Healing Inc.

by Tarbox, Deneice

  “Ce-cile! I am your father! Why in the world would you say such a thing?” He tried to sound gruff but he knew she could tell he was grinning.

  “Because- its- true,” she stated, completely unfazed by his false irritation.

  Tyler couldn’t help but laugh again at his daughter’s comments. She had more insight than most people twice her age. The thing that worried him sometimes was that she wasn’t afraid to keep her observations to herself.

  “Okay, Dad, this is what you’re going to do. Are you listening?”

  “Yes sweetie, I’m listening.”

  “Have room service bring you something light to eat, no steak or lamb. Fish would be good; eat it with a fine glass of white wine; and then put on some soft music while you take a hot bath. You need to chill, got it?”

  “Okay sugar, I got it. Anything else you want to add?” he asked, humoring her.

  “Yeah, be patient with Evy. I know I haven’t met her yet but she sounds a lot cooler than all the other dorks you’ve dated,” she added sincerely.

  Tyler erupted into laughter. “What am I going to do with you little girl?”

  “Love me is all you can do. Bye Dad. Love you.”

  “Love you too sweetie, night now.”

  Having ended the call, Tyler placed the phone back in the receiver. He looked around the modest sitting room of the owner’s suite which was decorated in a modern/traditional French style. Royal blue and yellow paisley wall paper adorned the walls. The main door opened to the right of the Victorian styled couch which faced two wing back chairs, all upholstered in a soft golden Italian leather. A traditional oval coffee table further separated the couch from the chairs and matching side tables were at both ends of the couch and between the two chairs.

  Looking to the left, one encountered a large picture window with a view of the Great Canal. Tyler had requested that minimal window treatments be used so as not to block the gorgeous view. To the right of the entry was an old world style armoire and small dinning set.

  Straight ahead was the entry to the larger of the two bedrooms which shared the view of the Great Canal, the bed positioned to fully capture it. The bedding in that room was a combination of masculine blue and white stripes with a baluster pillow and head pillows being the only items added. The other bedroom was much more feminine with yellow and white flowered wall paper, pink and green bedding and plenty of colorful throw pillows.

  Both bedrooms were a modest size containing only a king sized canopy bed with side table, a small chest of draws and an upholstered wing back chair. Each also had its own private dressing room and bath adorned with white and black Italian marble, double pedestal sinks and a double gas fireplace between the bath and bedroom. The larger of the two baths housed a large oblong soaker tub in addition to a separate shower.

  A tiny office containing a small wooden desk and chair sat between the two rooms with a plush cream carpet covering all the floors. The overall size of the suite was about half that of Evy’s home, just enough room for his annual visits during the off season to meet with his manager and oversee the maintenance of the property. It was located on the first floor of the hotel leaving the upper floors for the larger more expensively decorated rooms that his guests rented.

  Cecile’s words still rang in his head. Why not? He picked to phone back up to dial room service. He did need to relax and her instructions sounded like they might take some of the edge off.

  However, he couldn’t stop worrying about Evy and where their relationship stood right now. Upon reaching his office after their tiff last Sunday he had punched a hole in the wall and had spent the last week in Italy being grumpier with his hotel staff than usual. His anger came from the lack of security he now fostered in knowing Evy didn’t rely on Nita for her livelihood. As pitiful as it sounded, the belief that she did had given him a false sense of hope that she would come to rely on him financially, eventually making her all his.

  Now he had to live with the fact that she didn’t need his money, she had plenty of her own. In reality, she didn’t need him at all and he had been arrogant enough to give her an ultimatum. “Dumb ass!” he chastised himself. He knew he needed to toss this insecurity but he wasn’t sure how.

  After ordering his meal and bath, he put on Until You Come Back to Me by Aretha Franklin. Although he was risking sounding like a stalker, he had made it a habit to play the song at least once every night since he had walked out on Evy. He slouched down in his chair, resting his head on the high back, and closed his eyes. Images of that night they had danced together flooded his vision. How he missed her, the feel of her skin, the warmth of her body. Most of all, he longed to see her beautiful face, the way she lit up when she laughed and smiled, and yes, the unbridled passion when he touched her in the right way.

  As the music continued to play he found himself smiling more and more at the thought of her. He regretted not pushing her to join him in Italy when he had talked to her the other night. At the time he had just wanted to hear her voice again and do whatever was needed to end the animosity between them. As hard as it was becoming for him to be around her without taking her completely, he was willing to settle for just holding her and making her feel good no matter how many cold showers he had to take. He just wanted her to be with him.

  A knock sounded at the door just as the song came to an end. Must be room service. That was quick. He gradually lifted himself from the chair he occupied, not really wanting to deal with anyone at the moment. Opening the door, he received the surprise of his life.

