The Sanctuary

by Arika Stone

  “And?”

  “I read one piece when we were first spotted by the paparazzi, and that’s it.”

  “Speaking of paparazzi, Sebastian booked our interview with OMG! on Friday. We’ll need to be on-set by five.”

  I pulled out my phone and entered the appointment.

  “You didn’t need to add it to your schedule. Petra would have reminded me.”

  Petra. I loathed hearing her name, but I didn’t want him to know how much she irritated me. “I had to sync it with my office. Go to Madrid. I’m fine.”

  “I can’t. If anything happened to you, I’d be beside myself.”

  “What could possibly happen? I’m going sightseeing and to the market.”

  The doorbell rang. I glanced up at the monitor; it was a deliveryman.

  “I’ll get it. Finish your coffee.” I headed to the door and was greeted by a string of Finnish and a package thrust at me.

  “He wants you to sign for it,” Val called out.

  I looked at the box. It was addressed to me. I accepted the mail and analyzed the return address. I tore the ripcord off and pulled out a rectangular black box. I was perplexed; I hadn’t authorized AMEX to send me another black card.

  “In case you need anything when I’m gone.”

  “This is your account?” I was shocked.

  “Yes.”

  “What do you expect me to buy, a house?”

  “If you want to.”

  “Thank you, but I would feel funny spending your money.” I was touched by his gesture.

  “Why don’t you use it to buy food so you can cook when I come home?”

  I tilted my head. I understood him. “Okay, I will. What time is your plane coming in on Thursday?”

  “About four p.m. I left the details on the fridge.”

  “I’ll have dinner ready.” I kissed him. “You better get going. Your plane is leaving soon.”

  He glanced at the clock and snuffed out his cigarette. “I am not 100 percent convinced I should leave. Promise you will call if you need me.”

  “I will. I promise.” I waved my hand, “You’re going to be late! Go!”

  I stared at the credit card and took a deep breath. I had his keys, free access to his house for the next three days, and access to his money. Either Val was madly in love with me or madly insane. Did he really trust me so much he would give me free rein over the most important aspects of his life?

  A few moments later, Val descended in rock-star fashion with a small backpack, black tee, leather jacket, and multiple scarves. His facial hair was coming in, making him look rugged. He slipped on sunglasses and kissed me.

  “Why don’t you ride with me? I’ll have the driver drop you off at Jenni’s.”

  “I’d rather ride with you to the airport. I want to rent a car.” I tossed my bag over my shoulder.

  “The tram and bus are four blocks away.”

  “And if I come home late? I’d rather pull into the driveway than walk by myself.”

  “Then take a taxi. Trust me; the roads are confusing to navigate.”

  I followed him outside into the bright morning light. He looked stunning and reminded me of a young Jim Morrison. “I’m going to miss you.”

  He opened the door to the car. “Why don’t you come with me then?”

  “Val,” I playfully whined, “I can’t.”

  He instructed the driver to our destination before turning his attention to me. “I’m going to miss you too. Where are you and Jenni going?” He eyed my duffel bag.

  “Yoga, lunch, shopping, and dinner. Her friends want to meet me.”

  “Be mindful of your drink or what they offer you. Some of her friends like to party.”

  I nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”

  I stared out the window at the bluest sky I had ever seen. “Can we go to Lapland? I want to see the Northern Lights.”

  “We can go for the holidays if you’d like.”

  “I would love to.” I was happy he was so agreeable.

  “There is this small, charming cabin I rented last year. I will take you there. We can spend a quiet Christmas together, just the two of us.”

  “But what about your family?”

  He shrugged. “What about them?”

  “It’s not Christmas without family.”

  “They’ll be okay. What am I, not family?” he teased.

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s not the point.”

  “What is then?”

  “Christmas is about family, and it’s always been lonely for me.”

  “So we’ll all go. Whatever makes you happy.” He leaned in for a kiss.

