by Ward, Alice
***
“Lauren Matthews, when in the hell were you planning to call and tell me that you’re being recognized by one of the most influential art magazines in the world?”
I rolled my eyes and held my phone to my ear. “Hello to you too, Kennedy. I take it you’ve heard the news. Who called, Asher or Claire?”
“Asher called and invited us to join you at the banquet. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me yourself. What are you going to wear?”
“Asher bought me a lovely Valentino gown. You’d approve, I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner; I’ve been dealing with Claire. She went to her parents for dinner and I’m taking advantage of the alone time to get some painting done,” I explained.
I studied my canvas under rays of sunshine let in by the massive skylights in Deacon’s studio. I brushed a streak of red across a sea of turquoise and then studied the canvas again.
“Asher told me about Royce. I can’t imagine how Claire must be feeling. They were together twice as long as Jackson and I have known each other.”
“She’s holding up better than you’d expect. We’ve already moved most of her stuff to the townhouse and she’s telling her parents everything tonight. Royce tried to deny the affair, but as soon as she confronted him with the videos he backed off. And that Gretchen bitch actually had the nerve to send Claire an email begging her not to tell her husband. I think she’s still going back and forth on that one.”
“Well, I think the poor bastard has the right to know,” Kennedy insisted. “But it’s none of my business. And Claire’s not why I’m calling. The magazine honor isn’t either, but I am exceptionally proud of you.”
“Thanks, Kennedy. To be honest, I’m still in shock. So what’s going on?”
“I found out some more information about Rachel’s past.”
My heart gave an extra pulse. “Did you go to Vermont?”
“No, I went to lunch with my mother. I had a hunch she might have known Maude back in her California days. And I was right.”
I couldn’t believe the stroke of luck. The connection seemed obvious once it was right in front of my face. Kennedy’s mother, Gloria Nightingale, was an icon of the feminist movement. She was the head of the department of women’s studies at Harvard and had spent most of her life studying the plight of women all across the world. She’d lived in California around the same time Maude Goins became active in the movement.
“Did your mom know the family well?”
“She still does. It’s hard to believe what a small world it can be sometimes. Apparently, we all met Maude and David at Mom and Jack’s engagement party.”
“Holy shit… I can’t believe it. So did you find out the family’s side of the story? Please tell me that you didn’t tell Gloria where Rachel is.”
“Of course I didn’t. The names Rachel and Cynthia never crossed my lips. I casually brought up a psychological study I read about so called bad sheep in families. I asked her opinion and whether or not she knew of any real life examples. She brought up the Goins family immediately. Like we suspected, Rachel was a change-of-life surprise baby. Mom said Maude and David were overjoyed to find out they were having one last child. She also said that there was always something strange about Rachel. She had some sort of trouble forming attachments, even to her family. They took her to all sorts of doctors, but the attachment problem was an issue there too. No one was able to get her to cooperate with treatment.”
“She certainly hasn’t had a problem attaching to Asher,” I observed. The more I learned about Rachel, the more confused I became.
“That’s the first thing I thought too. But who knows? Maybe she found a way to deal with her issues. I couldn’t ask many questions without letting on that I know more than I should. Mom did mention that at one point, the family thought they’d found their answer at a therapy camp. Guess where it was located?”
“Vermont.”
“Bingo. I pulled up the info and the place is still open. They run two week sessions all year long for kids with a wide range of illnesses. I’m willing to bet money Rachel went back there after Asher left for college. I’ve scheduled a visit. Officially, I’ll be there on behalf of the Montgomery Foundation. I’ll check the place out and go from there.”
“Kennedy, I don’t know how to thank you for all of this. I know you’ll have to write a sizable check when you visit the camp. I’ll find a way to pay you back for this.”
“Don’t worry about it, the money is going to a good cause. And there’s no way I’d sit back and do nothing knowing that Rachel could be a threat to you. I’m traveling to Vermont a week from today. I wish I could go sooner, but there’s no way I can leave the office during the week.”
“I completely understand. Maybe I can go with you, since you’re going on a Saturday. I could just tell Asher that I’m visiting you in Boston,” I suggested.
“If you’re up for it, I’d love the company. Bring Claire too, we’ll make a girls’ weekend of it. I’ll see if I can find a spa close to the camp.”
“I think that’s just what she needs,” I agreed. “We’ll just have to be extra careful to not let the truth about why we’re there slip out. And I feel horrible lying to her…”
“We don’t have to lie. Tell her I’m doing some investigating for a client, and I can’t talk about the details. That’s the complete truth.”
“You’re right… but we’d also have to get her onboard with lying to Asher. If I tell him we’re going to Vermont for a girls’ weekend, he’ll know we’re up to something.”
I paused for a moment and considered what I was about to get myself into. Asher had literally put his life on the line to tell me the truth about his past. He opened up and trusted me with the very information that could destroy him. And I was betraying that trust by going behind his back.
“I can’t do this,” I announced with a sigh. “I can’t lie to Asher, Kennedy. Failing to mention you’re looking into Rachel is bad enough. I can’t look him in the eyes and lie to him.”