  “Hey you,” Evy said in a low sultry voice. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”

  Dumbstruck, Tyler lost his bearing, forgetting to ask her in right away. To date, he had not seen her look as sexy as she did right then. Her hair had been straightened, curling gently at her shoulders. She wore dark brown eye shadow and matching lipstick which enhanced the beauty of her facial features. A burnt orange spaghetti strapped dress, stopping just below the knees with a slit up the side, made her smooth chocolate skin glow. Her matching high heeled ankle boots added more appeal to her already shapely legs. A tan overcoat was thrown haphazardly over one arm while the other hand rested on a large suitcase. Regaining his composure, Tyler stepped toward her taking her suitcase and coat. He motioned for her to enter the suite.

  Evy walked in and stood in the middle of the sitting room, slightly perplexed by his cool reception. She watched as he went to the wardrobe that occupied part of a wall in the large room and hung up her coat then, with her suitcase in tow, disappear into the larger of the two bedrooms. She turned to gaze out the large picture window taking in the Grand Canal, unable to help but second guess her decision to come to him. Without warning she turned from the window to be greeted by Tyler’s greedy mouth hungrily seeking hers. His hands were suddenly all over her, pulling her into him as though he was trying to absorb her.

  “Oh, god I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered breathlessly into her ear after breaking the soulful kiss. He held her tight, swaying from the high of having her in his arms again. Feeling the need to explain his behavior, he broke the bear hug and held her at arm’s length. “Sorry for the cold reception. If I had touched you right then this dress would no longer be on you,” he admitted, his eyes lustfully sweeping over her curvaceous body.

  “I’m glad you like it.” She stepped closer to him, lifting her hand to caress his cheek. “After all, that’s what I was going for.” She tilted her head toward him as her hand moved behind his head to bring him down for another kiss. “I’m sorry that I missed your calls. I haven’t figured out this whole international phone usage thing, or at least my carrier hasn’t.”

  “No matter…you’re here now.” He stared longingly into her eyes.

  She wanted him too but accepted the fact that she really couldn’t have him until the matter of her past was fully exposed. Fear started to toy with her yet again as to how he would handle the truth about her and all that she had gone through. Would he
look at her the same way, still desire to touch her, want to make love to her? Or, would he judge her too harshly as she had done to herself so many times over the years? Would he ever say those three words to her again that she now needed to hear fall from his lips?

  Tyler sensed her need. “I love you Evelyn Stone. I love you with all my heart and soul! Please say you’ll never hesitate to tell me anything. You and my Cecile are the most important people in the world to me. If you’re not comfortable living in the lime light we won’t. As long as I can be with you, that’s all that matters.”

  “No, Tyler, I was wrong. You shouldn’t have to accommodate me all the time. Love means compromise and… well, since I’m in love with you too, I guess I need to learn to do just that.”

  Tyler’s heart began to flutter. Did she really just say what I think she said? He seized her mouth again, relaying all the love that he felt for her into that one long kiss. Evy felt her knees give. If he wasn’t holding her she would surely be lying on the floor in a puddle by now.

  Their intimate moment was interrupted by room service delivering dinner and drawing the bath he had requested. The couple sat on the couch of the sitting room talking softly to one another, their mutual feelings very apparent to the two onlookers who were now going about industriously in the suite.

  Every now and then Evy would hear them giggling in the bathroom connected to the larger bedroom. She could only wonder what the two young women were talking about as they prepared the large soaking tub for use and set the tiny dining room table for their boss. The younger of the two carried a broad smile while the older one tried to maintain an air of professionalism in their presence. Evy suspected they had never seen Tyler act this way before. Certainly they had met Cecile and more than likely recognized her as his daughter. But, to observe him holding hands with this other woman, gazing into her eyes so lovingly, occasionally caressing her cheek and kissing her hand was probably both foreign and exciting to them.

  “Will that be all signore?” The older of the two girls asked in her thick Italian accent as she paused before them.

  “Sì giovane donna e sono d’accordo è bella,” Tyler responded in fluent Italian, both surprising and impressing Evy.

  Both girls’ eyes grew wide and their cheeks reddened from Tyler’s words. Bowing their heads, they scurried out of the room without another peep.

  “O-kay. What was that all about?” she inquired, not missing the discomfort his words had caused them.

  “I don’t know if it slipped their minds that I’m fluent in our language or if they thought I couldn’t hear them in the other room. Apparently they’re happy to see me in love and with such a beautiful woman.” He placed a light kiss on her lips.

  “Is that what the last exchange was all about?”

  “No. I told her we were all set, adding that I agreed that you are indeed beautiful.” Tyler lifted from the sofa, taking Evy’s hand to help her do the same. He led her to the small dining table and pulled out one of the upholstered old world style chairs for her to sit in.

  “I still don’t understand why that would make them blush the way they did,” she prodded further as she placed her rear in the seat.

  He took the seat opposite her. Maintaining a straight face, he continued his explanation. “Because, my response let them know that I not only heard them, I understood them while they were in the bathroom bitching about what an asshole I can be and their optimism that you will change all that.”

