by Cat Mann
Chapter 7
Chinese food and scrabble
We had Sunday dinner, as usual, at Aggie and Andy’s house. In the middle of dinner, Aggie grabbed Ari’s ear.
“Ari, what happened?” she asked in her worried, motherly tone.
He pulled his head back out of her hand, “Nothing, Ma. Don’t worry about it.”
“No seriously, Ari, what happened?”
“Ma, seriously, nothing,” he responded more sternly and my cheeks turned from pink to red hot in a matter of seconds. Rory happened to hear the conversation, noticed my red face and broke into a fit of loud laughter, with Julia joining in right behind him. I was immediately reminded that Ari had discussed our wedding night in detail with Rory and I was beyond angry.
Ari shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Andy and Thais did the same as Ari. Aggie looked at me confused, as if I might explain the situation to her. Covering my face with my hands, I tried to hide my embarrassment.
Aggie pursed her lips at us. “Tell me what’s going on!”
Ari opened his mouth but no words came from him.
Andy, who is usually cool and calm, said in a very stern voice, “Aggie, drop it now.” Ari threw his arm around my shoulder and kissed me on the temple. I nudged him off me.
“I’m sorry I asked, Ari.” Aggie said quietly.
I was so mad; I excused myself from the table and walked home. Ari followed after me.
Storming up our deck steps in a fury, I passed the pool and then fumed through the sun porch. Walking through the glass doors, into the kitchen, I whipped around to face Ari.
“You told Rory all about our wedding night! I cannot believe you did that, Ari! That was private. It was special to me and now everyone knows!”
Ari closed his eyes and took a breath. “I did not tell Rory, Ava. It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Julia told me that you told Rory; she even knew details!”
“Julia is an idiot. She doesn’t know what happened and I will talk about this with Rory tomorrow.”
“Tell me how he knows.” I demanded.
Ari ran his hands down his face, nodded and pulled out a seat at the table. He gestured for me to sit down and then took a place across from me.
Ari swallowed hard. “Ok. Here is what happened, Ava. You were missing. I was the last person to talk to you or see you that day. I had a bite mark on my lip, scratch marks down my back. There was umm… blood on our sheets.” Ari had the decency to look embarrassed. “The detective who showed up was a complete fool. He wouldn’t stop to listen to me about your connections with The Kakos. He was determined that I had injured you or hurt you in some way- that I had killed you. He tried to take me to the police station to get my statement. My dad and Thais were still next door. They were delivering the news of your disappearance to the rest of the family. My dad, Thais and Rory arrived at our house just in time to keep the detective from taking me to the police station.
“My dad made a deal with the detective that I would give a statement but it would be in our home and that he and Thais would be present. After some discussion, the detective agreed.”
Looking distraught, Ari stared down at his hands while he spoke. “I had no other choice, Ava. I had to explain what had caused the marks to my body and the blood in our bed. I had to clear my name so they would focus on finding you. So, I told him that you did cause the marks to my lip and back but out of an act from pleasure not otherwise. My dad and Thais each sat on either side of me while I explained in detail what we did together in our bedroom after our wedding. The detective’s questions were relentless, intrusive and at times out of line. Eventually, Detective Scott was called. A neighbor reported seeing Damien Kakos in the area and was concerned. Scott heard of your disappearance and came as soon as he was able. Since Detective Scott was head of The Kakos’ files, he dismissed the other detective and cleared my name.”
Ari looked up at me with a grief stricken look on his face. “I am so sorry, Baby. I really am but I had no other choice but to talk about the details our relationship.”
I bit at my lip. “That doesn’t explain Rory and Julia.”
“Like I said, Rory came over with my dad and Thais. He was there when the detective was questioning me and he heard everything. Rory never left my side the entire time you were missing. He was there for me. I am not sure why he told Julia and I am sorry for that. As I said, I will talk with him about it in the morning.”
“Ava, I know how important your privacy is to you. It is important to me, too. I never would have exposed our relationship like that if it wasn’t a complete necessity. Please forgive me.”
