Gluttony

by LJ Baker

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.” Luc put his fork down and frowned.

  “It’s fine. I need to be able to talk about him sometimes. Oh shit, I forgot the salad.”

  “It’s fine. I’d rather eat these meatballs. They really are amazing.”

  “It was my father’s recipe. He was a great cook.”

  “Was?”

  “He passed away when I was thirteen, but he taught me to cook one thing at least.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s so young to lose a parent.”

  “It was a long time ago. I’m glad you like the food. I was kind of nervous. I haven’t made them in a long time. I wasn’t sure I remembered how.”

  “Well, you did great.”

  They went on with small talk until they’d finished dinner, dessert, and the entire bottle of wine. No more talk of dead fathers or fiancés, religion, politics, or anything else that mattered in the grand scheme of things, but enough to get to know each other in a way that might normally take months. Amanda felt closer to Luc, like maybe she could not only let some of her walls down, but maybe just give him a key to the gates.

  After they cleared the plates, Luc helped wash the dishes, which they mostly did in silence. The closer it got to saying goodbye, the more tense Amanda felt. She didn’t want to stop seeing him, but she knew she needed to get her life together before she could even consider adding another person into it.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.” Luc dried his hands off on the dish towel and handed it to her.

  “I don’t know.” She didn’t, at least not in any coherent way that she could elaborate on.

  “I’m glad that you’re trying to get your life on the right track. I know we didn’t get to spend as much time together as I’d like, but from what I’ve learned about you, you’re kind of amazing.”

  “Just kind of?” She whipped the towel at him and laughed.

  “Okay, oww. Maybe more than kind of. I like you, Amanda. I know at this point in your life, you need to focus on yourself, but I hope that when the day comes that you’re ready, you’ll give me a call.”

  “I will.” She doubted someone like Luc would sit around waiting for her, but the thought was nice.

  “I better get going.” Luc slipped back into his jacket and started for the door.

  She didn’t want him to leave, but having him stay would only be prolonging the inevitable. She followed him to the door and waited until he turned around to say their last goodbye.

  “When you’re ready to move on from the distributor business, don’t worry about our contract.”

  Amanda nodded. She figured he wouldn’t hold her to their contract, though she would have to honor the contracts she’d made since Luc’s. But one less business to worry about, brought her closer to whatever goal she ended up setting.

  He was about to say something else, when without thinking it through, she stretched up on her toes, and kissed him. His hand came around her waist and he deepened the kiss. What may have been a quick last kiss goodbye, quickly took on new life and became a frenzied, end of the world, never let you go, kind of kiss.

  Amanda’s head swirled and she gripped his arms with all her strength. She was sure to leave bruises, but Luc made no move to loosen her grasp. His arm tightened around her, crushing her body against his, while his other hand slipped behind her head to keep her close.

  It would be easy to give in and let go, end up in her bed for the rest of the night. Both of their bodies certainly wanted just that. But it wouldn’t solve anything. It would probably just make it more difficult to say goodbye.

  And still, Amanda wanted to give in.

  When she tried to snake her hands up and under his shirt, he stopped her and broke the kiss.

  “I told you we weren’t having sex,” he said with the smallest smile.

  Amanda laughed. “Right.”

  His smile faded. “Seriously though, we can’t do this. I want to, believe me, I do, but I don’t want to leave you now. It won’t get easier after I get you naked.”

  He was right. She knew he was right. But she still wanted him to stay, no matter how selfish it was.

  “I don’t care.”

  “I know, but if we’re meant to be together that way again, we’ll find each other when the time is right.” Luc moved her hand off him and took a step back.

  He was trying to do the right thing. She knew he was, but that didn’t make it any easier. Before she could argue, or change his mind, he kissed the top of her head, and slipped out the door.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “What the hell happened here?” Luc stepped through the doorway and clenched his fists at his sides. Glass was scattered under the window and the table was overturned, its contents splayed around the mess. Az stood in the corner talking to the female cop that tried to imprison Ronnie Falcon.

  “Lucifer.” Az held up a hand to motion Luc over. He grumbled under his breath, but did as requested.

  “Why are my things broken and my apartment being ransacked by police officers?” He directed the question at his brother, ignoring the detective for the time being.

  “Remember when I requested your assistance with the burglaries in the neighborhood, Mr. Morningstar?” Detective Ward asked, with her hand on one hip and the hint of a smile on her face.

  Luc turned and nodded.

  “Well, maybe you should have agreed to help. It seems that you were nearly the next victim.”

  “Nearly?” Luc waved a hand over the broken glass and upturned table.

  “Yes. Thanks to your brother here, it seems the thief was scared away before having the chance to take anything.”

  At least Azrael was good for something.

  Though looking at the mess that was his apartment, he might not be so lucky.

  “Don’t get too comfortable though. The last time they were interrupted and couldn’t finish the job, they came back.”

