Perfect Betrayal

by Season Vining

  “What? Why?” he yelled, jumping up and knocking the desk chair over on its side.

  “Beau, stop being so dramatic,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

  He grabbed her shoulders roughly and turned her to face him. His gaze dropped down to Levi’s embroidered name and back to her face.

  “Are you fucking him?”

  “Beau,” Taylor warned.

  “That’s disgusting. He’s your employee. He looks like a goddamn criminal!”

  “Shut up!” she yelled back. “You know nothing about him.”

  Of course, she realized that she didn’t know much about Levi either, but she wanted to. Taylor shrugged out of his grip and turned away, changing the music to something slower. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  Beau approached her slowly, his footsteps steady. “Taylor, you don’t have to go slumming with someone like him. I’m here,” he said in a softer, kinder voice.

  Taylor faced him again, this time unable to tamp down the anger. “Beau Upton, the only slumming I’ve been doing was with you, you jerk. Get out of my house!”

  “You’re kicking me out? Seriously?”

  “Go!” she yelled.

  He held up his hands in surrender, but she saw the shock in his eyes, the pain barely hidden by outrage.

  “Fine. But don’t call me when you’re done with your charity case. I wouldn’t touch your filthy ass now.”

  Beau stalked out of her room and down the stairs. Taylor grabbed the closest thing she could reach—the Whitman book—and threw it at the open doorway.

  “Ugh! Stupid boys!” She picked up a shoe and hurled it in the same direction. “Assholes!”

  “Ouch!”

  She looked over her shoulder to find Levi, holding the book and shoe.

  “You dropped these,” he said as he gave her a slightly crooked smirk.

  Taylor walked over and snatched them from his hands. “Thanks,” she grunted.

  Levi followed Taylor back into her bedroom and shut the door behind him, the whole while keeping his eyes glued to her bare legs.

  “That’s a nice shirt you have there.”

  “Yeah, I like it,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes, her cheeks reddened from the argument.

  “It looks really fucking good on you.” Levi took a step closer. “But it’s mine. You’re a thief, rich girl.”

  Taylor dragged her fingers through her hair, across her chest, and down to the buttons, where she began to unfasten them.

  “I’m sure you need it back, then, don’t you?”

  Levi nodded, exhaling at the sight of her exposed skin and tiny white panties.

  “Well? What are you waiting for? Come get it.”

  He stepped behind her and pulled the uniform shirt from her shoulders, tossing it to the floor. “This is mine.” Levi swept her hair to one side and placed a light kiss on her neck. “This is mine.” His mouth was hot against her skin.

  Taylor gasped at his domineering voice and possessive declarations. His warm breath fanned over her skin like a man marking his territory. Something about him made Taylor want to throw her charmed life away and live in the shadows. So she gave herself over to his command. She knew she belonged to him, if only for these few stolen moments.

  Levi’s hard hand slid around her waist, and Taylor sighed. When his fingertips slid beneath the lace of her panties, she raised her arms and ran her hands through his hair. He curled his fingers to cup her sex, and Taylor whimpered.

  “What’s this?” Levi asked, his breath hot in her ear.

  Taylor bit her lip, and when he shifted his hips into her backside, she let out a stuttered breath. “Yours.”

  He hummed, satisfied with her answer, and gently bit down on her neck. Levi tossed Taylor onto her bed and let his lips and tongue taste every inch of her body. He sucked on the pulse beneath her ear before sliding down to worship her breasts. Levi scraped his chin along her stomach and his teeth along her inner thighs. He left kisses behind each knee and on each dimple at the base of her spine. He teased her to the point of complete abandon. Each breath expelled a plea or his name, and it only spurred him on.

  “I love making you beg,” he rasped.

  When Taylor finally gave in and outright begged him, Levi took her fast and hard on her fluffy white bed. The need to crawl over her, inside her, ate at him as he gave her everything he had. Their melody was a greedy, rushed pounding of flesh and satisfied moans. The dirty words that usually came to him in a time like this seemed to be trapped in his throat. He claimed her body while Taylor chanted his name and scratched lines into his skin. He took the punishment for claiming what could never truly be his.