  Evy erupted into laughter. Stone faced, he removed the wine from the chiller filling the two wine glasses provided as he went on. “I do believe their exact words translate to ‘perhaps a good fuck from this beautiful woman will help settle the heartless bastard.’”

  Evy had to turn sideways in her chair as she literally doubled over with laughter. Tyler couldn’t help but see the humor in it as well. He wiped tears from his eyes as he succumbed to the belly laugh he had been holding back.

  Chapter 9

  The weather was still chilly, as was the usual case during the month of November in Venice Italy. Night had fallen and it was almost time to retire. After sharing Tyler’s fish dinner, Evy informed him that she was ready to talk to him about her past and the root of her PTSD. Tyler thought that a combination of wine and a nice hot bath would help her relax and open up more. He put on some light classical music, removed her heels and guided her to the bathroom. Now he stood behind her at the tub, as he had over and over again during the last half hour, waiting for her to undress and get in.

  “Ms. Stone! I’m starting to think you’re stalling,” he accused.

  “What! I’m not allowed to pee?” she replied ingenuously. Her nerves were wreaking havoc on her in reaction to what she was about to do. She didn’t mind being naked in front of him, it was being nude in front of him and knowing what she was about to divulge that was the problem.

  “Not when first you had to pee, then it was you had to remove your makeup so as not to look like a raccoon. What was next…? Oh yeah, ‘I have to pin my hair up or it will poof out from the water.’” he mimicked trying to sound just like her. “Then you needed to retrieve your special soap out of your suitcase. Now you’re telling me you have to pee again!” To say he was losing patience with her was an understatement.

  “Okay, okay, okay, I’m ready.” The words came out of her mouth but she made no effort to follow through with them.

  Tyler sighed. “Tell you what… I’ll join you.” Before she could respond he had removed the lounging pants and muscle shirt that he wore and stepped around her to get in the tub. He sat in it, completely exposed, looking up at her.

  She had never seen him naked before. Instead of his actions prompting her to follow his lead, they made her stand above him with admiring eyes taking him all in. She noted that every muscle of his large form was well shaped. His abs were washboard ripped with his chiseled pecks accentuating them. He carried the classic v-frame very well with his sculpted hips and thighs. Her eyes widened at the floating appendage that was quite a bit bigger than she had expected. She had only seen David’s which was much smaller than the one she was studying now. As if clairvoyant, it started to harden and expand from the intensity of her stare, prompting her to swiftly move her eyes back up to Tyler’s grinning face.

  “Sorry. You have to be careful what kind of attention you give me. I am a man after all. Let’s try something to make this less scary for you. Turn around.” Evy did as she was instructed. Tyler stood in the bathtub behind her placing his hands on her shoulders. “Now stay calm,” he murmured in her ear.

  He slowly lowered the straps of her dress off her shoulders, placing light kisses where the left one had fallen from. He undid her zipper and aided the fabric past her curvy hips, allowing the dress to cascade to the floor. He found himself unable to resist caressing the sexy black lace panties that he found underneath before sliding them down her long brown legs. With great effort, he was able to resist the urge to grab and squeeze her nicely rounded backside.

  “Okay, now look at me.”

  He gently turned her to face him. Taking her hands, he stepped back allotting her room to step into the warm water. He carefully turned her to face away from him as he gently pushed down on her shoulders, lowering them both into the tub. Returning to his original position, he pulled her back to him so that she rested between his legs with the back of her head on his broad shoulder.

  Evy was surprised that the water hadn’t cooled. “How is it that the water is still hot after all this time?” she asked grasping at every last straw to prolong the inevitable.

  “All the bathtubs as well as the marble floors in the building have radiant heat.” His voice came warm and gentle, caressing her soul as he sat with his head resting against the tub pillow and his eyes closed. He knew what she was doing but his patience had returned. He was doing his best to create a nonvolatile environment for the difficult narration she was about to disclose.

  She closed her eyes as well and found hersel
f relaxing into him, allowing the tempo of his heart to slow her wildly thumping one as she rested against his chest. His manhood had gone soft and was not brushing against her lower back and bottom, the action of it further calming her. They stayed like that, each enjoying the closeness of the other.

  After a while, Evy was ready. “I met David when I was sixteen,” she began, starting with the earlier part of their relationship. She played with his right hand while she told him everything up to the first beating she got for running away. Tyler willed himself not to respond to the emotions building within him.

  “About a year or so later, I made the mistake of winking at Miguel and Enrique who sat in the audience. They had started spending more time at the club as a way to keep tabs on me and make sure I was okay. David was terrified of Miguel so he usually behaved whenever he was around. But that night the drugs had taken away that fear. All I remember was hearing one of the backup singers yelling for help and trying to get him off of me as he held me up against the wall choking the life out of me. I woke up in an ambulance, Enrique was over me crying. Miguel had been arrested for nearly killing David. Apparently, he had come close to crushing my windpipe. If Miguel and Enrique hadn’t heard her screaming I wouldn’t have survived the attack.”