“Do you want me to back off too? I really think Rachel is a threat, Lauren. I didn’t buy that apology she gave you after Tanya’s hearing. But you give me the word and I’ll drop this.”
“I want to know the truth, if you still want to find it,” I replied. “We know Rachel lied to Asher about her family. I need to know what else she lied about.”
“Consider it done.”
CHAPTER 5
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The storm clouds have passed and we’ve been cleared for landing. We’ll begin our decent into Heathrow in roughly half an hour. Local time is six-thirty a.m. I apologize again for the delay and thank you for flying with United.”
Asher stirred in his first class seat and stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. When he first told me we were flying to London, I assumed Asher had a private jet; the Montgomery’s had about a dozen of them. I was surprised when he handed me a first class ticket on our way out of the house. But after I had a few minutes to think about it, it made perfect sense. The looming threat of the Chavez family made Asher’s future uncertain. If he had to disappear again, he’d want as much money as possible to take with him. Jets cost millions of dollars and they’re easy to track.
“How did you sleep?” I whispered for the benefit of the other passengers.
“Surprisingly well. You?”
“I’m too excited to sleep. This is one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to me. I don’t want to miss a second of it.”
Asher gave me an amused grin. “I understand. And don’t worry. If you start nodding off during the banquet, I’ll accept the award on your behalf,” he teased.
I smiled and teased him back. “That would be the least you could do, seeing as how we’d have been in London yesterday if it wasn’t for your hiccup with the Japanese investors.”
“I know,” he agreed, rolling his eyes. “I can’t believe I forgot about that meeting until it was too
late to reschedule. But you could have flown out without me yesterday,” he reminded me with a smile.
I dropped my sarcasm and took his hand. “There aren’t a whole lot of things I want to do without you.”
Asher’s face relaxed and he gave me a light squeeze. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Oh my God. Is he about to propose to me on an airplane? Surely not. We haven’t been together that long. And surely he realizes that if and when he does propose, I want a little romance.
“Relax, it’s not what you’re thinking,” he said with a reassuring smile.
“How do you know what I’m thinking?” I countered, doing my best to come off as playfully coy.
“Because I know you. I love you. After I left LA… well, let’s just say I felt like I was leaving behind any kind of real future. I’d always been resourceful, so I knew I’d survive. But I never expected to live. I never expected to find someone who knew and loved the real me. And now that I have, I hate every moment that I’m away from you. So what I wanted to ask is whether or not you’d like to move in with me.”
My heart danced as I stared into his calm green eyes. “I practically have, haven’t I?”
“I know. And don’t get me wrong. I know you love Deacon’s studio and there’s not really enough space at my place for you to paint. I’d never ask you to give that up. I just thought since Claire’s moving into the townhouse, there’s really no reason for you to be there all of the time. She’ll have room to get on her feet, Deacon and his wife will still have someone taking care of their place, and you’ll have the best of both worlds.”
“The perfect place to paint and the perfect man to come home to. I can’t think of anything I’d like more. Of course I’ll move in with you, baby.”
“If I didn’t have morning breath, I’d kiss you so hard right now,” he said, dropping his voice below a whisper.
I chuckled and kissed the top of his hand. “But you do have morning breath, so you’re just going to have to settle for this right now. But if you’d rather go to the hotel as soon as we land instead of going site-seeing, I could probably be persuaded.” I stifled a yawn and Asher grinned back at me.
“You could be persuaded, huh? Because you want to go to bed with me? Or because you just want to go to bed?” he teased.
“The jury’s still out on that one,” I confessed. “You were right; I should have tried to sleep when we were in the air.”
Bells chimed throughout the cabin and the seatbelt lights lit red.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to begin our descent into Heathrow Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts, put your tray tables upright, and secure any carry-on luggage. Thank you again for your patience and enjoy your stay in London.”
The jet hit turbulence as it sank through a layer of dark clouds and for a moment, I thought I was in a horror movie. But within a matter of seconds, the jet stabilized and the city appeared below us. I felt exhilarated and going to bed, for any reason, was the last thing on my mind. It was my first time visiting a foreign country and the overwhelming feeling that I was living someone else’s life washed over me again.
“You’ve completely forgotten about bed, haven’t you?” Asher asked. I turned and saw him watching me watch the city.
“Yes,” I admitted. “Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to celebrate us living together. But do you think we could celebrate with a visit to Buckingham Palace before we move on to something more private?”
“This trip is all about you, Lauren. We can do whatever you want.”
“In that case, I want to see the palace, Globe Theater, and anywhere that had anything to do with Harry Potter,” I listed, knowing we’d never be able to see everything in our short time in the city. Asher and I both had to be back in California on Thursday for the official launch party of the game I designed.
“I can probably make two of those happen,” he agreed.
“Just two? It’s not even seven a.m. local time and the banquet doesn’t start until eight tonight,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but I have a couple of surprises up my sleeve,” he confessed. “And one of them is going to be pretty time consuming. Not to mention that you’ll eventually have to take a nap.”