  When they were both spent, they gasped for breath and clung to each other. Her head lay on his chest as she traced her fingers over his tattoos. Levi grew uncomfortable in the intimate position, so he shifted and rolled away from her. He could think more clearly when she wasn’t touching him.

  “How do we do that?” she asked, folding her hands together and tucking them beneath her cheek.

  “Do what?”

  “Have something so … physically intense when we can barely have a conversation. That was amazing,” she said.

  “I can’t explain it.” Levi kept his eyes on the ceiling. “I’m just that good.”

  Taylor propped her head up on her hand and stared at him. “You don’t always have to be an asshole, you know.”

  “And you don’t always have to be a bitch,” he countered.

  She didn’t say anything for a while, just watched him squirm beneath her gaze.

  “Why do you have such an aversion to me, Levi?”

  He exhaled and rolled on his side to face her. As much as he didn’t want to have this conversation while naked, Levi couldn’t deny her any longer. Taylor had always been up front and honest with him about her intentions. His job here was a farce and his objective a secret, and he was beginning to feel guilty for all the lies.

  “After that you think I have an aversion to you?”

  “I know that there’s no problem with physical attraction,” Taylor said, tracing a pattern inked onto his biceps.

  “It’s not you specifically. I hate what you and your family represent. I hate that your life has been so easy, everything handed to you, while my dad struggled so hard to support us. I’ve always been treated like shit by people like you.” Levi stopped and contemplated whether he should continue. He wasn’t sure how much he was willing to share. With Taylor’s expectant eyes on his, the words spilled out like a confession. “My mom died from cancer when I was seven. I barely remember her.”

  Taylor frowned at him, her eyes shining. Levi rolled out of bed and started pulling his clothes back on, unable to deal with her pitying gaze.

  “What about your dad?” she asked.

  “He raised me alone. My dad always blamed himself for my mom’s death, because we were too poor to afford the best hospitals and advanced treatment. He used to apologize to me when I was a kid. Told me it was his fault I didn’t have a mom. Then he was killed in a car accident last year.” After his father’s death, Levi felt truly alone in the world. That’s what sent him looking for more.

  “I’m sorry. But my life wasn’t so easy, you know,” Taylor said, watching him redress. “I know what you’re saying. Because of our money, I didn’t want for anything. I had more opportunities than someone … like you. But it all came with a price, Levi.”

  He pulled on his T-shirt and then his uniform shirt, standing at the edge of the bed tucking them in. Taylor sat up and scooted over to him so that he was between her knees. Levi’s eyes skimmed over the thin sheet covering her naked body and he found it much more difficult to keep putting clothes on. Silently, she reached up and slid his belt into place, buckling it for him. Her fingers smoothed over the leather before dropping down to hook on to his pockets.

  “At least when you had your parents, they were good to you. Since I was born, I’ve been nothing but
a burden to mine. They don’t love me. They pay my bills and buy me things. That’s not love.”

  Levi stepped away and grabbed his hat from the floor. He felt guilty for making such rash assumptions about Taylor and her life. Her parents were worthless shits that didn’t appreciate the life they had or the family they could have.

  “I guess we didn’t see each other very clearly,” he said.

  She shook her head and offered a weak smile. Levi walked around the bed, but before he reached the door, Taylor called out his name. He turned to find her sprawled across the bed on her stomach, her crossed ankles in the air.

  “Does this mean we’re calling a truce?” she asked.

  Levi laughed. “Hell, no. Where’s the fun in that?”

  11. sexual pun and 1989

  Levi grabbed a beer from Gregory and joined Kyle around a pool table. He was glad to be back in the company of men. Working in a house full of women left him feeling emasculated. He feared he’d soon be reading Glamour and talking about his feelings.

  Kyle grabbed a stick from the wall and chalked the end. He nodded at Levi. “You break.”