  “I have a very expensive security system. How does this even happen?” He turned to Az and his eyes narrowed. “Did you leave it off again?”

  “No. It was set. I swear.” He held his hands up and took a step away from Luc.

  “This wasn’t your brother’s fault, Mr. Morningstar. It seems that nearly all of the victims had expensive security systems, some even had guards. The thieves must have extensive technology knowledge. They were able to bypass the systems and get in without ever setting anything off.”

  “They didn’t take anything?” Luc looked from Detective Ward to Az and back. “It’s just the damage to the table and window?”

  “And a vase, maybe some trinkets,” Detective Ward said, looking over her notes.

  “I don’t own trinkets.” Luc pressed his lips together and looked around his apartment. He wasn’t used to feeling violated and he didn’t like it. “How much longer will this take?”

  “We’re almost done. I would still like you to consider sharing your footage from the club to see if there’s anything that might help.”

  “I am still going to decline.”

  “Mr. Morningstar, these people don’t choose their targets randomly. If they chose you, there is something they want. They won’t just give up. They’ll be back.”

  “And I’ll be better prepared.”

  “You should help us, to help you. Last week they happened upon a guest staying in the house they were robbing. The guest fought back and is now in the hospital in critical condition. These are not nice people.”

  “I know how to handle bad people, Detective Ward.”

  “Did you ever have the chance to go over those recordings and see if there was anything suspicious?”

  “I did and there was nothing I think you need to see. There was one span of time where the camera seemed to glitch, but other than that, everything was business as usual.”

  “Glitch huh? Maybe that wasn’t such a coincidence.”

  “Maybe, but it doesn’t do you any good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go downst
airs to my office and wait for everyone to clear out.” Luc hurried away from the chaos and shut himself in his office. If the police didn’t find out who broke into his place then he would do it himself. They would pay for violating him.

  One way, or another.

  ***

  “What the hell happened up here?” Harley let herself into Luc’s apartment holding a bottle of tequila. It was the brand she preferred, but Luc didn’t mind. He definitely needed a drink and he wasn’t in the mood to get up.

  “You mean you didn’t know?” He patted the couch next to him for her to join. “I thought you always knew what everyone was up to.”

  “Eh.” She flopped next to him and popped off the top on the tequila. “Occasionally things slip by.” She took a swig off the bottle and passed it to Luc.

  Normally, he’d prefer a glass, having many centuries of drinking to develop a more sophisticated way of doing things, but tonight he didn’t care. He just wanted to be numb.

  “I was nearly robbed, apparently.”

  “Nearly? Looks like Liam Neeson shot a movie up here.” Harley took the bottle back and took a long pull off the tequila. “Shit. What stopped them?”

  “Azrael apparently. He was napping on my sofa when they came through the window. He wrestled with two of them and they ran off.”

  “Damn. Good thing your worthless brother spends so much time in your apartment.”

  “The cop seems to think they’ll be back.”

  “The female who tried to screw over Ronnie Falcon?”

  “Yes and her partner. There have been a few times they’ve been interrupted, and when it didn’t work out, they came back again.”

  “But you have an excellent security system.”

  “And they have a talented hacker.” Luc took the bottle back and downed several glasses worth.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve never been robbed, but I’m sure it sucks.”

  “It does.”

  They sat in silence for a few long moments before Harley broke it. “How did things go with Amanda? I’m guessing since you were home so early, not that well.”

  “Things went fine.”

  “You’re so full of shit. I know that puss isn’t just about some idiots breaking in here. You’re not that attached to your stuff.”

  “First of all, it’s not about the stuff. I’m the God damned King of Hell. I shouldn’t have to worry about being violated by some insignificant humans. Second, just because I didn’t spend the night with Amanda, does not mean things didn’t go well. I went there to say goodbye and that’s what we did.”

  “You mean, like a quickie?”

  “Everything isn’t about sex, Harley.” Luc grabbed the bottle back from her and held it tight in his hand.

  “Did you just say that?” She tapped her hands over her ears a few times. “Is there something wrong with my hearing?”

  Luc got up and walked over to the broken window. The curtain blew in the breeze around him as he stared into the lights of the city. His brother offered to board it up for him, but he would wait for the repairman to show up in the morning. If the assholes returned that quickly, Luc would deal with them happily.

  “Luc,” Harley said, coming up behind him and putting her hand on his shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”

  “It’s over. I don’t want to discuss it.”

  She meant well, but the last thing he wanted to do was talk about his feelings. He wasn’t sure what they were himself, so he needed to work that out before he shared them with her.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am, and I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d rather be alone.”

  Harley nodded and left him at the broken window by himself. He was still clutching the tequila bottle and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste. Even if he wasn’t sure what the tangled mess of emotions were in his head, tequila he knew. And right then, that was all he needed.

  ***

  Toby stumbled in the door just after midnight, laughing a bit too loud, with a man Amanda didn’t recognize on his arm. He caught sight of her and immediately hushed the guy he was with and ushered him down the hall into his room.

