Perfume Girl

by Vanessa Fewings

  He looked conflicted. “I was looking for a pen.”

  “In my handbag?”

  “I just wanted what was mine. I worked hard to get that place up and running for you.”

  “And now you’re tearing it down.”

  “Open another store. Create more formulas. I’ve moved on and you should, too.”

  “I want justice.” My voice trembled. “I’m not letting this go.”

  He gestured toward the sliding glass door, and I followed him outside to the garden.

  “This is what we’ll do for you,” he said. “We’ll talk to Embry’s dad about getting more information on the store theft. You need closure…I get that. Though it’s not fair of you to point the finger at me. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  In a daze, I stared at the calm blue water in the swimming pool. It looked inviting, and as Embry had told me it was surprisingly deep. A tourist boat floated by filled with several loud, happy partygoers. Some of them waved at us and Damien waved back.

  “It’s a great location,” he said. “Getting this house has taken hard work and sacrifice.”

  “What are we doing out here?”

  “Thought I’d grab some honey for our tea.” He stared across the garden.

  A shudder of terror slithered up my spine when I saw them—pale wooden slats were stacked into a beehive.

  “You didn’t,” I burst out. “I can’t believe…”

  “I’ll use the honey from the bees in desserts. I’m all about improving the environment and making it a better place. Bees are endangered now, but you already know that.”

  I rummaged frantically around in my handbag searching for my EpiPen. I pulled it out, praying I’d not have to use it.

  “You sold me out,” I stuttered bitterly.

  “Oh, that’s right.” Damien ran a hand through his hair. “You’re allergic to bees.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “So no tea, then?”

  I spun around and entered the house, shoving my EpiPen back into my bag. I almost tripped on a rug as I hurried through the living room.

  I flew out the front door and stormed toward my car. Shaking, I leaped into the driver’s seat and struggled to get my key in the ignition.

  It was hard to see straight. I was close to hyperventilating, but I forced myself to focus as I locked my car doors.

  I had been married to a man I hadn’t known at all. What he’d done was sociopathic. The same man who vowed to love and honor me was prepared to have me die in the worst way. I concentrated on my breathing, trying to calm my heart rate. Passing out wasn’t an option. I’d be vulnerable if Damien managed to get a bee inside my car.

  Would he try that? I shot myself an angry glare in the rearview mirror.

  Yes, he fucking well would.

  Reaching for my phone, I inhaled deeply, needing to tell someone what had happened here.

  I had missed a text from Astor: Hey, Raquel, I wanted to check on you.

  I didn’t want to alarm him so I went with: Something just happened. I need to talk to you about it.

  Astor: I miss you.

  Miss you too. I nearly sobbed in relief that he still felt that way.

  Astor: Sorry for the misunderstanding.

  I let out a sigh. His words meant everything.

  I glanced up to make sure Damien hadn’t followed me outside. Reassured he was still in the house, I texted Astor back: I’m sorry if I hurt you. It was never my intention.

  Astor: Can I see you?

  Yes, oh, yes. I needed to talk about all that had happened and hopefully clear the air, too.

  Me: I know who stole my perfume.

  Astor: Do you have evidence?

  The question brought on a bout of nausea. All evidence had been destroyed and that photo I had taken of the formula wouldn’t be enough. All I had was my word.

  Astor: Still there?

  Me: I know Damien did this.

  Astor: Meet me on the Riveting.

  Me: I can be there in half an hour.

  Astor: See you soon.

  I threw my phone into my handbag and sped off down the winding road, knowing I would never see this neighborhood again.

  Within half an hour, I was boarding the Riveting. Astor’s impressive yacht had been easy to find in the harbor. I imagine he’d chosen this location because his home was too personal and work wouldn’t have given us much privacy. This place would enable us to talk freely.

  I couldn’t wait to get everything off my chest. I wasn’t sure how Astor would react when I told him what Damien had done, but at least he had reassured me in his texts that he missed me. There was still hope for us.

  Being near water always soothed me. I stared out at the horizon, looking forward to the day when I could get my life back to some kind of normal routine again.

  I made my way to the upper deck and walked into the luxury dining area, stopping in my tracks.

  Penelope folded her arms. “Astor sends his regards.”

  “He’s not here?” My voice broke with the realization.

  “Something came up.”

  I turned, wanting to leave, wanting to put distance between us. I didn’t want to have a conversation with this woman without witnesses.

  “We want to put this behind us, Ms. Wren,” she said.

  I paused in the doorway. “Put what?”

  “Our mutual misunderstanding.”

  My body went rigid with the gall of this woman. “Penelope, I fully understand what happened. I’m under no illusion. I know my ex-husband sold you my formula and you are hoping to pass it off as yours.”

  She raised her hand to stop me from saying another word. “We’ve come up with a compromise. Something you will find more than satisfactory.”

  I followed her gaze toward a round table, upon which lay an envelope. “What is that?”

  She walked over to it. “It’s more than you would make from selling anything at your store.” She slid out several sheets of paper and a check. “It’s made out to you. One hundred thousand dollars.”