  “Don’t you know all the right words to say?” I kissed him sweetly.

  We pulled in front of an apartment building. “Why are we stopping?”

  “It’s Jenni’s apartment. Trust me on this. Call a taxi if you’re going home late.”

  I didn’t want to argue and make him late for his plane. “Call me when you have a chance.”

  “I will.” He kissed me goodbye. “I love you.”

  Time stood still. There were those three little words again, but I had no out. I swallowed hard. “I love you too.”

  “Eve!” Jenni shrieked from outside the car, banging on the window. “We’re late for class!” She opened the door and grabbed my hand. “I’ll make sure to keep her occupied, Val.”

  “I’m sure you will.” He winked at her before continuing in Finnish.

  Jenni responded, “She’ll be fine.” I supposed whatever he said to her he didn’t want me to know.

  Jenni slammed the door to the car and pulled me toward a Vespa. “Val wanted to make sure we weren’t going out with my friends. But we’re not. Don’t worry.”

  We hopped on her Vespa and proceeded into the city. I shouted to her, “Where can I get one of these?”

  “He said not to let you rent a car.”

  “It’s not a car.” I didn’t care what his views were on transportation. I was tired of walking.

  The day flew by. We went to her gym, which I joined. I needed someplace to work out, and it would be a good place for Jenni and me to bond. By the afternoon, she was like a best friend I had known for years. We ended our afternoon purchasing my first scooter.

  “This is exciting, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong,” I whispered to Jenni as the salesman finalized the paperwork.

  “What has my brother done to you? You’re a powerful, independent businesswoman, and he’s turned you into a giddy girl. You are in love, and you don’t even know it.”

  * * * *

  Hours later, after showering and changing at her place, we were back out on the streets of Helsinki, dressed as though we belonged on a cover of a magazine. As we arrived at the restaurant, I could tell it was trendy. There was a large crowd waiting outside. But we had no problem getting inside; it turned out Jenni was on the list.

  “Who are we meeting?” I asked as we ordered drinks at the bar.

  “The girls wanted to meet you.”

  “Who are these girls?”

  Jenni flipped her long brown hair. “The girls…you know, the wives of the band. I’m good friends with Ana, Niko’s wife.”

  “Who’s Niko?”

  “The guitarist. You really have no idea who Val is, do you?” Jenni looked surprised.

  “No, I haven’t heard their music.”

  She laughed. “We’ll have to change that. You need to be his biggest fan.”

  “Jenni!”

  “Ana!”

  The two embraced in hugs and kisses. Ana was a tall, beautiful, voluptuous blonde with ice-blue eyes. “You must be Eve.” She showered me with hugs and kisses. “It’s so good to meet you.”

  Moments later, I was surrounded by Laura, Natalia, and Tania, three of the sexiest, most beautiful women I had ever met. I observed the interaction around us; the six of us caught many looks. It was surreal to be in a foreign country with five strangers chatting with me as if I was one of them
.

  We sat down to dinner. The wine started pouring, and the conversation became light and jovial. Despite the differences that separated my world from theirs, we shared similar experiences, vexations about men, and senses of humor. It felt as if I already belonged.

  Ana turned to me. “Tell us, does Val satisfy you?”

  I dropped my fork. Thankfully, my hand was close enough to the table that it didn’t make too much noise. “Excuse me?”

  “No, what I want to know is if he nags you for anal like Olli does for me,” Laura asked, clearly inebriated.

  Natalia interjected, “Honey, they all haunt us for it.” She turned to me. “I swear when they tour, Eve, they are like a bunch of horny teenage boys. You better send him off with a lot of socks.”

  The women laughed in unison like a cackling group of hens. As the laugher subsided, they turned to look at me. Did they really want an answer?

  “Well?” Ana egged on. “How is he? Do tell. We’re all friends here.”

  I eyed her. “I don’t kiss and tell. But I wouldn’t stay with a man who didn’t make me happy.”