I got up from my seat, moved across the table and climbed on to Ari’s lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my forehead up against his. “I’m sorry, too. I hadn’t thought about what an ordeal you must have gone through while I was gone.”
I kissed the bite mark on his ear and the small scar below his lip. “So Andy and Thais know I am a biter, huh? That’s embarrassing.”
Ari laughed aloud. “Nah, Ava, don’t sweat it. They are used to passionate women; that’s just how Greek woman are.” Ari winked at me and again I felt my cheeks flush pink.
Ari was set to start school and work the next day so we cuddled up on the couch and watched a few episodes of The Abbot and Costello Show on DVD then went to bed. Ari was studying English Literature with a minor in creative writing. His classes at Pepperdine met Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from eight until one. After class on those days, he went to work for baio. He also worked at baio all day Thursdays and Fridays. His was indeed a very full schedule.
My grandmother took Ari’s employment very seriously. She gave Ari the corner office down the hall from hers. My grandfather, Perry, had used the space when he was alive and I was quite familiar with the spectacular view of L.A. visible from the office window. Margaux was also working on hiring an assistant for Ari. Knowing Margaux, the assistant would be some beautiful, tan, blonde that had great dreams of modeling for baio one day.
Thankfully, Margaux expected Ari to be at baio only when she was in L.A. and she traveled quite a bit...so his work in the office would not be constant. I wasn’t sure how much he was going to like working for her. In fact, I was pretty sure he was going to end up hating baio. I had given up trying to talk him out of working for Margaux, though. In the end, he had to make the decision by himself, and even though I reminded him that my plan to concentrate on school and look for a job later would give him more time flexibility, he declined it.
I had considered starting classes when Ari did, but my doctor ruled that adding school stress to the burden of physical healing and psychological anxiety I was already carrying would be unwise. And in truth, I felt strongly that I needed to use my time doing some research about The Kakos to see who else may be involved. I was fairly certain someone out there was still a threat to me. I did not want to be blindsided.
In addition, I was going to get started working with Andy at the foundation, House to Home. Getting children off the streets, out of the foster care system and into more permanent situations was a difficult task, one that included matching kids to various mentors and tutors. House to Home offered regular studies and also included specialized classes like computer skills, ballet and art. My grandfather, Perry, had started the organization many years ago. He collaborated with Andy a few years after the association was established and, as a result, hundreds of children in the L.A. area had grown up to be literate and successful adults. I was eager to start helping out as much as I could. Starting back to classes mid-year and playing catch up over the summer would allow me to be on track to graduate from Pepperdine at the same time as Ari.
The first couple of weeks that Ari was away during the day took a lot of adjustment. I had some paranoia issues and was uncomfortable being alone. My “lost” week never left my mind, even though actual memories were fuzzy. What terrors like the ones already triggered by a glass of water and a cigarette lighter might pop up in my
mind when I least expected them? The question bothered me most when Ari was out of the house … I dreaded being alone with the unknown.
With time, I told myself, my fears will level out a bit – but the opposite happened. My dread grew worse as the time went on. Even the evenings were hard since Ari was kept so busy by classwork. I helped him as much as I could, working next to him in the study. When not working on a project with him, I did my own research on Greeks and The Kakos and never really told him what I was doing. Sometimes I didn’t even know exactly what I was looking for myself. We spent our evenings together at home as much as possible; we made dinner and on occasion we watched baseball on TV.
One Friday night, Ari came home, pulled at the knot in his tie, opened his shirt collar and threw himself face first on the couch. I crawled on top of him.
“What’s the matter?” I purred sweetly in his ear.
“Margaux,” he grunted.
I gave a little laugh, “Yeah, she can be nasty. I did tell you so. Why, what happened? What did she do to you?”
“She didn’t do anything to me; she is actually unbelievably nice to me. It’s just the way she treats other people. She fired some poor old woman today for spilling coffee on some sample fabric. It was a nightmare. She made a huge scene and was screaming and yelling. Margaux was red in the face with anger and she made the poor woman pack up her things and leave right then.”
