class of people. Both Mrs. Kerrison and Mrs. Landon approached me this evening, absolutely scandalized. I mean, that dress leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. Cut down to her navel, there was legitimate fear her breasts would simply fall out. And you can see all the way up to her hip with the slit in that skirt. One wrong step and her whole vagina would be on display, Nathaniel!”

  I eased back away from the doorway. This was a conversation I clearly wasn’t meant to hear. After taking several steps backward, I turned and headed for the front door. Stepping away from the crowded house and back patio for some air was what I needed. So I slipped past the twelve foot tree and out the large black front door, throwing a smile at Fred, the doorman for the night.

  Leaning my apparently scandalous bare back against the cold stone facade, I sucked in a couple deep breaths. He had been nothing but kind and had brought me here. It did seem as if there was more to his intentions than implied but I couldn’t be certain until we spoke later. Regardless though, he made the offer. I hadn’t asked, nor was I coerced. Granted, I wasn’t sure I’d ever met an even remotely straight woman that would say no to a man with a face like that. But that was beside the point. And he chose the fucking dress. I wanted to scream, but I knew I would be heard from the other side of the house.

  I closed my eyes and dropped my chin to my chest, only to feel a presence looming. I didn’t raise my eyes until I heard, “Hello Dee. Fancy running into you here, of all the places in the world.” His voice was dripping with contempt. By the time I did look up, Niles had blocked any path of escape and was still closing in.

  “What do you want, N?” I didn’t have the patience for games.

  He brought a finger to my chin but when I attempted to avoid his touch, he added others. Gripping my jaw tightly, ensuring my attention was solely on him. “You will speak, when I say you may,” he spit in my face. “Now, I don’t know what you are doing here. Hell, perhaps my bleeding heart of a little brother brought you into his life to pity fuck you. I don’t know, nor do I actually care. But you are here now and mark my words, sweet Dee. I will have you to myself again. Never forget, pet. I owned you first. In fact, maybe I should actually claim you again right here.”

  He attempted to crowd me further, pressing me between himself and the wall. I brought my hands up to shove him back before using the momentary advantage his surprised stumble had granted me. “Fuck you, N. No one owns me. Least of all you.” Trying to keep my voice laced with venom instead of tears was a feat. But the moment my words were out, I rushed to throw open the front door.

  I thought I had gotten lucky. My escape from the immediate danger I felt was imminent. However, throwing myself through the threshold, I ran chest to face into none other than Nicholas Halstead II. His hands met my arms, to steady me and curiosity marred every inch of his face. But Niles appeared in the doorway behind me. Mr. Halstead’s narrowed gaze bounced between us before he dropped my arms, as if I had burned him. A disappointed scowl replaced his prior c
onfusion and he shook his head before turning back around to stalk back into the party. I glanced back at both Niles and Fred before shaking my head briefly and fleeing up the stairs.

  I made it to the master bedroom before crumbling to the floor. I didn’t belong here. I allowed myself to cry a moment before reining it in and standing. I paced a moment, unsure of what to do. Should I wait for Nathaniel and hear what he has to say? I mean, I couldn’t very well leave at the moment. There were too many people mulling about to be able to sneak out inconspicuously. And all of my belongings had taken up residence in one of the spare bedrooms.

  My pacing turned to meandering and I eventually found myself staring at myself in the bathroom mirror. I stood there silent, taking in my reflection for longer than I had in probably years. A few stray tears slipped down my cheeks before I grabbed a cloth to wash the makeup from my face. Leaning there staring into the sink, bare faced in a couture gown felt so strange that a garbled laugh bubbled out of me.

  When I looked back at my reflection, I saw a shadow leaning in the doorway and almost screamed. Nathaniel stepped from the shadows with his hands raised as I spun around wide eyed. Releasing the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in lieu of my lost scream, my eyes fell in a heavy blink. He took two slow, tentative steps into the room and stopped while his eyes searched my face.

  “You disappeared,” he stated softly.

  “You lied,” I accused.

  His hand met the back of his neck, “I didn’t know how to tell you. Did I know that Niles has had his eye on a specific showcase girl for the last two years? Yes, he spoke of her often. Did I know what he did the night before you and I actually met? Yes, but only because he was pissed he had been blacklisted and they still let me in. I didn’t find out that it had been you until the flight back here. I was captivated from the first time I saw you on that stage, Deliah. It had nothing to do with him and his bullshit.”

  “So you just thought you’d blindside me, the first time I found myself in your world? Floundering or not?” I rebutted.

  He took another step toward me. I attempted to take a step back, only to bump into the sink. “He wasn’t originally supposed to be here tonight. I thought I had more than just a week to tell you who my brother was.”

  “You just thought?” I shook my head. Tears were brimming in my eyes again. “When did you find out he would be here?”

  “When you did. My mother told me she had a surprise for me this morning. It didn’t occur to me that the surprise was him until he walked through those doors and her entire demeanour shifted.”

  “Your mother…” I huffed out, before stopping myself. I wasn’t meant to hear that conversation.

  Curiosity flashed across his features. “My mother?” He closed the distance between us, still not touching me. “Deliah? What about my mother?”

  “Nothing,” I shook my head again. “I think I’m going to sleep. I can’t go back down there.”

  As he crouched down to intercept my gaze that had been trained to the buttons on his shirt, his hand slid up my arm. I flinched and something flashed in the eyes that had just met my own. He opened his mouth but the question must have caught on his tongue. Closing it again, he narrowed his eyes and looked down to where his touch had met my arm. Taking a step back, he sighed. “Very well. Do you need help with your dress?”