  Levi lined up the cue ball and hit it. He knocked two striped balls in, made the next shot, but then missed the three ball.

  “Now that you’re getting laid, you’re a much more likable guy, Levi,” Kyle said before sinking his shot.

  “Can we not discuss my sex life?” Levi begged. “And for the record, I’ve never had trouble getting laid. I just have standards.”

  Crystal joined them, taking a seat near the table. “I got twenty on Kyle.”

  “Damn. Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Levi said.

  Gregory appeared and delivered a drink to Crystal. She thanked him with a kiss and a slap on the ass when he turned to go.

  Kyle threw his hands up in the air. “Am I the only one not getting laid?”

  “Yes,” Levi and Crystal answered in unison before pounding fists.

  Kyle huffed and returned his attention to the game.

  “Thanks for introducing us,” Crystal said to Levi. “He’s adorable.”

  “No worries,” Levi said.

  “How do you know him?” Crystal asked, looking down at her drink.

  “He used to hang out with these kids down at the park by my apartment. I’d play basketball with them every now and then.”

  Crystal smiled. “I’m trying to picture this.”

  “Don’t laugh. I’ve got skills.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  “Anyway, I noticed that he never went home. Never had anywhere to go. I’m pretty sure he was homeless. I hooked him up with Mattie down at the Center. They set him up with a job as busboy here.”

  “And now he’s serving drinks,” Crystal said, her eyes on Gregory behind the bar.

  “Yes, well, he’s a charming motherfucker. And the ladies seem to like him.”

  Crystal grinned and watched Kyle continue to clear balls from the table.

  “So we’re now assuming that the safe is in Henry’s personal office on the second floor, right?” Kyle said. “How do we get in there?”

  “It’s a typical ten-key entry pad, but I’m not sure of wiring or safeguards. If the safe is in there, I assume that it is not only tied to the main house alarm but also to some sort of secondary system,” Crystal said.

  Kyle missed the eight ball, giving the table back to Levi.

  “Right,” Kyle agreed. “And it probably has the default lockdown after three incorrect entries. We can’t afford to set that off, because then he’d know something’s up.”

  Levi worked his way around the table, sinking every ball. He looked up at Kyle and called his last shot.

  “Eight ball, side pocket,” he said, tapping the pocket with the end of his stick.

  Levi made the shot and held his hand out toward Crystal, a victorious grin on his face. She sighed and slapped twenty bucks into his hand.

  “If we shut off the power to the house, we’d have a six-second window before the backup power kicks in and resets the alarm,” Crystal said.

  “I can’t get in there in six seconds,” Levi muttered, tucking his winnings into his pocket.

  “That’s what she said,” Kyle joked.

  The other two looked at him and shook their heads.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Crystal pointed out.

  “That’s why you’re the only one not getting laid,” Levi said, punching his friend in the arm. “You don’t even understand sexual puns.”

  Kyle grabbed his crotch and gestured at them. “I’ve got your sexual pun right here.”

  Levi and Crystal groaned and headed toward the bar for new drinks. They finished the night with an agreement to brainstorm a way into Henry Hudson’s office and headed their separate ways.

  With a nice buzz, Levi lay in bed and revisited his conversation with Taylor about her parents. When he was fourteen years old, Levi had gone to work with his uncle Zach at the Hudson property. They were supposed to be heading to the beach, but Zach was called in for an emergency. He shadowed his uncle all day, asking questions and learning about all the tools they used. Levi remembered being so impressed by the enormous house, and his uncle had reminded him time and time again to keep his hands to himself.

  * * *

  “Uncle Zach, I gotta pee,” Levi said.

  Zach sighed and gestured to the hallway. “There’s a bathroom down there. Second room on the left. Go there and come right back. Don’t touch anything.”

  Levi nodded and took off in that direction. When he passed a large, open room, he stopped. There was a girl, younger than him, lying on her stomach on the floor. She had a book propped open and was reading as her lips quietly mouthed the words. She had blond hair that hung down around her shoulders and a blue dress on. Her ankles were crossed in the air, swinging back and forth.