“Was that the first time you ever saw her fire someone?” I asked a little shocked.
“Yeah, why?” He looked up at me from the corner of his eye.
“Sounds like she’s gone soft, but don’t worry I’m sure that woman will be back in the office on Monday morning as if nothing ever happened.”
“Are you serious?”
“Oh yeah, I have seen it happen tons of times. Margaux will have her assistant, Delia call the woman and apologize and then offer her the job back. With a raise.”
“That’s absurd!”
“That’s Margaux. So what do you want to do this weekend?”
Ari rolled over on to his back, wrapped his arms around me and laced his fingers at the small of my back.
“We’re going to see Miike Snow tomorrow, remember?”
“No, I don’t remember. Since when?”
“You remember -- Rory said he would get tickets.”
I laughed aloud.
“I thought he was just kidding. I never thought he would actually come through on his promise.”
“Yeah, I know; same here. But he felt really bad about telling Julia about our wedding night details and so he got four tickets and made reservations for tomorrow night for dinner. We’ll be meeting him and Julia at their new place in L.A. at seven.”
“Ok, then what do you want to do tonight?”
“Chinese food and Scrabble,” Ari said with a hopeful look on his face.
“That sounds perfect!”
And so we spent the whole night spread out on the living room floor playing Scrabble with Coeur De Pirate on in the background. Ari had developed a slight obsession with the pianist ever since the time I played a song of hers on the dorm piano.
Aggie and Andy came over and played a few rounds of Scrabble with us and Andy finished off the Chinese take-out leftovers. They stuck around quite a while. I think they were having a bit of empty nest syndrome, Aggie especially. She missed having Lauren around, but really, I think she missed Ari more than anything else. She had a harder time with him being married, working and going to school than she thought she would; that was my theory. She called him daily to check in and came up with as many excuses as she could to get him to stop by in the evenings. He changed light bulbs, carried in her groceries and even once had to go over there to kill a spider. I love Aggie, but their relationship was a little problematic at times.
Saturday morning Ari talked me into playing around with him on the beach. I was getting a tad more comfortable in the water; he really didn’t give me a choice. We walked half way down the beach, and then he picked me up without warning, threw me over his shoulder and ran. I screamed all the way, until he came to a stop in waist-deep warm water. I still wouldn’t let him let me go, but he didn’t seem to mind.
After our romp in the sand and waves, we got ready for Miike Snow and listened to their new album twice while showering and dressing. We took Ari’s SUV for our drive into L.A. I no longer owned a car.
A year earlier, Margaux uprooted me from Dana Point after I killed Kakos No. 1 and No. 2 on New Year’s Eve. She set me up in a flat she owned in Camden Town in London. I killed No. 5 by burning that building down into a pile of ash. In retaliation for me burning down her building, Margaux had turned up at the Alexander’s home and collected my car. She told me, when I got back from London, that if I wanted my vehicle back, I would have to buy it from her. I had been planning to send her the money but just never got around to doing it. I had concentrated on the wedding and then I had been abducted. The car issue had gone right out of my head.
Rory and Julia were living in an apartment together on campus, at UCLA. They had been there for about a month. Ari told me on the drive up that Rory hated living in L.A. He wanted to be at home and commute. He was tired of dorms, apartments and fast food. He liked the luxury of being right on the beach (and access to his mom's cooking and cleaning.) Julia steadfastly refused to live with Gianna and Thais any longer. Gianna was very nice and funny, just like Rory and Nick, but I could understand not wanting to live in one's boyfriend’s parents’ house. I had felt the same way not too long ago. Ari also told me that Rory and Julia had been fighting over the issue of living in L.A. quite a bit and I would be wise not to mention the apartment or L.A. to them at all.