  “Ohh…” whined the hens in unison.

  Ana continued, “So how do you like Finland? Would you consider moving here?”

  “Maybe, but not anytime soon; I own my own business.”

  “Not if you got married. You could sell and move here.” Jenni looked at me endearingly.

  “I don’t think I could sell. Besides, what would I do? I can’t speak Finnish. It would be difficult to find work.”

  “If you got married, you wouldn’t need to work. You’d have a fabulous life you could enjoy,” Ana said matter-of-factly.

  “You don’t work?” I questioned.

  “My job is making sure the house is running and the kids are cared for. Out of the past ten years, I’ve seen Niko, if you count the time off, maybe four years out of ten. To be honest, I’m glad they’re going back on tour.”

  The other wives agreed with Ana’s statement. The band toured almost every other year, with sporadic breaks. Not one of them seemed to mind the life. They were taken care of and spoiled.

  “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Laura interjected. “Most people work all of their lives. No time to smell the roses, to pursue passions. We have the luxury of not being the majority. Our husbands provide for us.”

  I began to feel a bit claustrophobic. It was if everything was cosmically pushing me away from my life. These women were the devil tempting me into the fire.

  “What time is it?” Ana asked the group, changing the conversation.

  “It’s near midnight,” Natalia replied.

  Jenni turned to me as she got up. “Can we go to your place to watch your boyfriend in action?”

  The ladies laughed as we walked out of the restaurant to wait for the car. I had no idea what was so funny.

  Jenni continued, “Val is a little jokester when it comes to reporters. He loves telling stories. It’s amusing to watch.”

  I didn’t want to say no and insult them. “Sure, but I have work tomorrow. I can’t party all night. I didn’t know he was doing an interview tonight.”

  “They were nominated for Best Rock Song and are performing at an awards show. Didn’t Val give you the itinerary?” Jenni asked as we entered the limo.

  “No, just his flight and hotel info. It seems as if he wants to keep his music career quiet.”

  “That’s because he’s trying to put it behind him. His music ruined his engagement.”

  I needed the scoop. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know all the details. But it was bad, and I mean bad. Sent him into a downwards spiral. I’ve never seen my brother like that. While they were on tour for their last album, she went crazy. She was in rehab, tried to commit suicide too. She did anything to get him here. She was nuts. None of us liked her.”

  “You should tell her what really happened,” Ana interjected. “It will shock you.”

  “That fucking crazy bitch tried to kill him,” Natalia interposed, glancing up from the text message she was reading. “The boys are going on stage in fifteen.”

  “She tried to kill him? How?” I was caught up in the story.

  Ana continued, “She attacked him in the middle of the night with a baseball bat. She told him he would never hear again. If he can’t hear, he can’t sing.”

  Jenni nodded. “Ever since he hardly sleeps. She screwed him up bad. He’s lost hearing in his left ear from it.”

  “That would explain why he’s never in bed with me in the morning.”

  We arrived home and hurried inside. Tania and Natalia headed straight for the bar and began mixing drinks while Jenni grabbed Val’s laptop and connected it to the television. With a crackle and a buzz, the television flicked on in Spanish.

  “Oh good, we didn’t miss them,” Jenni said.

  We hurried to the couches to grab a seat.

  I heard a mumble of Spanish followed by “Eros’ Edge.” The audience was standing and screaming. The lights dimmed, and red and purple lights flooded the smoke-filled stage. I heard the guitar and bass, followed by the drums. A tall shadow emerged from the background, and the fans went wild. The camera narrowed in on him. There he was, my rock god.

  Val approached the microphone and winked at the camera before he broke out into song. His voice was deep and powerful, strong and sexy. I could understand why women loved him and why men wanted to be him. He was a magnetic figure on stage, a force to be reckoned with.

  Val thanked the audience before exiting. The lights dimmed again and focused on the announcers, who rambled off the list of this year’s contenders. It was no surprise. Eros’ Edge was called to accept the award.