  “Hey.” He walked into the living room where she was watching TV and tried to act sober. “How’d your night go?”

  “It went.”

  “You need to talk?” Toby took a few more steps into the room and only managed to bump into the end table.

  “I’m good, go be with your company.”

  “He can wait.” He flopped down on the couch next to her and laid his head back. “That was Zachary, by the way.”

  “Zachary, as in the guy you went out with twice this week?”

  “Three times now.”

  “Wow. That must be a record for you.”

  “Oh, ha ha. I really like this guy.” Toby sighed and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t make him wait.”

  “Hey, if he can’t wait while I take care of my girl, then he’s not worth my time.” He elbowed Amanda in the side. “Now tell me what happened.”

  “We had dinner, talked, and he left.”

  “Isn’t that what you wanted? Why do you seem so sad?” Toby grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “I guess so. I mean, it’s what needed to happen, but not necessarily what I wanted.”

  “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”

  “No. I don’t know.” She dropped her face into her hands. “I’m not in any place to start a relationship.”

  “You’re really not, but hey, that doesn’t mean that you can’t give it a try when you get your life situated.”

  “He’s not going to wait around, Tob. Look at him. He must have women throwing themselves at him every night of the week.”

  “Probably more like every hour, of every night of the week.” Toby snorted and Amanda elbowed him in the side. Hard.

  “It wouldn’t be fair to ask him to wait, even if he wanted to. My life is a mess. Who knows how long this is going to take before I’m any sort of normal.”

  “Baby girl, you’ll never be normal.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  “Just keeping it real here. You’ve been through a lot, and I get the impression, that you never really had it all together.”

  “You’re probably right. And it’s not like I’m head over heels in love with the guy. It’s just that this is the first time since, well, you know, that I’ve felt something. I know I need to, but it’s hard to walk away.”

  “I know.” Toby wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. “But you’re going to be all right, Mandy. You are stronger than you think. You’re going to keep going to therapy, and you’re going to find a new career, one that is just for you, and then you’re going to find the right person for you. Hopefully, in that order.”

  “What do you think about horticulture?”

  “Whore ta who?”

  “Ass.” She slapped his arm. “Horticulture, like flowers and shit.”

  “Well, flowers sound good, but maybe not the shit.”

  “Luc brought me flowers—”

  “Aww.”

  “Shut up. Anyway, I was putting them in a vase and he mentioned that they looked better than when he does it, and it got me thinking. I did work for a florist when I was a teenager and it was a lot of fun. Maybe that’s something I could do.”

  “Maybe, but I think you need to put a little more thought into it. You want to get it right this time.”

  “Yeah, of course. I’m going to this workshop my therapist set up on career counseling. They help you find things you might be good at or have some talent in. Then, if you’re interested, they help you figure out what kind of training you need and what you need to do.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “It does. I’m excited.”

  “This therapist of yours sounds like he knows his shit.”

  “Yeah. I really like him. Now you should get back to your guy before he
falls asleep in there, or sneaks out the window, or something.”

  “His skinny ass can wait. You haven’t told me how you left things off with Luc.”

  “Uh, yes I did. Dinner, conversation, goodbye. That was it.”

  “No goodbye sex?” Toby’s mouth dropped open and he widened his eyes dramatically.

  “Wasn’t it you that told me I shouldn’t?”

  “That doesn’t sound like anything I’d ever say.”

  “It doesn’t, but you did and you know it. And no, there was no goodbye sex. He refused.”

  “He what?” Toby dragged out the last word for dramatic effect. “You’re making that up.”

  “No, I’m not. It was going fine, then at the door, we kissed, and I lost it. I was ready to drag him into the bedroom. Hell I would have done him right here on the coffee table, but he told me no.”

  “Why the hell would he do that?”

  “Because he’s a better person than me.”

  “It’s probably for the best, Mandy. Sleeping with him again only complicates things more. I can’t imagine walking away from that giant meatstick.”

  “Please tell me you don’t say that to… what’s his name?”

  “Zachary.”

  “Right, well, please tell me you don’t call his junk a meatstick.”

  “Well, I don’t call it junk.”

  Amanda shook her head and cringed. “I don’t even need to know. Now I’m going to have that visual in my head.”

  “Perv. Stop imagining me in bed.”

  “Okay, it’s time for you to get back to Zachary and leave me to my trash TV.”

  “Fine. I’ll go, but only if you promise you’re all right.”

  “I promise. At least, I promise I’m working on it.”

  “That’s all you can do, baby girl.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “It’s been two weeks. You feeling better yet, brother?” Az sat down at the bar next to Luc and gave Harley his puppy dog look to beg for a drink. Unlike usual, she didn’t make him wait, and poured him a nice aged whiskey.

  “I’m fine, Az. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Harley snorted. “Yeah, why wouldn’t you be?”