With shaky legs, I made my way downstairs and headed for another quick shower. After, I climbed in bed, sipped my tea and felt the tension leave my body. I closed my eyes for a minute and the next thing I knew, it was morning.
Chapter Five
Robert came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripped down his face from his wet hair.
“Hey baby, how do you feel?” he asked.
“Good, energised,” I said with a chuckle.
“You might not feel so good when you see your lip,” he replied.
I climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror I studied my swollen lip, a small scab had formed just in the middle.
“Great,” I said touching it with my fingers.
I showered and dressed as we heard the front door slam and feet stomp up the stairs. Travis had arrived to drive us to work.
“I had a thought, let’s not make too much of a show around him,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, don’t kiss or hug me in front of him, just for a bit. I don’t want to push our relationship down his throat.”
He nodded as we headed up the stairs.
“What happened to your lip?” Travis asked as he saw me.
“Opened the door too fast,” I replied.
I took the cup of tea being offered by Evelyn and snatched a piece of toast to eat on the way. As we headed to the stairs I noticed a little pile of buttons on the edge of the counter. I looked over at Evelyn who raised her eyebrows at me.
The journey was strained, again. I tried to make conversation and received either grunts or ‘yes’ and ‘no’. If Travis didn’t snap out of this soon, I think both Robert and I were going to get a little agitated with him. I realised he was struggling but clamming up like that wasn’t solving anything. As we parted in the foyer I gave Robert’s hand a discrete squeeze.
“Hi, coffee?” I heard. Jess had seen me walk in.
“Oh, lovely.”
“That looks sore,” she said, looking at my lip. I had tried to cover the scab with lipstick but that just made it stand out more.
“Get a punch from your trainer?” Bailey asked.
“Yes, wasn’t looking,” I replied.
I saw Richard motion to me from his office so I gathered my pad, pen and coffee cup and headed over. As I approached, I saw his eyes divert to my lip. I was going to have to remember what reason I gave and decided to stick with Bailey’s.
“Didn’t look while training,” I said before he asked.
“We have some responses from potential retailers, I want to go through them,” he replied.
Pete and I sat opposite Richard at his desk and he went through his notes.
“Chanel liked your approach, Brooke, so did Prada and both have given a tentative yes. The next stage is to meet with them, show them the full plans and discuss any requirements they might have.”
“Wow, that’s great news. We don’t have to meet them in New York do we?”
“Unfortunately yes, so, and please don’t be upset, but Pete and I will go. I doubt very much Robert would be up for you travelling with us. I will ask him if you want to come though.”
“No thank you, to be honest, it’s a bit too soon,” I replied.
I would have loved to have been involved in that stage but I wasn’t in a rush to get back there. To have to show a client around the site would bring back memories too painful and still too fresh in my mind. We chatted back and forth about any responses from other retailers. A celebrity chef had shown an interest in one of the units and it seemed the apartments were already gaining tenants. After our meeting I headed to my desk. I was in charge of designing the sales brochure and continued to work on that.
Without looking at my watch I realised it was approaching lunchtime, my tummy grumbled. I texted Robert that I wanted to nip out and get a sandwich, he replied that Gary would be with me in a minute. I waited in the foyer.
“Hey, Brooke. Where do you need to go?” Gary asked as he strode across the room.
“Only to the deli, we can walk,” I said as we headed off.
“I’m sorry if I got you in any trouble, Brooke. Stupidly I had taken a couple of tablets, for the pain, must have knocked me out,” he said.
“Why didn’t you say you were in pain? Maybe you shouldn’t be back at work just yet.”
“I’m fine, really. It won’t stop me doing my job and I can’t sit around anymore.”
“Okay, but in future, let me know.”
He nodded and waited by the door as I collected a sandwich and a caramel latte. I wasn’t concentrating when I felt Gary grip my arm and stop me on our return journey. Without speaking he spun me around and we walked back the way we had came. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
“Irene Cole, front door,” he said.
I knew not to turn around to look and we diverted to the side of the office block. We walked to the car park entrance at the rear of the property.
“Irene’s at the front door.” I said.
‘Yes, looks drunk too.”
I had thought that after she’d had her five minutes of fame, telling the press how her daughter, Kerry, had been taken from her by Robert, she would fade away. It had been headline news in the trash rags for a week or so but we’d heard nothing since. Robert’s lawyers had written to her, explained that what she had said was libellous, whether she really understood what that meant, I didn’t know. If she was just a drunk, I would have a little sympathy for her but she had pimped her daughter out. She was a drug addict. She had wanted to sell her daughter to Robert.
Robert was waiting by the security desk as we entered the building via the car park, he didn’t speak to Gary but placed his arm around my shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I didn’t see her. I don’t think she saw me anyway. Gary spotted her from miles away so no harm done.”
“I shouldn’t have thought it was miles away, but I get your drift,” he said with a chuckle.
“I wonder why she’s here.” I said.
“Travis wanted to go see but the mood he’s in, probably best to keep him locked up. Ring Caroline today, let’s get this thing sorted.”
