by Celine Yorke
They all went into the meeting room, where there was a large table in the middle of the room. Everyone got seated around the table. A young man was busy cleaning a white board with a sponge. He spread some drawing pads and pencils around, then got out of the way. Jock started to draw a woman's figure on the white board and they all did the same on their drawing pads.
"There's a very important film in the process of being made, and we'll be doing the designs for a particular scene. Now, you need something that looks light and carefree, but is dramatic. Summery, but sophisticated dress. Are you ready?"
They all started to draw and Serena joined the others. This was right down her alley, but this would be a test for her. She wanted to put everything into this creative experiment. When they were all finished, Jock went around and looked at everyone's designs and commented on them.
"Now I want you all to pass your drawings around so everyone can have a look. Give the drawings a star from one to five according to how much you like it. Then we will all talk about each of the drawings and see what we can use." Serena enjoyed looking at all the different drawings and the diverse sketches. After all the drawings had gone around the table, Jock took all the drawings and looked at them. One by one, he went through them and held each one up. He asked people why they liked it and why they didn't think it would work.
"What do you think Serena? Let us have your opinion." Jock asked her.
"I would make the dress with the puffed three quarter sleeves and the full skirt in a black and white or navy blue and white material. It would be great for a young teenager with a bow tied at the back."
"Yeah, that could work." Then he gave them his opinion. Serena was amazed by how effective his ideas were. I guess that's why he is a master of what he does.
They worked out which designs they could use. There wasn't one drawing that remained the same after Jock's criticism, but his suggestions always seemed to add a magic touch. They went back into the workroom and Jock took them over to the sample gallery to look at fabric options. They talked about what kind of material would suit the designs they had picked out. Serena flipped through her options for summer dress materials and settled on a light silk and cotton blend fabric sample. She noticed that it came in a couple of colors, and that the beige had a slightly nobly effect, especially compared to the others. Intrigued, she considered the effect on her design. Normally, a nylon or polyester blend would have been a good choice, but the noil added a bohemian touch that excited her. She ran it by Jock, and after a couple of tweaks to her design, he gave her the go-ahead.
Serena enjoyed her first day at Jock Lassalle's fashion house. When the day was finished, she felt like walking along the river Seine. It was so relaxing and felt so good walking along here, letting the whole experience of her new job sink in. When she at long last got home to her apartment, Violet was waiting to hear how her day went.
"Hello, Violet, I'm home."
"Hello, how did the job go? You're running late."
"Yes, I went for a walk along the river. I just wanted to relax a bit after all the excitement of the day. It all went well and I think I'm going to be happy working there. I also have some exciting news!"
"Oh? Let's go to the Café La Rouge and have a bite, and you can tell me all about it. I'm too tired to cook, and I bet you are, too."
"Absolutely." Serena could barely restrain herself, but she waited until they were seated and had ordered the soup of the day for themselves until she delivered the news.
"You won't believe what I did today," she burst out. "I got word back from a film company about one of my designs. The wardrobe designer wants one of my dresses for a pivotal scene! They were looking for interesting designs and Jock had send one of my designs to them."
"Oh? What's it look like?"
"Well, I don't have a sketch, but..." Serena described the dress to Violet. The dress she had designed was black, sleeveless, and had a deep v-neck. It was clinging, and had a tie at the waist that pulled it in snugly. The skirt was a wide, gathered beige and black affair with an asymmetric hem and dramatic insets. The whole thing was topped off with a wide-brimmed beige hat with black trim. It was a retro-inspired, dramatic silhouette, and it set the designers abuzz.
"That sounds fantastic Serena."
The waitress brought their soup and they chatted a bit more in between eating their soup. But then decided to go home and relax in front of the television and paid for their meal. Violet poured a glass of wine for each of them, and settled down next to Serena on the sofa with her glass. The television in the corner played, just above their chatter. Just then, a commercial ended and Violet turned the volume up. The voice of the news commentator broke into their conversation.
"A man missing for over two years has been found this week in the jungles of South America."
Serena went pale. "Oh my God, he looks like Tom!" She fainted.
Rescued By An Alpha - Part Three
Will Tom and Serena rekindle their love?
Will Tom ever get back to Sweden? Carlos Fontana still poses a threat, and even if he gets back, he may not be safe. As a new adult Serena's want the freedom to choose. Her work captures her attention, but can Philippe and Tom re-capture her heart? When Philippe finally reveals his secret, all bets are off.
It is 20.000 words and the third entry in the serial of four. It is not a stand alone book. It contains strong sexual theme, romance. Intended for readers 18 +.
CHAPTER ONE
The hearing in the court was finished. Tom was now free to go home to Sweden. The first thing he did was to make a phone call to his parents.
"Hello mom, this is Tom."
"Tom I can't believe it! Is it really you?"
"Yes, mom it is me. I'm sorry to spring it on you like that, but I've only just gotten the freedom to call you. Carlos and Eva are both going to be behind bars for a long time. I'm finally safe."