  I nodded and gave him my back. He undid the single clasp but didn't allow his hand to linger. His voice sounded resigned when he said, “I need to go back down. At least to make sure Noelle has farewells covered. Get some rest, pretty girl. We can talk in the morning.” And then he was gone.

  I took care to remove the dress and place it on the edge of the bed with the silver shoes beneath it. My back stung as I slid a camisole over my head and sleep shorts up my legs. The stone must have scratched my bare back more than I had realized. I grabbed my phone from the night stand and after glancing back at the dark room; I let myself out and headed down the hall. I knew which room my things had been stored in. The rooms here were large enough that my boxed belongings simply sat, stacked against one wall.

  I dropped my phone on the bedside table of the guest room and it lit up, revealing a charging pad had been hidden in the piece of furniture. Shaking my head I thought, so charmed, before pulling back the covers on the bed. I slid between the soft sheets, curled into myself and closed my eyes. A sigh left me before sleep found me.

  Chapter 11

  Fingertips softly tracing the scrapes on my back woke me. Startled, I rolled and almost landed my ass on the floor. A warm hand shot out to catch me, pulling me away from the edge. “Morning, pretty girl,” came his tired timbre.

  I pressed my eyes closed. It was just Nathaniel. But I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk to him after last night.

  “You left my bed empty, save for a dress.” His head tilted, “And what happened to your back, Deliah?”

  “What time is it?” I inquired my voice like tumbling rocks. This room had actual thick curtains, unlike his master that had black sheer ones.

  “It’s not quite seven. But I couldn’t sit in awake alone anymore. Talk to me.”

  “Is that an order? Like one that you’re paying me for?”

  His sigh came heavily. “No, Deliah. Just a request. One that I’m hoping you’ll oblige.”

  I nodded and rolled over, giving him my back. We would talk when I was ready.

  “Damn it. Please look at me. Please talk to me. I need to know what happened. I need to know why you’re clearly pissed. Fuck, Deliah. Please.”

  “Grovelling doesn’t become you, Nathaniel.” I closed my eyes again. But clearly he wasn’t done because he had rounded the bed. Crouched down beside me, he ran a finger down the exposed side of my face.

  “Pretty girl, please. Say something?”

  I opened my eyes, to find his mere inches from me. “Nathaniel, I need a minute. And if you must know? The combination of your brother and your exterior stone wall is what happened to my back. Now, please? Leave. I know where to find you when I’m ready.”

  He nodded, closing his eyes before he rose. His shoulders fell in defeat as he turned and left the room. Rolling onto my back, I stared at the still dark ceiling. Rubbing my hands down my face, I felt a tear trickle down my temple into my hair. Blinking back the rest, I sat up and looked around. A soft smile touched my face when I noticed that he had left a robe draped on the end of the bed and a cup of hot coffee on the bedside table. Still trying to take care of me, even though I wouldn’t speak to him.

  What N did was not Nathaniel’s fault. I knew that. But how was I supposed to face the vile man for an entire year? They were brothers for fuck’s sake. I was pretty sure that I couldn’t exactly banish him. But I was technically contractually obligated to stay. The sex was pretty great too, I couldn’t deny that. I laughed incredulously at myself. Of course my mind was justifying staying, even though I wanted nothing more last night than to run.

  I reached for the coffee, sipping it while I mulled over my limited options. When I had drained the last dregs, I stretched and stood. Damn, those tiny scratches stung like fresh paper cuts. Sighing, I wrapped myself in the robe before grabbing my phone and the now empty mug. I opened the door and padded down the hall. He wasn’t in his room so I descended the stairs.

  Hearing voices from the kitchen, I followed them coming to a stop in the doorway. His back was to me, but not for long. Noelle was facing me and her eyes had widened as immediately as she had stopped speaking. He turned and stared. Four almost identical eyes felt like they were seeing right through me as I stood there. He swallowed and stood but didn’t speak.

  “Uh, I’m gonna go call E and A, to see if they have plans.” She blurted out hastily, making it almost out of the room before she poked her head back in and said, “just please don’t, like, kill each other. Yeah?” Then she was gone and we were still there, staring at one another.

  He blinked first, eyes dropping to the coffee mu
g in my hand before he cleared his throat. “Do you want more coffee?” he asked. Okay, we were doing awkward small talk. Cool.

  “I can get it,” I replied, walking past him to the machine on the counter.

  “Pretty girl,” he began, but I raised a single finger as I poured and he stilled. I was going to say my piece before I lost my nerve.

  Spinning, I leaned against the counter with my freshly full mug between my hands. I tilted my head and took him in before pressing my eyes closed a moment. “Okay. Your brother makes me not even want to be here. At all, Nathaniel. However, my contract is with you and you alone. I slept in the other bedroom last night because I desperately wanted to leave but knew I shouldn’t. So that was my way of taking the distance I needed. Distance that, if I’m honest, I would prefer to keep from him forever. That being said, I realize there are a lot of family type events coming up, with the holidays being just around the corner. As per our agreement, I know that I must attend them. So I will. But let me be clear that, should he be in attendance, I will absolutely not speak to him. And as soon as is socially acceptable, I will bow out and return upstairs.” I paused to drink some coffee. I could see he was eager to speak and it made me smile slightly into my cup.