Love Is Enough

by Emma Easter

  She eyed him with disgust. “You get lonely! You think I don’t get lonely when you leave on your many business trips? Why are you the only one who gets to act out when you are lonely?” She glowered at him. “I could cheat as well, Stan. I just choose not to.”

  He bowed his head. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

  “You can’t promise anything.” She sighed. “I told Audrey to call you because I was afraid something had happened to our baby. I’m not ready to come home yet. I’m going to remain in her house, until I can sort out my emotions.”

  He nodded. “I understand.”

  “And Stan, if I so much as hear that you looked at another woman a minute longer than you should, this marriage will be over.”

  He nodded again. “That’s fair. I promise to be faithful from now on.”

  She looked at him, wanting with all her heart to believe him, but knowing he could fail to keep his promise now, just as he’d failed before. She said, “If you can’t do it for me, at least do it for our child. You just said that a child is better off with both parents. Ours will have only one if you fall off the wagon again.”

  “I promise I won’t.” He bent his head and kissed her.

  She smiled. “I choose to believe you.”

  Thirty minutes later, while he was asleep on the seat facing her, Audrey came in. She’d probably been in the reception area waiting and was still in the black dress she had worn for her date.

  Trisha smiled at her. “My baby is fine, Audrey.”

  Audrey sighed audibly and then hugged her. “I’m so glad.”

  Trisha said, “I’m so sorry I ruined your date.”

  “No,” Audrey replied, “it was already over by the time you came out.” She touched Trisha’s hair. “I’m just glad your baby is fine, and you are good too.”

  Trisha nodded and leaned her head back on the pillow.

  Audrey looked over at Stan with a disgusted look on her face. “He’s still here. What did you tell him?”

  “I told him that I think I’ll stay in your house for a little longer, until I know what I’m going to do.”

  “I know you say you still love him, but does he love you? He wouldn’t be cheating on you constantly if he did.”

  Trisha sighed. “Audrey, please let it go for now, I just want to rest.” She held out her hand, and Audrey took it. “I hope you don’t mind me staying at your place until I can sort out my emotions.”

  “No, you can stay for as long as you want.”

  “Thanks.” She squeezed Audrey’s hand. “So, how did your date go?”

  “Great, it went great.”

  “That’s good.” She laughed. “Imagine, you are now dating your boss! Isn’t that something?”

  Audrey smiled, but didn’t say anything more about it. A minute later, she scrunched up her face and asked, “Have you heard from Sienna?”

  “No, I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”

  “I’m worried about her. Even though she has gone back to New York and to her modeling, something isn’t right.”

  “I think she’ll be fine,” Trisha said. “Now that she’s moved back and her life is back on track, she’ll need time to settle down and get into the rhythm of things again. She’ll be back to her former self in no time, you’ll see.”

  “I hope so.”

  Trisha nodded and then turned to watch Stan as he slept. She could feel tears threatening to spill down from her eyes again, but she blinked them back. Hopefully, Stan would get back to his former self; to the husband she’d married when they were just teenagers. That boy only had eyes for her and had promised to love her forever.

  Chapter Eight

  Sienna rolled out of bed and held her head in her hand. She had a terrible hangover from partying all night with some other models. The clock beside her bed showed the time was a little past ten a.m. Staggering to the bathroom, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. She looked comical. Her hair was messy and having slept without wiping off her makeup, her face looked like she’d had it painted by a three-year-old. She partly did look like a clown.

  She had a bikini shoot this morning. The designer, Alessio, would be waiting at the location of the shoot. She had modeled for him before. He usually arrived before anyone else did. She smiled. Though middle-aged, he was cute. She’d partied hard, drinking and dancing throughout the night with other models at his house yesterday. Still, he would expect her to be at her best today.

  She called a cab, not feeling up to driving this morning, and then quickly brushed her teeth, took a shower, and went downstairs to get something to eat. She sat at the dining table hastily munching a turkey sandwich and looked around her. Her new apartment was still unfamiliar. It was a fully furnished two-bedroom duplex-apartment in SoHo with a gorgeous view of lower Manhattan. She loved the all-white décor with gold accents as it gave her some measure of the tranquility she craved.

  After eating, she took some aspirin for her headache. She pulled on a floor-length floral dress and put her hair in a high bun. She packed another change of clothes into a small bag, wore a pair of flat sandals, and grabbed her purse.

  Once she exited her apartment building, she entered her waiting cab and leaned back on the seat while the driver drove her to Long Beach—the location of the shoot.

  The cab driver stopped at an intersection, and Sienna looked out the window. A new building at the side of the road caught her attention, and she craned her neck to see what kind of structure it was.

  The instant she saw it was a church, an intense panic took hold of her. Her heart began to palpitate, and her hands grew damp. A voice whispered harshly in her heart, You are going to hell!

  She clenched her fists and then unclenched them. She began to breathe in and out, in and out. They finally started moving again, and the panic gradually passed. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, both relieved and worried. She’d not had an attack this serious since she came back to New York.