I nodded as I made my way to the office and retrieved my phone from the depths of my bag. It rang for a while before Caroline’s voicemail picked up. I guessed she was at work but left a message anyway.
“Hi Caroline, it’s Brooke. I wondered if you were free for dinner one evening, just us. Give me a call, thanks.”
The day flew by and I had an appointment in the gym. Joseph was joining me and the kids, and I was looking forward to seeing Gerry. I’d spoken to him every day on the phone, he had gone back to school but was still quiet, still troubled. As I headed into the changing room, Travis and Robert were there, already out of their suits and in their workout gear. I changed and headed for the gym.
“Hey, Gerry, do you want to work out with me?” I asked as I headed to the kids.
He nodded and I took his hand. Robert and Ted worked with the others but Travis headed for the punch bag.
“How was school today?” I asked.
“Okay, I guess,” he replied as I knelt down in front of him.
“What do you want to do, how about some skipping?” he shook his head.
“Some running?” Again, a shake of the head.
“Tickling? I am the champion tickler, you know.”
At last, a small smile. “Tickling is not a sport.”
“Oh it is where I come from. I have loads of medals, I beat four big boys once,” I lied.
As quick as a flash I reached forwards, grabbing his sides and wiggled my fingers. He wriggled, squealed a little and then laughed. Okay, so it was not natural laughter but if I could get him to smile, try to lift his mood a little it might help. We were on the soft mats and I wrestled him to the ground. I let him try to tickle me, his little hands having no effect but I laughed, rol
led around and begged him to stop. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of Robert. He wasn’t watching me and I followed his gaze. Travis was pounding the bag with such force it swung and creaked. Sweat rolled down his forehead and his breathing was hard. I could see the tension in his jaw. He hit that bag with such force, his last punch split the seam. Robert walked over, placed a hand on his shoulder but Travis was pumped, he turned and swung his fist. Robert leant back, avoiding what could have been a painful blow to the head. The gym quietened. I kept Gerry pressed to my stomach, we were still lying on the floor, him on top of me. I didn’t want him to see. It was all over in a split second, Ted strode over, grabbed Travis by the arms and ordered him from the gym. Robert immediately continued with the other kids as if nothing had happened.
Joseph was training a couple of the older lads and he caught my eye, signalling for me to join him in the ring. He liked me to practice with the kids while he taught. I hadn’t really warmed up but handing Gerry to Robert, I climbed in. I sparred with the kids, Joseph coached and I received a slightly uncomfortable kick to the stomach. I wasn’t paying attention, my mind was still on Travis. Ted hadn’t returned and I wondered where they were. We continued with our training for another half hour or so before Ted returned, calling the kids together, workout over.
I hugged Gerry and told him that I would see him on the weekend. He clung to me, not wanting to let go, burying his head in my stomach and when Robert came forward to take him from me, he did the same to him. I smiled sadly, Robert was a natural. There was nothing forced. He picked Gerry up, whispered that he wanted to see a smile before he left and was rewarded with one. We watched the kids and Joseph leave. I joined Robert on a bench and placed my hand on his thigh.
“Where’s Travis?” I asked.
“Don’t know, changing I guess. Ted told him to get his shit together.”
We left the gym and as we headed for the changing room, I spotted Travis sitting on the couch in the seating area, staring into space. We showered and changed and before joining Travis I told Robert that I had left a message for Caroline. She hadn’t replied but at least we had set the wheels in motion. Again, the journey home was in silence but after we had pulled up on the drive, Robert stayed in the car. He motioned with his head for me to get out and I left them together.
“Dinner in five, that okay, Brooke?” Evelyn said as I climbed the stairs.
“Lovely, I’m starving but it might just be me at the moment. Robert’s with Travis.”
As I walked over to the windows, I saw the car make its way back down the drive.
“Definitely just me, they’ve driven off.”
I told her about the incident in the gym, about Ted dragging him out and I guessed things were coming to a head. I also said about the arrangement for Travis and Caroline to meet. Evelyn plated up our meal and joined me, I was grateful for the company.
“Irene showed up at work today,” I told her.
“What happened?”
“Don’t know, I forgot to ask Robert. She was outside when I came back from lunch. She didn’t see me, Gary diverted us to the car park.”
“I wonder what she wanted?” Evelyn asked.
We ate our meal, cleared the dishes and Evelyn headed home. I kept my phone by my side as I curled up on the sofa and read. I didn’t expect Robert to call but kept it close, just in case. I was so engrossed in my story that I didn’t realise the time and looking at my watch, three hours had passed. Save for the ticking of the clock, the house was quiet as I made my way across the lounge. I stopped at the photographs that hung on the wall. My fingers roamed over the face of Robert. We had added a couple of new ones, of us on honeymoon and one from our wedding. Our pasts, our present was depicted on that wall. Our family too. I stared at one of Sam and I with goofy grins, clinging to each other trying to ice skate one time. I smiled at one of Evelyn as a young girl, she was a beautiful woman as it was but stunning then.
And in the middle of them all was my brother. His head was thrown back in laughter and he was sitting on the top of his truck in the middle of the desert. I wondered what he would make of my life now. I wondered what he would think of our parents. I wrote to them once but never received a reply. That was it, my life was on that wall. I headed to bed.