“Baby, you don’t have to give me any surprises,” I told him. “Being with you is all I need.”
I heard the landing gear lower and a few moments later, we touched down on the runway. I instinctively reached for Asher; landing was my least favorite part of flying. I held his forearm and he lightly stroked my hand.
“I know I don’t have to surprise you. I just want to,” he explained. “Because you, Lauren Matthews, have been the most amazing, wonderful surprise of my life.”
***
At a quarter to eight that night, Asher and I stepped into the ultra-luxurious William Kent House of the Ritz London. The private banquet venue, like the rest of the historic hotel, was opulent and regal, with high ceilings, intricately carved crown moldings and baseboards, and thick, heavy tapestries that were probably worth more than Asher’s house. It was the final detail that completed the Cinderella like day I’d had.
A black stretch limousine had picked us up from the airport and whisked us away to a romantic breakfast at a street side café. From there, we took a walking tour of Buckingham Palace and a bus tour of the areas around it. Like Asher expected, I was exhausted by the time we crawled back into the limo.
We checked into our suite at the Ritz and I took a three-hour nap while Asher made some conference calls. He woke me up with lunch in bed and the announcement that I had an appointment with one of the best stylists in London. The same limo carried me to the salon, where a woman named Maria with a thick Spanish accent spent three hours on my hair and makeup. I’d never spent more than thirty minutes on those tasks and many of the things she did seemed unnecessary while I was in the chair. But the results couldn’t be denied. Marie threaded platinum and caramel streaks through my honey blonde hair, shaped my eyebrows to perfection, and used contouring makeup techniques to make me look like I’d had the nose job I always secretly thought I needed. I didn’t just feel like a brand new person; I was a brand new person. I felt more confident than ever before as the full skirt of my black satin gown rustled beneath my feet.
“So, who do you want to meet first?” Asher asked.
I bit my lip and immediately let it go before I ruined my lipstick. “I don’t know… do you know any of these people?”
He shook his head and a soft curl fell into his eyes. He brushed it away and took my hand.
“This is your world, Lauren, not mine,” he reminded me. “The only person here I’ve met is John. If you count Skype as an official meeting, that is. He said to meet him at the head table when we arrived, so I guess that’s what we should do.”
I took Asher’s arm and he led me through the room. My eyes scanned the crowd and my awe grew with each face I fell on. So many of my heroes were gathered under the same roof and I still couldn’t believe that I was one of the artists being honored.
As we made our way to the head table, I realized that Asher had more than his fair share of eyes on him as well. In his crisp tux and emerald green tie, he looked like he’d just walked off the cover of GQ magazine. I pulled him a little closer, not because I wanted to stake my claim, but because I was so damn proud to be on his arm.
“Ah, here she is.” A grey haired man with a large bald spot and kind blue eyes stood up to greet us with open arms as we approached the table. The two men standing next to him stood as well, but they didn’t seem as impressed by our presence.
“John Livingston. It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ms. Matthews. And you as well, Mr. Reynolds.”
Asher and I took turns shaking John’s hand and asking him to call us by our first names.
“Lauren, Asher, this is Marcus Temple and Harrison Dale,” John continued.
The two men gave us cordial nods and obliga
tory handshakes before taking their seats again. I hadn’t recognized the artists in person, but I recognized both of their names. Marcus was a classically trained sculptor and Harrison was a performance artist who’d recently spent thirty-seven days living in a plexi-glass box in a Paris museum. It was no wonder they weren’t impressed by me, a graphics designer who’d put together a silly video game.
“You two are just in time,” John told us. “The head server just informed me that they’re about to start serving dinner. Your seats are the last two on the left end of the table. Someone will be around for drink orders soon and once everyone has their meals in front of them, we’ll get started on the presentations. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the accolades you’ve so rightfully earned.”
It had been a great relief for me to learn that I wouldn’t have to speak at the event. In fact, if I’d had to give a speech, I may not have gotten on the plane in San Francisco. I’d never been as graceful and eloquent as Kennedy and the last thing I wanted to do was embarrass myself in front of my peers.
“Thank you so much for having me, John,” I offered as Asher turned me toward our seats.
“The honor is all mine,” he insisted.
Asher escorted me to the end of the table and pulled out my chair. I smoothed the skirt of my dress beneath me and sat down, careful to maintain my posture. Everyone had taken their seats and seemed to be looking exclusively at me. I felt my face flush hot and I reached under the table for Asher’s hand. He put an arm around my shoulder and leaned into my ear.
“Relax. You’re the most beautiful woman in this room. You’re probably the most beautiful woman a lot of these people have ever seen. That’s why they’re staring at you.”
I shook my head while servers filed out of the far double door, their arms laden with trays of food.
“Everyone’s looking at me because they’re trying to figure out who the hell I am,” I corrected him. “None of these people have ever heard of me. They’ve never seen my work. Sure, the people at the magazine liked it. But no one in the crowd has even seen it yet. We shouldn’t have come, Ash. What if they all hate it? What if they boo us out of the room?”