  Since she started modeling lingerie and swimsuits, the anxiety and panic attacks seemed to have lessened. Also, her ever-busy schedule helped. Her days were filled with shoots, fittings, auditions, parties and more parties, so she had no time for anxiety. From this experience just now and those back in the Bible College, she knew what to do henceforth. As long as she stayed away from any form of exposure to religious texts, places, and people, she would be fine.

  When they got to the beach, it was empty except for the photographer and, of course, Alessio. The photographer had already set up his props and equipment and was checking his cameras when she walked by him. He greeted her and then Alessio came up to her. Today, he’d put his long hair in a bun similar to hers.

  “You are a little late,” he said in his strong Italian accent. He kissed her cheeks and then pointed her toward a makeshift tent a few feet from where they stood. It had been set up as a temporary hair, makeup, and changing area.

  She strolled to the tent and sat down in front of a mirror to get her hair and makeup done. Alessio came into the tent just as the makeup artist started working on her face. “Are you ready for the shoot today?” he asked her.

  Sienna smiled. “I’ll be ready once I have my hair and makeup done.”

  Alessio said, “Talking about hair and makeup, I think we should go for something totally different from the last time.” He gave the hairdresser and makeup artist directions on what he specifically wanted.

  For the next two hours, her hair was stretched and curled while her makeup was being done. After they finished, she stood and stared intently in the mirror. The final hair and makeup look was a low ponytail and a dewy nude face.

  The wrangler came into the tent and handed her a sheer beige bikini. She almost gasped at how skimpy it was, but she plastered a smile on her face and went into a private part of the tent to change into it. A condemning voice immediately arose in her, but she pushed it away.

  She walked out to where the photographer was waiting and step
ped lightly into the water while the wind blew in her face. As usual, she felt slightly self-conscious as she stood in front of the camera. A tiny voice whispered in her head, Are you sure you want to appear on the front cover of a magazine looking like this?

  She ignored the voice and told the photographer she was ready.

  He gave her directions on how to pose for the pictures, while Alessio stood behind him watching her.

  “Too girl-next-door,” the photographer said to her as she struck her favorite pose.

  She adjusted it to appear more alluring.

  He smiled. “Good. Really good!”

  The shoot lasted for four hours. After it was finally over, she flopped down on the sand, exhausted. Alessio walked up to her, bent down and said, “There is a party at my place tonight. Do you want to come?”

  She wanted to tell him she needed a break, a chance to just rest in her apartment, but she nodded. She’d promised herself to live it up and saying no to party invites wasn’t living it up, so she said she would come.

  She went into the tent and changed into a pair of distressed jeans and a white T-shirt. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she made her way to her cab.

  Alessio came again and stood beside her window. His smile was as bright as the sun. “I would like you to come as my date, Sienna,” he said.

  She thought about it for a few seconds. He was handsome and charming. Most of all, he was a regular client. To indulge him was guaranteed to get her more gigs like this one. They paid well enough for her to afford her great apartment and BMW. She nodded and told him she would love to be his date.

  He beamed, obviously pleased.

  When she got back to her apartment, she set her alarm, collapsed on the bed, and immediately fell asleep. She didn’t stir until her alarm began to ring, letting her know it was time to prepare for the party. She groaned. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep until tomorrow, but it was essential for her to go. She would get to schmooze there and book more high-paying jobs.

  She wore a pink slip dress, brushed her hair and put on minimal makeup. She left her apartment and drove to Alessio’s home. Once there, she parked beside a blue Mercedes and got out. A long line of expensive cars was already parked in front of the Spanish villa.

  The music, loud and throbbing reached her ears as she climbed up the stairs leading to the entrance of the house. She pulled on the party face and boisterous personality she often reserved for parties like this before she entered. The villa was packed with guests drinking, chatting and laughing loudly. A waiter carrying a tray of cocktail drinks walked by, and she took one.

  She took a sip of the drink and carefully made her way through the house to the gazebo. A group of models from her agency stood there, chattering and giggling. She joined them for a few minutes and then spotted Alessio near the pool. He was dressed in his usual flamboyant style—a fitted white suit, red tie and red pocket square with a gold necklace and multiple rings on his fingers. He was talking to a man who was dressed in a similar fashion.

  Their eyes met, and he smiled at her and yelled in his usual manner, “Sienna! You are here! Good. Come! Let me introduce you to someone who you’ll definitely want to meet!”

  She began to make her way toward him while her heart raced loudly in her chest. The man he was talking to had his back to her but still looked familiar. She wondered who it was as she reached Alessio and then gasped when the man turned. It was Orlando Costa, one of the most famous designers in the world.

  She felt nervous as Alessio made the introductions, but she tried not to let her nervousness show.

  Orlando Costa was a talker. He gave her a lengthy account of his humble beginnings and how he grew his fashion empire to where it was now. She already knew the story, everyone did, but she listened politely. She kept hoping he would mention something about booking her for one of his fashion shows. So far, she had done print and commercial modeling. She wanted to do runway badly. That was her ultimate career dream. Also, modeling for Orlando would open a lot of doors she could only dream about.