"We've seen pictures of you on television, hoping it was true that you were safe, but no one's contacted us yet. It's so good to hear from you. We'd given up hope of ever seeing you again. Where have you been? What happened to you?"
"I'm catching a plane home to Sweden tomorrow. I'll tell you all about it when I get home. How is Serena?"
"We'll look forward to see you again. Serena is working in Paris as a fashion designer. I believe she's been very successful."
Tom's mind whirled for a moment as he took in her words. "I gotta go now. I'll see you soon."
Tom's mother called Serena's parents right away. "Hello, Mrs. Carlson, this is Tom's mother. How are you doing? I thought I would let you know I had a phone call from Tom!"
"Oh, so it is true what they say on television, he is alive?"
"Yes, we didn't know whether to believe it. He is catching the plane home tomorrow, and he will tell us all about it when he comes home. I thought you might like to phone Serena and tell her the good news."
"It's such a relief to hear Tom is okay. I'll call Serena tonight when she's home from work. I'm sure she'll want to come home for a visit and meet up with him again. You must be so happy to know he's well. Thank you so much for letting us know." Serena's mother yelled, "Pia, go and get dad and tell him the good news!"
"What's so important I have to hear?" Serena's father's voice echoed over the phone line faintly.
"Guess what? Tom's coming home! He's catching a plane tomorrow. I had a phone call from his mother telling me Tom called her. He's alive!"
"That's good news. I can't wait to hear what happened to him. Serena will be happy."
Tom's mother said farewell and hung up, excited beyond words. She couldn't wait to see her son. The chance of a marriage following her good news seemed even more likely, and all of it left her speechless, almost ready to cry with happiness. She went to bed early, then got up again, and spent the whole night sharing the good news.
Later that night, Serena got a phone call from her mother. "Hello, Serena, how are you doing?"
"Hello, mom, I'm fine.
My job at Jock Lassalle's is going well, and he's accepting many of my designs."
"How wonderful, darling! I have some good news for you. I had a phone call earlier from Tom's mother, confirming that Tom is alive and catching a plane home tomorrow."
The other end of the phone was quiet. "It's hard for me to take in. I can't believe this is true. I saw a picture of him on a news broadcast. He had long hair and a beard, and was dressed in some sort of pelt."
A tingling went through Serena's chest. She stuttered and hesitated as she spoke again.
"I missed him so much, but I tried to put him out of my mind. Don't get me wrong, mom, I'm happy he's back again. I just have to get used to the thought of him being in my life again. I've made a whole new life for myself over the last couple of years, and I like my life now."
"So you don't want to come home and see him? You could take a few days off and then go back to Paris again."
"Yes, I'll come home, but I'll give him a few days to be alone with his parents before I come. That is, if he wants to see me."
"Of course he wants to see you again. I'm sure he can't wait to see you."
"Okay, mom, you're probably right. I'll let you know when I can get some time off. Thanks for letting me know. Bye for now."
Serena finished the call and sat with her own thoughts for a while. Tom is back. She felt a twinge in her heart. Part of her was happy and looking forward to seeing him again, but another part was not sure how she would handle the situation. Her life was going fine now. She was doing what she loved, and wasn't willing to give up all she had built the last two years for anyone. It had not been easy.
She knew she still loved Tom. She'd never stopped loving him, and would probably fall in love with him all over again when she saw him. But there was also Philippe to consider too. He had been away with his father, trying to catch the pirates, for a long time. Serena had not heard from him, or any of them, at all. She didn't know what to think. Her emotions tossed her like a ship in a maelstrom, and she couldn't sort out her thoughts at all.
Soon after she put down the phone, it rang again.
"Hello, Serena, it's Tom."
"Tom, oh my God, is it you? Where are you?" A hot shiver coursed through Serena's entire body.
"I'm still in South America. I'll catch a plane home tomorrow. I just thought I would call you. I missed you. "
"I missed you too."
"I supposed you've been watching the news?"
"I got a shock when I saw your picture on television. I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought it must be some sort of mistake."
"How are you doing? I hear from your mother that you've made quite a name for yourself."
"Yes, I got myself an apprenticeship with one of the top designers here in Paris, and I love it."
"So, you finally got to live your dream." He sounded wistful, and her heart twisted again. A rush of feelings overwhelmed, and she stared at the wall wistfully. The silence hung between them.
"I missed you so much, Serena. I never thought I'd be able to get out of the jungle and ever see you again."
"It was hard for me, too. I waited a year, hoping to hear news about you, before I decided to move on with my life. That's when I came to Paris. Things have worked out well for me here. I made some good friends and moved forward in my work." There was another awkward pause.
"I hope I'll be able to see you when I come home."
"Yes, I'll fly home for a week. I can't stay away from work too long. But I'll let you spend a few days alone with your parents before I come."
"I'll give you a call when I'm home. I still love you, Serena."
"I still love you too." An electric jolt went through her body. Her heart was beating twice as fast. She suddenly longed to see him. Her spirits lifted, but the phone had gone dead. There was so much left unsaid.