We arrived on campus and Ari knew right where to go. He had helped Rory move a month earlier, making several trips back and forth from Dana Point to Los Angeles. Julia was waiting for us when we arrived and she excitedly gave me a tour of their place. The apartment she and Rory had was nice – small but still nice. Every room showed Julia's own unique, girly style and clearly the space seemed like home to her. The only thing I that I saw of Rory's was his surfboard. It sat propped up in a corner of their bedroom. If Julia wanted it gone, she would have to pry it from Rory’s cold, dead hands. And at times I think she would be happy to do so. I kept my comments about their place neutral. I was afraid to say much. Rory and Julia’s relationship was at times tumultuous and argumentative.
After the tour of the new apartment, we went to dinner at Eveleigh on Sunset Boulevard, an oasis of local farm food and outdoor dining patio. Rory entertained us with an endless supply of funny stories about growing up with Ari. Halfway through our meal, two women approached our table. They had smiles on their faces. “Excuse me,” The first woman said. “I don’t mean to be rude, but aren’t you Ava?”
I gazed at them with a questioning look on my face. I was trying to place the two. I was trying to figure out how I should know them. Looking over to Ari, I hoped he knew them somehow; my memory still was not what it should have been.
“Yes,” Ari spoke up. “She is Ava. But we are eating dinner with our family.”
“We love baio, we just want a quick picture, please!” The second girl said with a whine.
“I’m sorry, no.” Ari said curtly.
Ari signaled for our waiter, the women got the cue that he was going to get management and they scampered away.
I looked at their hasty departure, dumbfounded. “What was that all about?”
“Don’t worry about them, Baby. They recognized you from the magazine articles from when you were missing. This will all blow over.”
“Oh…” I rolled my eyes. I was used to having admirers approach the table whenever I was with Margaux. She is a fashion icon. People adore her and whenever she makes a nasty, belligerent scene, they seem to love and praise her even more. I, on the other hand, am not at all used to anyone knowing who I am, let alone them wanting to be near me. It seemed that was beginning to change.
Afte
r dinner, we made our journey up the road to see Miike Snow. Rory drank, perhaps a bit too much, and he made Julia angry by saying, for the third time that night, how much he hated L.A. By the time the show was over, they had quit speaking to one another, which was nice because it meant they were no longer screaming. The hour was so late when the concert ended that Ari and I decided to crash together on Rory’s lumpy couch.
I was a little grouchier than usual because August had called me as soon as we got to Rory’s place after the concert and I had stayed up a bit talking with him. He was making headway on jobs in California. I had no idea what he was looking for career wise, but I missed him and I was ready for him to come home. I told him he could probably land a job with Margaux. I was sure she could find something for him to do … but he laughed and said he would never work for her again as long as he lived. I found his vehemence funny; he had been my in-home professor when I lived in London. Margaux found and hired, him but the two of them had not actually met until I had already graduated and he was no longer working for her. No love lost there.
Julia and Rory rode back to Dana Point with us; Ari had offered to give them a ride back Monday on his way to class. Ari turned The Cold War Kids up to max sound to help drown out the annoying sounds of Rory and Julia bickering in the backseat about living in L.A.
Lauren came home from school and we all spent the afternoon at Aggie and Andy’s. Lauren told us all about her suite mate, Jen, and her classes. She announced that she had made the school’s dance team and that she had also met a boy, Luke. Andy congratulated her on the dance team but then quickly turned into the overly concerned father and asked her dozens of questions pertaining to the new boy in his young daughter’s life. I’ll admit it was fun to watch her squirm, especially since I am usually the one who is blushing with embarrassment.
The house was full of the usual Sunday afternoon guests. Aggie and Andy’s friends, Ophelia and Pete, came over and brought with them their baby, Stella. Ari’s eyes lit up when Ophelia carried Stella through the doorway. He instantly stood up and held out his arms to hold her.
“Ari, I get to hold her when you are done!” Aggie hollered at Ari as he walked away, cooing to the little baby. “Ophelia, why did you pass her to Ari first? You know he is a baby hog!” Aggie complained.
Ignoring his mother, Ari played with the baby all afternoon. I watched him from the sidelines for a bit then moved over to the piano bench. I played half a song. The deep gash on my wrist had injured a nerve and because of the injury, my fingers could not keep up with my brain. My playing the piano was no longer soothing but rather frustrating and maddening. I closed the lid and moved back to my spot on Aggie’s sofa.