  At last, he stopped talking about himself and said to her, “Have you done any runway shows?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  He gave her his business card and pointed at a phone number on it. “Have your agent call me tomorrow so we can set a date for you to come to my office.” He pointed at an address on the card. “Do you know where it is?”

  She wasn’t sure, but she would find it. She nodded. “I do.”

  “This is where you’ll come when we agree on a date. Once the contracts have been signed, you’ll be booked for my show at fashion week.”

  She sharply sucked in her breath. Fashion week! I’ll get to model for Orlando Costa during fashion week?

  Her stomach fluttered with excitement, and she felt like she was in a dream.

  Orlando Costa left a minute later to talk with someone else, and Sienna whooped. “I don’t know how to thank you, Alessio,” she said, kissing his cheek.

  He gave her a sly smile. “I know one way you can thank me.”

  She looked at him and immediately knew what he wanted. Her heart sank, and she looked down at the cobbled floor.

  He said to her, “I’m going to Belize for a weekend getaway with a few other models. I want you to come.”

  She took a deep breath, feeling slightly nauseated, and then exhaled slowly. She looked up at him and finally made her decision. This sort of opportunity with Orlando Costa only came by once in a lifetime. Alessio had just made it happen for her. Besides, Alessio was hardly repulsive. He was rich and handsome.

  She nodded. “Okay, I’ll come.”

  *****

  Audrey took a deep breath and then walked into the youth center with Ken. They went straight to the music room and found the instructor, Jackie, standing next to a child who was playing the piano.

  Audrey smiled at the boy and then asked to speak with Jackie outside the music room. They stepped out together, and Jackie sighed wearily. “Do you have any leads yet on the thief who stole our musical instruments? Fortunately, they didn’t take the piano, but the guitars, microphones, and cellos are gone. I want to see the person who did this in jail.”

  Ken said, “We’ve just discovered who the person is and we are about to make our arrest.”

  Jackie’s face lit up. “You have? Who?”

  “You, Jackie,” Audrey answered. “You are the thief.”

  Jackie harrumphed. “Is that a joke? Because it’s not very funny!”

  Audrey looked at Ken and then faced Jackie again. “We know it was you, Jackie. Give it up!”

  Jackie shook her head. “It wasn’t . . . me,” she stammered. “Besides, didn’t you say the faces of the burglars were covered? How then can you tell exactly who it is?”

  Ken smiled. “First, we never said there was more than one burglar. How did you know that?”

  “Of course there was more than one person. A single person could not have stolen all those things.”

  Audrey said, “Yes, you are right, but we never said the faces of the burglars were covered. We know you did it.”

  “You can’t prove it,” she blustered.

  “Yes, we can. When you broke in through the window, you cut your finger, didn’t you? We found traces of your DNA there.”

  Her eyes widened with shock, and then she huffed. “That still doesn’t prove . . .”

  “Your accomplice, Officer Fred Draper, confessed everything. You are dating, aren’t you?”

  Jackie shut her eyes, groaned and then said, “We did it to protest Fred’s dismissal from the police force. That was unjust.”

  Audrey smiled coldly. “You do know he had been given several chances to change, but he didn’t. Constantly driving while intoxicated is not the way a law enforcement agent is supposed to conduct himself.” She shrugged. “Anyway, you are under arrest.”

  They cuffed her and led her away while the kids strained their necks to catch a glimpse of what was happeni
ng.

  *****

  Ken stood on the balcony of the Symposium in Boise where the national police convention was being held. He turned and stared at Audrey who was standing beside him, looking into the distance. She’d removed her police hat, and strands of her dark hair sailed carelessly in the wind, having escaped her tight bun. He felt an intense urge to tuck them behind her ears but resisted. The hall was full of police officers. At any minute, one of them would come out here. If he were seen touching her hair or touching her in any way, it would raise eyebrows. He smiled and asked, “What’s on your mind, Audrey? I can see you’re deep in thought.”

  She sighed audibly and turned to face him. “I was just thinking about you.”

  He smiled amusingly. He’d gotten used to hearing her say whatever was on her mind. He was certainly glad that she was thinking about him right now. From her expression, he knew there was more, but he waited for her to come out with it on her own. She would tell him without his encouragement.

  She finally said, “When you first came to Rosefield as Police Chief, I wanted to get you out by any means. I sent petitions and messages to the mayor and even went to his office.” Her eyes searched his, and she smiled tenderly at him. “I don’t feel that way anymore.”

  It wasn’t what he was expecting her to say, but he wasn’t surprised by what she told him. He smiled sadly, remembering how she had fought him. She’d been at his throat then and hated his guts, and he didn’t blame her for it. He had been given the position she’d dreamed of for years. He felt a wave of guilt come over him and he sighed wearily. He’d tried to make it right.

  When she finds out what I did, will she understand, or will she be mad at me?

  She put her hand on his shoulder. “Stop it, Ken!”

  “Stop what?” He looked quizzically at her.

  “Stop feeling guilty for my sake. I know you’ve been feeling this way for some time, but just as I said now, I don’t feel bad anymore. As a matter of fact, I really like the new police chief.”