  “What’s that for?”

  “This will help keep your store open. This is a very generous offer.”

  My thoughts raced with the possibilities. Yes, that check would help in the short term but that was not the point. My husband had collaborated against me and no amount of money in the world would put that right.

  They were paying for my silence.

  She held up a form. “Sign this and the check is yours.”

  “A non-disclosure agreement?”

  “It’s only fair.”

  “Fair?” I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to fathom how she or Astor believed this was okay. “You’re admitting it’s my scent, then?”

  She pointed to the check. “This guarantees your compliance.”

  “I’m not signing it.”

  “The other form states you will agree to stay away from my brother. It’s in lieu of a restraining order. Though if we have to take that route…”

  “He doesn’t know I’m here?” I realized. “It was you texting me from his phone.”

  “You’re standing on precarious ground, Raquel. I know some very dangerous men who could make your life uncomfortable.”

  “When Astor hears about you threatening me—”

  “Contact him and the deal is off.”

  I forced a smile to let her know I wasn’t the least bit intimidated.

  “We were just fine before you came on the scene,” she snapped. “Go back to the hole you climbed out of.”

  “Actually, before my ex sold my formula to you I was well on my way to having a great life. You drew me into your world. And you fucked up because you underestimated me. Now you want me to go away.”

  “Will you sign it or not?” She raised her chin. “This is non-negotiable and there’s a time-limit.”

  My future hung in the balance.

  That check would save my business. Hell, it would pay my salary for a full year or more and I could get m
y life back.

  Perfume Girl would live on.

  Penelope was right; I could continue to create endless scents and colognes and go on with my life like nothing bad had happened. Perhaps I should put all of this behind me, swallow my pride and accept the fact I’d failed to secure my store and protect my formulas.

  Letting go was the healthiest choice…the wisest choice. Goodness knows what the stress had done to my body and heart. As for Astor, he would always believe I had used him to get ahead in my career. That right there hurt more than anything.

  Penelope offered me a pen. “You’ll come out ahead by accepting this amount of money.”

  All I had to do was reach for that pen, sign my name on those papers and it would be over.

  All I had to do was betray myself.

  And promise never to see Astor again.

  JOGGING ALONG THE WATERFRONT AT dawn with Caine sprinting beside me should have been the happiest start to my day. Yet my life still felt incomplete. I couldn’t get Raquel out of my thoughts and couldn’t find solace in knowing she was hurting.

  I had to forgive myself for falling hard. I wanted to reconcile the memories of us that were etched in my soul like a torment I could no longer endure. She’d swept into my world and helped me see what was truly important instead of obsessing about business and sales and branding. I had felt like I was living a full life when I was spending time with her.

  I needed to work through the betrayal of her taking a job at my company under the guise of a chemist. I needed to let that go and forgive her.

  Standing on the wooden boardwalk overlooking the water, I admired the reds and oranges of the brilliant sunrise and drew the fresh air into my lungs with gratitude; this was nature’s beauty at its finest.

  I was getting back on track and settling into my usual routine—the one where there was no woman to wake up to and eat breakfast with, or take a walk with, or watch a movie with, or any of those other fulfilling activities we had shared. I was falling back into the place where loneliness was the norm.

  Although Caine’s loyal company was helping to soothe my melancholy. It was hard to fall into a depression around his goofy playfulness.

  Breathing in the fresh morning air, I admired the lush foliage and the views of the blue-grey ocean. A seagull swooped low and we watched him dive and soar.

  I looked down at Caine. “What do you think, boy? Ready for another mile?”

  Caine answered with a vigorous wag of his tail and we headed off along the pathway, him pausing briefly to sniff at a scent here and there and me using these moments to look out at the vista.

  We paused to admire a sea turtle making his way across the grass toward the water. Going anywhere near it was foolish with the probable threat of alligators lurking just out of sight. I kept an excited Caine tight on his leash until it was time to head home.

  With my morning walk done, I drove to my beach house and we ate breakfast.

  A few hours later, I showered and shaved and the rest of the morning was spent working in my office. Occasionally I was interrupted by my furry friend, who wanted a pat on the head and a game of tug with the chew toy he’d brought me.

  I’d gotten him a large bed and enough toys to keep him occupied for hours. The fact that he was housetrained was an extra bonus. His chip had him now registered to me as his new owner.

  The dog I’d had as a boy, the same one I had left behind, had been the one reason I had not gotten another pet until now. This felt like Caine had found me right when I needed him.

  He would always remind me of Raquel, the two inextricably connected because of us rescuing him in the storm together. Despite nature doing its worst, I was grateful that it had brought this cute guy into my life.

  “We need to get you a bath, boy,” I told him.

  He wagged his tail in agreement.

  “I take that as a yes.” I rubbed my face into his neck, breathing in the scent of dog that brought so much comfort and was rewarded with his licks and snuggles.

  When lunch time neared, I left him to play in the walled garden and drove into town.