“Stella is the descendant of Erinyes.” Ari looked up at me as he spoke. “Erinyes means “The Avenger” and is sometimes referred to as an infernal goddess. Essentially, Erinyes punishes anyone who has sworn a false oath.” He looked back down at the sweet little baby and tickled her belly causing a giant giggle to erupt from her lips. “Stella’s duty as deity may be difficult, but it is an honor to her. She is happy and blessed, Ava; she is not burdened.”
I frowned at the story and after a while, Ari stood up and tried to pass Stella along to me. “Oh, no.” Pushing my body backwards in my seat, I waved my hands to and fro. “I don’t hold babies, Ari.”
Ari ignored my frantic plea and placed the baby in my lap anyway. Stella began to fuss almost immediately and I called for Aggie. She swooped in to save the day and quickly snatched the baby from my lap. Ari shook his head back and forth at me incredulously.
Later, we ate dinner and Ari held Stella on his knee. She was eating table food so Ari kept sneaking her bits of his peas and mashed potatoes. It was really cute to watch Ari be so entertained and captured by such a sweet little baby.
At the end of the evening, we walked the short distance home on the sandy beach. Ari held my hand and walked slowly. “How are you feeling?” He asked out of nowhere.
I shrugged, “fine, I guess.”
“Are you healing ok? How is your hand?”
“My hand still hurts. My head hurts from time to time but I’m fine.”
“What about your ribs and your wrist?”
“Ari, I am fine.”
Ari’s jaw clenched. I wasn’t being honest with him and he knew it. I was still in some pain and at times, my headaches would be blinding and nearly unbearable. My side hurt when I took in deep breaths and my wrist was tender. I still had a certain amount of difficulty when I tried to move my fingers.
“Have you had any more memories of the time you were missing?”
“No, I haven’t.” And that was the truth. I really had not had any more flashbacks of when I had been missing.
“Not that you would tell me about them anyway,” Ari said in a clipped tone as we reached the door. I stood in the threshold and watched him walk coolly away through the house without another word.
Upset by Ari’s comment, I retreated to the shower, scrubbing my skin with force as his words made me angrier and angrier. When I emerged a half hour later, my skin was red and raw. Ari was waiting for me in the bedroom on the other side of the bathroom door. He immediately took me in his arms and pushed my body up against the wall. His lips pressed hard against mine. His tongue forced its self into my mouth. My body responded to his advance hastily. I kissed Ari back and my fingers worked hard on undoing the buttons on his shirt. He moved his hands down my body and gripped my bottom, lifting me up. No words were exchanged. We were breathless and our skin was wet with our sweat. When the time came, I clamped my teeth down hard on Ari’s arm.
After the unexpected burst of passion, Ari lay me down next to him in the bed. He ran his fingers against my swollen lips.
“Hi,” he whispered.
I looked up at him from under my lashes. “Hi.”
“I am sorry for getting upset with you, Ava. It’s just … I worry so much about you. You were missing for so long. I thought I would never see you again. I want you to be honest with me in all things. I know you aren’t fine, so don’t say that you are.”
“I am getting better, Ari. I really am.”
“I can see that you are getting better, Baby. You look healthier and healthier each day, your marks are fading, your cheeks are full and rosy again. But I can tell you are still in pain. I can tell that certain things bother you more than you let on. I know your fingers don’t work as fast as they used to and you can’t play the piano like you once could and I know that it frustrates you. I can tell. I watch you more than you know.”
Ari tapped his finger on my temple, “I worry about what’s in here. You have experienced more darkness and evil than anyone should ever have to face. I don’t know how you are able to deal with all you have seen and done. I wish I knew what you went through.”
I promised myself that I would never tell Ari the horror I had experienced in killing the Kakos. The images haunt my mind – in my dreams and when I am awake. I had a gut-wrenching feeling that my work with The Kakos was not yet done. Something deep down inside me was demanding that I stay alert and vigilant.