Of course I felt him, as he climbed in bed beside me. It didn’t matter if I was awake or asleep, I would gravitate towards him, more so when I wasn’t conscious enough to stop it. In my drowsy state I felt his arms wrap around me as he snuggled me into his chest.
***
Robert’s internal alarm clock had him awake at six, I knew that was the time without having to look at my watch. He had woken me with kisses to my neck and my shoulder. I reached up for him, pulling his face to mine. His fingers trailed a path down my stomach and I parted my legs, I was already wet and hot waiting for him. I moaned as two fingers pushed in causing a shiver to ripple over me. His kiss was gentle, his fingers not but they weren’t enough.
“Fuck me,” I whispered into his ear.
I felt him smile as his body moved across mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and raised my hips slightly, meeting his as he pushed into me. At first he was slow, taking his time and teasing me. His face was in my neck, kissing and nipping at my ear. As our desire for each other grew, he picked up the pace. It wasn’t long before those tell tale signs took over my body. He knew, he could feel, see the changes in me and as I came, so did he. I loved morning sex with him, it was often fast and hard and wonderful, a great start to the day.
“Good morning,” I said, smiling up at him. He was still lying on top of me, propped up on his elbows.
“It certainly is,” he replied before rolling off.
“How did last night go?”
“How about we meet for lunch? I’ll tell you then but I might have got through to him,” he answered.
I headed off to shower first while Robert stood at the sink and shaved. I liked his day old stubble. I liked the scratch I would feel as he ran his chin across my neck but there something about kissing his clean shaven face in the mornings that got to me.
Travis seemed a little brighter, he didn’t speak as much as normal but at least smiled when he saw me and opened the car door as we left for work. That was progress. Robert had taken my hand in the car, his thumb ran across my knuckles but we made a point of not openly displaying our affection for each other. As we parted in the foyer, Robert said that he would give me a call about lunch. Before I took my seat I heard my phone ring and looking at the display, Caroline was returning my call.
“Hi, Caroline, I’m glad you called,” I said.
“Hi, Brooke. I’d love to meet. I could really do with talking to someone, I guess you know my news already?”
“I do, I thought you could do with some support. When are you free?” I asked.
“I told the hospital I was pregnant and they’ve changed me to permanent days, no shifts, so how about next week, say Monday? I can get mom to care for Harley.”
“That’s great. I’ll text you the address of the club, we can meet there about seven.”
We said our goodbyes and I headed for coffee. Coffee at the start of my working day was becoming a ritual and with mugs filled for my co-workers I settled down at my desk. The proofs had arrived for the brochure I was designing so I copied them over to Richard and Pete. I spent an hour or so checking and replying to emails, chasing up responses to retailers I hadn’t heard back from and preparing press releases.
I had been in Richard’s department for a couple of months and had started to learn more about the rental properties. Vassago owned blocks of apartments as well as retail units that were rented out. Jess and Bailey were one of a small team in charge of rent collection. Gone were the days when someone would physically knock on a door, now it was all done by bank transfer but there was always a mad week, rent week, when they would be checking payments received against tenants. I often helped out when their workload was heavy.
I receive
d a text just before lunch from Robert to meet him in the foyer. I collected my bag, headed for the restroom to refresh my makeup and made my way out. He had his back to me and I took a moment to look at him. He wore his usual black suit, the colour accentuated the width of his shoulders. No amount of nagging from me would make him chose a different colour. On the odd occasion he diverted from the red tie, he would be ribbed by either Travis or Mack, sulk a little and be back to what he liked the following day. His head turned a little, he knew I was there. I smiled and walked towards him, placing my hand on his back as I circled to face him. He gave me a smile and a wink, took my hand and we headed out to the waiting car.
Gary was standing by the door, ready to open it and much more alert than the last time he had driven us. I thanked him and climbed in. We were off to the club, the place Robert was most comfortable because he wouldn’t be disturbed. As usual, the door was opened before we got to it and we were shown to our table and given menus.
“So, what happened last night?” I asked, greedy for information on Travis.
“He repeated some of what he said to you in the gym but I think he’s softening a little. He admits to being scared of bringing up a child and the main thing is, he doesn’t know how he feels about Caroline. He says he likes her a lot but doesn’t know if she’s the one to settle down with.”
“Did he talk about leaving Vassago?”
“Not really, I didn’t bring it up. I don’t think he would really leave. I mean, what the fuck would he do with his time? Sitting at home bringing up kids isn’t his style,” he said.
We placed our orders and I took a sip of the wine the waiter had poured for me. Despite it being just midday, the restaurant was busy. Business meetings and ladies lunching were the usual during the day.
“I heard back from Caroline, I said we would meet here Monday at seven.”
“I was thinking about that. Why don’t you meet with her, see how she feels?”
“Okay, I guess she might need someone to talk to. But we still need to find a way to get her and Travis together.”
“He said that she had called him, several times. He hasn’t rung her back but he knows he’s got to face her at some point,” Robert said.
Fallen Angel, Part III Page 7