  My instincts had led me back here—the same strip club I had visited the night before. The bored looking bouncer gave a nod to welcome me in. The music bled out to the street and I questioned whether I really wanted to know the truth. Someone was going to get hurt and I was caught in the middle.

  The injustice I had endured as a boy had left me with a deep-seated belief that no one should suffer due to another’s wrongdoing, so I went inside.

  I had lingered on the edge of this sentiment many times, having built The House of Beauregard from nothing. One wrong step could result in its downfall. And what hung in the balance of truth was the happiness of those I loved.

  With each step I took, I knew casualties were inevitable.

  Breathing through my mouth, I braved the familiar scent of stale beer and the greasy aromas from the lunch menu. The place was quiet compared to last night and the music level was more tolerable. I recognized Tiffany amongst a group of five other women who were eating salads in one of the far booths.

  Their curious gazes turned on me when I approached them.

  With a bright smile I greeted Tiffany. “Sorry to interrupt your lunch.” The last time I’d seen her she’d been half-naked and I’d been in no mood to party.

  “Astor, right?” Her accent was pure New Jersey.

  I’d missed it before, but then again she’d been sitting on my lap and flirting. She was pretty and the dragon tattoo curling up her right arm hinted at a rebellious edge.

  “Do you have a minute?” I asked her.

  She threw an amused look at her friends and then smiled at me.

  I PULLED THE LAST OF my clothes out of the closet and packed them into my suitcases. With just a week left here I wanted to be ready when the time came to leave. It wasn’t so much that I had given up, I had just let go.

  Everything was fine. I was doing great and getting through this and as long as I kept busy, I wouldn’t think of him.

  Him.

  The man who had shined a light in my life made me feel alive again. The very man who had rescued me from the agony of divorce and betrayal, and all I had done in return was bring him pain. When I could no longer keep the memories at bay, my chest tightened and I lay on the mattress, rubbing my hand over my heart as though it could ease the ache.

  As a form of self-punishment, I relived everything I had done…going to work at Astor’s company, letting us become more than friends, letting him fall for me.

  I had been given the ultimate chance to love and be loved again and I had ruined it because I’d been obsessed with my perfume.

  I should have been moving forward because that was where my happiness lay. Should have had faith in the here and now and savored every single second with Astor, because every single breath without him felt like an eternity.

  I ran my hand over the duvet covering the mattress. This represented what I was willing to sacrifice—or maybe, just maybe, it had shown me what I was able to endure.

  Perfume Girl would always be a part of me. I loved this store and had poured my soul into every corner, believing that losing it would break my heart. But causing Astor pain had hurt me worse.

  I would never get over Damien’s cruelty and the thought of his betrayal clung to every cell in my body, a toxicity I didn’t deserve. He was willing to do anything to get me out of the way because the world he’d built would come tumbling down if the truth came out about how he’d gotten hold of his money. Embry probably wouldn’t stay with him if they lost their dream house.

  I would find my own way to the truth.

  I always do.

  My thoughts went around and around trying to imagine how it had gone down. Had Damien reached out to Penelope at The House of Beauregard and led her to believe the scent was his to sell? She’d probably paid well for it. Though the fact she hid my ledger in her office hinted that she knew he’d sold it illegally.

  If
this scandal came out it would taint The House of Beauregard forever. Someone had to take the fall in all of this and that person was me, apparently.

  The meeting on Astor’s yacht with Penelope a few days ago had offered me the chance to keep Perfume Girl open.

  But I couldn’t accept her offer.

  No amount of money would put this right and I’d refused to sign the nondisclosure agreement, too. Signing it would have proven to Astor that I had set out to manipulate him, that I hadn’t cared at all.

  Why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?

  Astor felt as much a part of me as each breath I inhaled, as though our souls had touched and were irrevocably connected in some way.

  With most of my personal belongings packed away, I looked around this scant room that had served as my bedroom. There were lonely memories here but also happy ones…like those hours Astor had spent with me in this quiet room after coming all that way to make sure I was safe in the storm.

  We were worth fighting for, but I knew he’d be protective of his sister—she was family, after all. But our relationship had burned brighter than any I’d ever had.

  With thoughts of him still clouding my mind, I showered and then dressed in a short silver cocktail dress, the kind that would help me blend into the soirée that I was going to gatecrash tonight. This dress was my favorite Stella McCartney, and I felt feminine and sexy in it—and empowered, too.

  After curling my hair into bouncing spirals, I applied make-up, going for a fresh look with light mascara and pink lipstick. I wasn’t trying to stand out—I just wanted to feel good about myself.

  Taking action had always been my thing. Fighting in my own elegant way for what was right and doing everything in my power to protect my reputation. It was hard to be brave and push on, but I had to keep going because I had a goal worth fighting for.

  The ringing of the shop’s doorbell interrupted my thoughts. I took the steps down toward the front of the store.

  When I saw Damien standing on the other side of the door, I hesitated for a beat before relenting and unlocking it.

  The man now standing in my shop with his hair disheveled, looking cute in his own bad boy way, meant nothing to me now. Affection had been replaced by scars, and what had once been love was now indifference.