Fallen Angel, Part II

by Tracie Podger

  Pete called for maintenance, he wanted a desk to be placed in front of his for me, a laptop and telephone installed. This would take a couple of hours, I was told, so in the meantime I made him a coffee and pulled up a chair. If I was to gain any respect here, I had to start at the bottom.

  “Brooke, tell me a little about yourself, your working life I mean, so I can get a handle on what you need to learn,” he asked.

  I told him about my marketing expertise, I could type, I could make coffee and I could do the lunch run if he wanted. He laughed, he was so easy to get on with.

  “Okay, let’s start with New York, you’ve just been, right? What we are working on right now is securing deals for the boutiques and the cafes. Our job is to sell or lease the space,” he told me.

  “So, your role for the next couple of weeks is to research, who do you think are the best companies to market this space to? Let's see what you come up with and compare it with what we already have,” Richard told me.

  And so my job in Vassago, albeit unofficially, started. I was little more than a glorified estate agent but I loved it. I spent hours looking at fashion and talking to Taylor, discussing any up and coming designers. I had decided to focus on the fact that this should be an exclusive shopping experience, nestled in high end apartments in an affluent part of New York, with easy access and dining experiences to match. The companies I would have on my list should reflect this.

  I was having a great time and before I knew it Sam had buzzed, I was running late for lunch. I met him in the foyer.

  “Hey, honey. It seems like ages since I saw you, come on let’s go eat and you can tell me all about New York and what you’re doing with Properties,” he said as we made our way to our usual deli, Gary, in tow.

  “So tell me about New York, was it fabulous?” he asked.

  “It was a shame we were there for such a short time really, but yes, it was amazing, so busy.”

  “What about the hotel?”

  “Oh, Sam. You should have seen our room, my whole house would have fitted in the bedroom, and talking of my old house, did I tell you Michael has just walked out, left it. I had the letting agents email me because he hasn’t paid the bloody rent.”

  “What a prick. What are you going to do?”

  “Well, I know this was horrible but I gave them his parent’s address, see if they can write to him there. Apparently, he has moved in with a girlfriend but I don’t believe that. Anyway, I visited Taylor’s store, it’s much bigger than the one here, loud music, you would love it.”

  We chatted, going back and forth between Michael, New York, the blessing, Christmas and soon enough the hour was up. Conscious not to be late we practically ran back to the office.

  “Honey, Scott misses you, let’s make a dinner plan for later in the week,” he said we walked into the foyer. He gave me a kiss on the cheek as he headed off to the lift for his floor.

  I was really enjoying myself, scouring the internet, checking out demographics for the area. I needed to learn what the spending power of the occupants of the apartments was likely to be. They were going to be expensive apartments so I figured that these people would also want to spend their money on high end clothing and goods. I was amazed at how quickly the time flew. I noticed people starting to close down their computers while I was still busy typing and writing down my findings. I was absorbed in my work until I felt Robert and looking up, saw him lounging against the door frame looking over at me. He smiled and made his way over.

  “Hey, baby. You look busy.”

  “I’ve had a great day. I’m working with Pete on who to market the retail space on the Manhattan development to.”

  “Tell me about it on the way home,” he said.

  I shut down my laptop and gathered up my bag. Hand in hand we made our way through to the car park where Travis was, of course, waiting. In the car I told him all about my thoughts, my research, I was on a high, finally having a job and something to focus my mind on.

  “You look different, animated,” he said. “I guess working suits you, doesn’t it.”

  “I don’t want to just sit about and do nothing, fester. I like working.”

  “Well, if that’s what you want. How were your colleagues with you?”

  “Pete is great, I really like him, no-one else spoke to me but it’s my first day, I’ll win them round if it kills me,” I said, laughing.

  Sam and Scott’s blessing was now only three weeks away and I wanted to organise a get together for them, a night out with their friends. Neither wanted a stag party but a meal out, perhaps onto a club would be good. It seemed ages since I had spent an evening with them and danced the night away. I had a dress fitting and my appointment looming for Robert’s Christmas present. There seemed to be so much to do. Sitting at the breakfast bar after dinner I asked Robert if he wanted to come.

  “I’ll come for the meal, but clubbing, that’s not my thing, Brooke. I’m nearly forty.”

  “You’re not nearly forty, you’re thirty seven but fine, come for the meal with me. Now, where do you recommend?” I asked.

  It was important to Robert to suggest venues, places he knew I would be safe. He gave me some suggestions which I added to my now bulging blessing folder. I texted Taylor about my appointment, I had managed to get one the following day and although it was short notice, would she still be able to come.

  “Of course, honey. I’ll meet you at the office,” she replied.

  That night I showered, removing any trace of unwanted stubble, washed and dried my hair and hid a couple of items in my bag. I was prepared and excited about my appointment.

  “I have a slight problem,” I said to Robert as we prepared for bed.

  “I need a couple of hours off work. If I work late, do you think Richard will mind?”

  “What do you need the time off for?” He asked.

  “Something for Christmas. Please, I don’t want to tell you, trust me? Do you think he will be fine about that, it’s only my second day?”

  “Tell him you’re off out doing research,” he laughed.

  “I can’t do that, I can’t lie.”

  “No, I doubt you could. Tell him you need a couple of hours off, it’s quite simple. You’re not just any old member of staff, Brooke, get used to it.”

  ****

  The following day, with Taylor and Gary, I headed off at lunch, promising to make up the time. I had given Gary the address and we arrived outside a rather nondescript building. Taylor was looking at me, forehead furrowed in question.

  “Come on, Gary you’ll have to wait here and you’ll have to come up with a location, I don’t want Robert to know where we are, it’s his Christmas gift,” I said.

  We pressed an entry buzzer and the door was immediately opened for us. It led us straight into a photographic studio where we were met by the most wonderful creature. A slim girl, purple hair, piercing and tattoos everywhere. She introduced herself as Regan.

  “Miss Stiles, shall we go through what you want?” she asked.

  I told her, Taylor’s eyes widening at the same time. I had found a photographer that specialised in high end, erotic photography but not for the porn industry. What these guys did were photograph women as gifts for their partners, with female photographers only.

  “Oh, honey, if I had known I would have done the same for Mack,” Taylor said.

  “Well, you can if you wish, we have the time,” Regan said.

  “Go on Taylor, just think of his face when he opens that on Christmas Day.”

  “I haven’t come as prepared as you,” she squealed.

  “We have plenty of props here, our stylists can help, have a look through our portfolio,” she was told.

  “Before we do, there is one condition, every negative, every proof, everything, comes to us. There’s to be nothing to show we have ever been here. Our husband’s would not be happy to see our photographs find their way in the public domain,” I said.

  We headed off into the stu
dio, a dark room, very little light, black walls and I prepared for the photograph I wanted to have taken of me, for Robert.

  I had the stylist refresh my eye makeup, a sultry black, my hair to be combed over my shoulder, down my chest, exposing my tattoo and while I stood in the shortest, black lace panties I could find, they tied my wrists behind my back with the black scarf. I stood facing the wall, legs slightly apart in my favourite shoes, the little padlocks just glinting and I held my silver vibrator in my hands. With my head turned, looking behind me, my face just a side profile and my mouth slightly open, they photographed me from behind.

  I wanted the photograph to be blown up as large as it could and in black and white, a simple white wood frame and I was absolutely stunned when I looked back through the camera afterwards. He was so going to love this.

  “Oh my sweet Jesus!” Taylor said when she saw the pictures, “You are one sexy momma.”

  I laughed, “Your turn.”

  Taylor had opted to use a chair, a huge blood red leather one was brought into the room. She stripped to her panties, thanking herself aloud that she always wore the prettiest ones and leaning back, one arm on the rest and the other holding a lit cigarette, her legs slightly apart, she had her picture taken as well.

  “You have fabulous tits,” the photographer called out to her.

  “Thank you, they cost enough,” she replied.

  The photographer had her turn her head this way, that way. She had to move her hand closer to her mouth and take a puff of a cigarette just letting the smoke swirl its way out of her mouth before she coughed like mad.

  We had a ball, I hadn’t laughed like this for ages and looking back at the photos on the computer after, I said, “And you think I looked sexy, Mack is going to have a heart attack.”

  We settled the bill and left with promises of the proofs being emailed to us in a couple of days. Back in the car we giggled like mad, especially when my bag started to vibrate, a button accidentally pushed.

  “Oh, Brooke, that was just so much fun. I can’t wait to see the old man’s face when he opens that Christmas morning,” Taylor said.

  We parted at the office and I made a quick detour to the ladies to wipe off some of the makeup before heading back to my desk. With a smile on my face, I carried on with my day. I met Robert in the gym later.

  “What are you so happy about?” he asked as we changed.

  “Nothing, just got your present sorted today, I’m excited about it,” I told him.

  “Am I going to like it?” he asked.

  “No baby, you’re going to love it,” I said before walking away to meet Joseph and Kerry.

  We had a good workout, I watched Kerry in the ring, she was really getting the hang of this and she had the potential to be good. Still a little too angry but Joseph made her focus and I watched with pride. When it was my turn, it was no holds barred. I enjoyed the session knowing Robert was watching, knowing he got turned on watching me fight and because of my day, I couldn’t wait to get him home.

  Before we left I caught up with Kerry.

  “How did it go at school, did you chat with your friend?” I asked.

  “Yeah, he told me he went to the movies, he wants me to go with him next time,” she said.

  “That sounds great, you’ll have to run it past Ted you know, but, hey, that’s good news.”

  Because of her background and the fear that her mother may come after her, she had to be chaperoned if she left the home. If she spoke with Ted he would make sure she was safe and I smiled at the thought of her first date, the movies. So very different to mine and Robert’s.

  In the car on the way home, Robert kept looking at me.

  “I don’t know if I like you having a secret,” he said.

  “You’re a fine one to talk of secrets, but you have to trust me, you’ll love it,” I replied.

  Thankfully he laughed but as he leant close to me he said, “I will be able to get you to talk, you know that, don’t you.”

  “Then you will spoil your surprise, so it’s your choice. Have something to look forward to, or torture it out of me.”

  He sulked a little. He wasn’t used to having surprises, and certainly not used to not getting his own way. We arrived back home and as usual Evelyn had dinner ready. We ate and chatted, I about my research and him about his day. Although he hadn’t mentioned it, I knew he was anxious about the New York situation. I made my excuses, needing the bathroom, really what I wanted to do was empty my bag. The whole journey home I was on tender hooks, hoping to God I did not set that vibrator off again. Storing everything away, I changed into my joggers and T-shirt and made my way back upstairs. Robert was on his mobile, he looked agitated and when he saw me, he moved to his office. I smiled and nodded, I let him know I understood.

  As I settled on the sofa, my book in hand, I thought about how my life was panning out. I wondered what some of my friends would think. I gave Robert the space and privacy he needed to deal with his secrets and I gave my body to him to use if he needed to, to wind down. A year ago I would have laughed at women who did that. I had always wanted equality in a relationship. Yet, here I was, knowing that Robert controlled me, certainly in the bedroom. He, to some degree, dictated where I went and with whom and yet I saw no wrong in it simply because of the person that he was. The reasons he needed to be this way was not because he saw me as inferior to him, but precious. He had a compulsion to protect me and I wondered if by protecting me, he was protecting himself too. I loved him, something he thought he wouldn’t experience so he wanted to make sure nothing happened to that. He came back into the room and sat beside me, I put my arm around his neck and stroked it.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

  He thought for a moment, “No, I’m fine, just a little worried that’s all.”

  I had seen him angry, explode, be sad and happy but this worrying thing was beginning to worry me. I knew it was do with Luca and New York and he obviously had not resolved it.

  “Can I get you something, a glass of wine?” I asked him.

  He nodded, then smiled.

  “Travis is out again tonight, with the nurse,” he said, as I poured us a glass each.

  “What’s that, the third date now?” I asked.

  “I think so. I need to get her full name though.”

  “Why?”

  “We always check out the...,” then he stopped speaking.

  “You always check out the what, the girlfriends?” I said as I handed him a glass.

  “So, what did you find out about me then,” I asked.

  “Brooke, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

  “Robert, it’s okay. What I know now I wouldn’t have expected anything else. You two have to be careful about who you date I guess, it’s not nice to learn though.”

  “I have to be sure that whoever I date, whoever Travis dates, is with us for the right reasons. It’s happened so many times in the past, people get close to one of us, sometimes to gain information, sometimes because they think it’s a way in to me.”

  “I’ve got nothing to hide, Robert. I’m here because I love you, simple.”

  “I know, but I had to be sure, in the beginning. Do you understand that?” He asked.

  “It's fine, I’ve already told you. It must be horrible for you guys, to always doubt the reason someone wants to be with you.”

  “You know Evelyn nearly married, she told you that Carlo made her choose between him and us, what she didn’t tell you was that he used her. All he wanted was to get in with me, he wanted her to talk to me about giving him a job. When she refused he thought if he could get her to choose him over us, he would have more power over her by isolating her.

  Luckily for her, she chose us. So, from that moment on, I’ve always had to be careful. She doesn’t know that I know this. I went to see him and told him if he ever bumped into her, he was to cross the street, he was to have nothing to do with her.”

  “Shoul
d that not have been her choice?” I asked.

  “She’d already broken off their engagement but back then, no. I looked after them all and I had to protect them and me from their wrong choices.”

  “What if you don’t like the nurse, do you get to choose for Travis and who decides what a wrong choice is?” I asked, getting a little angry.

  “No, things are different now and I’m not explaining myself very well. Brooke, I don’t want to fight, I’m tired and I’m agitated,” he answered.

  “I guess I still find this power that you have, over everybody, over everything they do a little difficult to absorb.”

  “Do you think I enjoy it?” he snapped at me. “Do you think I’ve enjoyed making someone one of them loves back off, call of their relationship because I’ve found out something they don’t know? Do you think I’ve enjoyed my life, always doubting the reasons people want to be with me?”

  “No, I doubt you do and there’s a story there you’re not telling me. Come on, as you said, you’re tired, let’s go to bed,” I said, trying to calm the situation a little.

  We headed downstairs and I stripped to take a shower. He was still wound up so I thought I would leave him alone for a bit. Instead he came into the shower, his arms wrapping around me.

  “I told you that Travis had been in love once,” he said. “Well, I was the one that made that end.”

  I turned to look at him and saw a great sadness in his face.

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” I asked and he nodded.

  “I went up to the apartment one day and there she was, stripped down to her panties, lying on my bed.”

  “What happened?”

  “I threw her out, obviously, she had to get dressed in the elevator I think. She was just another whore wanting a piece of me but I didn’t have it in me to tell Travis. Mack caught up with her in a bar, she was drowning her sorrows. He took some photos of her, made it look like she was with another guy. He gave them to Travis who finished the relationship.”

  “You told me, a while ago, he had been in love. You let me believe it was because he was worried how you would feel if he was dating someone and you weren’t,” I said.