As soon as Violet arrived home, Serena pounced on her.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on in your world? You look like you're bursting to tell me," Violet smiled.
"Well, I had a phone call from my mom telling me Tom's flying home tomorrow from South America. Right after I hung up, I got a phone call from Tom to tell me the same thing. He said he missed me and wants to see me again."
"WOW, no wonder you're blushing. So he's alive and well?"
"I promised him I would come home for a few days, but I hope Jock will let me have some time off. We're not busy at the moment, but he likes to make us work hard..."
"Oh my God, Serena, your life is never dull."
"You can say that again..." Serena pulled her hands through her hair anxiously. "What do you say to a bottle of wine? I've had a lot to take in tonight."
The next morning, when Serena was getting ready for work, she switched on the television and sat down with her cup of tea to listen to the news. A news flash came on. "Following the rescue of jungle survivor Tom Johnson, tragedy has struck again. Authorities say the man was on his way to the airport to visit his family when he was taken at approximately ten o'clock last night. Possible witnesses are encouraged to come forward with any information." The station flashed a photograph of Tom, and the newscaster reeled off a description of the captors.
"Oh no, it can't be true!" Serena cried.
Violet rushed into the room. "What's happening?"
"Tom has been kidnapped again!"
Violet came over to give Serena a hug. "God no! How can that happen?"
"I don't know. What they would want with Tom?" Serena was in tears, her chin trembling and her chest aching. "When will it all end? It all seems so hopeless."
"It sounds like there are some good people down there ready to protect him. I'm sure they'll find him," Violet tried to comfort her.
"I hope you're right. He survived so much already...I hope he'll be able to handle this."
The nightmare began again. Serena's mother called her to let her know about the news, the phone vibrated and rang off the hook as her other friends called to check in.
Shakily, Serena stumbled from the couch to her bed. After a restless night, she woke early the next morning. At least I don't have to ask Jock for time off. I can sink myself into my work, develop my designs, and forget everything else.
CHAPTER TWO
Tom prepared to fly home. He was thrilled, but also more worried than he'd been in a long time. His lifestyle had changed drastically--he'd been a different person two years ago. What would his friends and parents think? What would Serena think?
Then, too, the media circus would be a nightmare. Cameras, microphones, a thousand questions at once--they'd probably take what he said out of context. He shuddered. He'd come off as some sort of weirdo living among the animals. And then, too, how would he explain some of the events to people?
He'd have to tell Serena, he mused, about sleeping with the two female jaguar shape-shifters, Romina and Lucia. How would she take that? Would she be able to put herself in his situation? For a moment, he wondered if it wouldn't have been better just to stay in the jungle. Everyone there had been so kind and welcoming, and now, here he was, coming back to a world that might as well have been filled with strangers.
His restless mind turned back to Serena. There was no way that she was still single after two years. Maybe she'd had an affair or two, or found someone. The thought made his heart twist, but he reminded himself that a warrior wouldn't falter.
I'll just have to take it as it comes. For the moment, he still had to bid farewell to Jim. That was sad enough. He was going to miss him.
"Okay, Jim, I'm ready to leave. I hope we can keep in touch. I would hate to lose such a good friend."
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the airport?"
"No, I'd prefer to go on my own."
"It's been good to know you. I hope our friendship can continue." Jim had tears in his eyes. He gave Tom a big hug, "Take care of yourself, and maybe one day we can work together on another project."
"You could come and visit me when I get settled. I'
ll give you a call. We have some great lakes, where we can go fishing and hunting, it could be fun."
"I would love that, Tom."
The cab arrived, and Tom picked up his bag. He didn't have much luggage. He got into the cab and waved goodbye to Jim. He watched his friend as the car pulled away, leaving the man standing alone, dust from the cab's tires obscuring him.
He sat in the back seat behind the driver and stared at the traffic. He tried to get a conversation going with the driver, but he wasn't very talkative. He peeked into the rear view mirror. It was a busy road, and the cars blended together, but he noticed a black car tailing them.
Tom felt suspicion trickle down his spine. He didn't know the way to the airport, but when the driver turned down a small side street and into a big shed, he knew something was wrong.
"Hey, where are you taking me?" Tom demanded.
The driver got out. The black car parked right behind them. Two men from the black car jumped out, while someone else closed the doors to the shed. They pulled Tom out of the car, pointing their guns at him.
"Hey, what is this? Who are you?" Tom demanded.
The men didn't answer. One slammed him against the door before he could move. Tom felt them tying his hands. A blindfold went around his eyes and tape sealed his mouth. He felt them yank open the door and throw him into the back seat of one of the cars.
"Do as we tell you and no harm will come to you," one of the men told Tom. Immobile and helpless, he shrugged his consent.
They drove for a while. Tom could feel it was a bumpy road. He thought they must be out in the country somewhere, or maybe on their way into the jungle. But what would they want with me?
They soon arrived at a house. Bringing him inside, they tied him to a chair, then removed his blindfold and the tape around his mouth.
"What's all this about?" Tom tried to remain calm.