  An older man and woman stormed into the room wearing matching frowns. Levi slid to the side of the door.

  “I’m leaving for Barbados in the morning, Henry. You’ll have to go.” The woman sneered.

  “I can’t. I have meetings all week.” The man’s voice was jarring but calm. He seemed uninterested in their conversation. “I don’t have time for menial shit like this.”

  “Well, I’m not canceling my trip just to watch Taylor graduate from fifth grade. I mean, I just thought one of us should be there.”

  Levi peeked around the corner and spotted the little girl. She had abandoned her book and was now watching the couple argue from her hidden spot behind the sofa.

  “It’s only fifth grade, Virginia. Not much of an accomplishment. Besides, that’s why we hired Suzanne. She’ll be there,” Henry said.

  “You’re right,” Virginia responded. “Taylor won’t even notice. That Caribbean rum isn’t going to drink itself. And God forbid your secretary gets a night off from faking her orgasms.”

  Henry moved forward now, he towered over the woman. “Watch yourself, Virginia. With that prenup, I’ll have you out on your ass before you know what hits you. Then you and the brat will have nothing.”

  Levi gasped at the hateful words. The girl turned toward him, catching him listening, tears painting her cheeks. He panicked and ran to the end of the hall in search of the bathroom.

  * * *

  When Adrienne picked her up after lunch, Taylor was determined to get through to Dee. After an hour of the same poor attitude and minimal effort, she was ready to pull her hair out.

  “Dee, you’re not even trying.”

  “You don’t know me. Don’t act like you know me. I am trying.”

  Both girls wore matching expressions.

  “Okay, let’s take a break,” Taylor suggested.

  “Fine by me.”

  “What’s your favorite subject in school?”

  “I hate school.”

  “Okay, but surely there’s something there that you don’t hate.”

  “Phys ed, I guess.”

  “So, you like sports?”


  “Not all of them. I like basketball.”

  “What’s your favorite team?”

  “Miami Heat, all the way,” Dee said, a new excited tone in her voice.

  Taylor smiled and held up her finger to the girl. “I’ll be right back.”

  She spoke to the director and asked to borrow a computer. Taylor searched online for a few basketball articles involving the Miami Heat and printed them out. She stapled the papers together and went back to her place across from Dee.

  “Okay, so let’s read about basketball.”

  Taylor slid the papers toward Dee and waited for a reaction. The girl glanced at the photo above the article and looked back to Taylor.

  “You want me to read about the Heat? I can get behind that, blondie.”

  The second half of the session went much better than the first. Whether she was inspired by Taylor’s effort or simply interested in the subject matter, Dee made a brilliant effort to read through each article. Taylor helped with the more difficult and foreign words, trying not to patronize her with elementary phonics.

  In the car on the way home, Taylor had been in much higher spirits, and she found herself feeling proud of the job she’d done today.

  As soon as Taylor made it in to her room, Suzanne came barging in.

  “Taylor? Your father called about an hour ago.”

  “And?”

  “He said he’s been calling your cell all afternoon, but you’re not answering.”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t find my phone before I left.” Taylor shrugged.

  “Well, Henry said if you don’t call him back by five o’clock today, he’s cutting off your AmEx card.”

  “What?” Taylor squealed. “What the hell did he want?”

  “I don’t know, but he sounded serious,” Suzanne answered.

  “How serious?”

  “Like when your mother buys another house in Mexico or when the stock market plummets serious.”

  “Shit!”

  Both of them began a frantic search of Taylor’s room. They opened every drawer, searched every bag, moving around the room like a tornado. Taylor was out of breath, bent over her desk, when Levi showed up.

  “What are you doing?” he asked. Levi pulled off his hat and hung it on her doorknob. This had become habit for him. Though the camera and mic were offline now, Kyle or Crystal could tap in whenever they wanted to. Leaving the hat there gave him a sense of privacy.