  The room burst out into applause and screams.

  “That’s our boys,” Ana said, sipping her glass of wine.

  Val approached the microphone and droned off the typical list of thank yous before he paused and said, “And I want to thank someone who is very dear to me, for inspiring me to go forward.” He looked straight into the camera. “I wish you were here with me tonight.”

  He walked off the stage, and I suddenly longed for him. I wished I could have been there, to share in his happiness.

  Several hours passed. We needed to wait until the end of the awards before the after-party interviews began. I was exhausted from the day. It was three a.m. before Val appeared again backstage, talking to a reporter. I was already asleep when Jenni bumped me.

  “Wake up, Eve. He’s on.”

  I pried my eyes open. Val had changed from his stage outfit to jeans and a tee, looking as handsome as ever with his heavy black eyeliner and a five o’clock shadow.

  “I’d like to thank you for speaking with us tonight, and I want to extend congratulations on winning Best Rock Song of the year.”

  “Thank you. We are thankful our last album had such success and the fans enjoyed the heavier, darker side of us. It was completely different from our other albums. It was a risk, but one we are very happy with.”

  “And there are rumors you are already recording your next album. Can you tell us about it?”

  “I write all the time. There are songs that can take years to complete and some that are finished in a matter of hours. We have about twelve tracks for the next album and a catalog of songs we could select from. But I am not sure if the journey I originally intended will be completed because I have arrived in a fork in the road, and I am still deciding which path to follow.”

  “By fork in the road, we know you are also enjoying a great deal of exposure as an artist as well. Is this a new career for you? Will the upcoming album be the last album from Eros’ Edge so you can pursue your artistic side?”

  “Music has always been a passion of mine. It was something I enjoyed, which turned into paying the bills. I will always continue to compose, but whether or not this will be the end, we’ll see. My sculpting is a hobby, and I have been blessed with success in that field as well. But I also have other hobbies, and to say
I am going to quit one to focus on the other, no, that makes no sense.”

  “Other than your sculpting, what else do you enjoy in your off-time?”

  “I’ve been recently fascinated with gardening. I know I don’t look the type. My home right now is completely overrun by weeds. But I like it that way,” Val said with a smirk.

  “Speaking of your home, you purchased it last year and it was in much need of renovations. How is it coming along?”

  “It’s coming along nicely. We’ve converted the garage into an art studio and part of the basement into a recording studio. We may record the next album subterraneous. It will add to the mood of it all.”

  “There are also rumors you’ve also added a new lady to the house. Is this true?”

  Val laughed. “Yes, there was this little stray raven-haired cat that found its way to my home. I took her in, and she’s very fond of lying next to me when I write. I pet her, she purrs, and life is happy.” Val had a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

  “We didn’t know you were a fan of cats, but that is good to know. I was talking about Eve Lauren. You have been spotted in the papers together quite often.”

  “We have? I don’t read the newspapers. It’s all fabricated rubbish. You can’t believe everything you read. But Eve, yes, she is captivating. We share an odd marriage of souls. She is only spending holiday with me, unfortunately a very short one.”

  “An ‘odd marriage of souls’? There were also rumors you are engaged. Any truth to that?”

  “An odd marriage in the sense that I’ve felt connected to her since the moment we met. As if I had known her in a past life. There are always three truths: my truth, your truth, and the truth. When you’re in the spotlight, there is a fourth truth: the press. Truth is what you want to believe. But which truth is real?” Val looked directly into the reporter’s eyes, tempting him for his next question.

  “Right, well, one truth we know is there will be a sixth album. When can we expect it to be released?”

  “We’re aiming for late summer, sometime in August of next year.”

  “We will be looking forward to it. Thank you for speaking with us tonight. It’s always a pleasure. And congratulations again.”

  Jenni flicked off the TV. The girls gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes.