Finding Faye:

by A. J. Andersen

  Tilting my chin up in acknowledgement of her checking me out, I wink. Red heat floods her cheeks and I can’t stop my chuckle.

  Turning her nose up into the air, Faye turns her back on me and, opening the cookie package, sets it in front of her friend. She looks longingly at the sweet treat, and I wonder how long it has been since she bought herself something to eat just because it sounded good to her.

  It’s been a while, I can tell.

  “Sit.” I push myself away from the wall. “I will bring you girls the tea.”

  Ana has the same hungry look as Faye does, but Faye’s goes deeper. Somehow her sweet face shows her solitary struggle, and how long it was.

  Once the package of cookies is mostly gone, Faye and Ana both seem more at ease as they sip tea. After putting more water on to heat, I jog up to my office and grab my laptop, calling for Max. I can’t help but hope that he will help Ana relax a bit while we discuss what happens next.

  I hear the low murmur of voices in the kitchen and slow my steps.

  “Are you going to be safe with Xavier?”

  I'm surprised by Ana’s vehement reply. “Oh, yes! Completely.”

  There is no doubt in her voice. One less thing to worry about is always good, in my book. Striving to look like I wasn’t just eavesdropping, I stroll into the room.

  Ana looks at me. “I didn't leave Xavier because he was violent or abusive toward me. You don't need to be worried about my well-being.”

  “If he wasn't abusive, then why did you run away?” I ask, sitting down across from them.

  Her eyes narrow as she considers her words. Her jaw clenches and her pale eyes harden. “I had plans for my life to be something other than the property of Xavier Cerelli,” she finally grits out.

  My gut tells me she is more upset with herself than him. There is definitely a story here, but it’s doubtful she is going to open up to me about it.

  “Are you willing to go back to Vegas and talk to him?” I ask. Her compliance will make this less complicated.

  ”Do I have a choice?” Her tone is bitter and maybe a little sad.

  Faye answers before I can. “Of course you do. Travis won't force you to go back.” Her golden eyes burn into mine, demanding that I agree with her.

  It's true. I won't force her to go back, even though I wish I could. Her return helps guarantee Faye’s safety, but Faye would never forgive me if I made her go back. Ana’s willingness will keep me from having to be the bad guy.

  “I need to go back,” she finally says, her hand rubbing her belly. “It's not fair for me to keep the baby from him. and…” Her words trail off as her tears start again.

  “You miss him, don't you?” Faye asks. At her words, Ana drops her head into her arms on the table and cries harder.

  Well, that answers that question. If she misses him, getting her to go back might not be hard after all.

  “Y-yeah,” she says between sobs. Faye rubs a hand over her back before standing and pulling Ana into a hug. They stand there a long moment before Faye pulls back, leading her to the couch and helping her settle back with a throw pillow and a fuzzy blanket.

  “Rest awhile, Ana. We can talk more later,” Faye tells her, sitting beside her friend as I watch from the hallway.

  “I love him,” Ana says so softly that I almost miss it.

  “I know you do, honey. And if he doesn't love you back, then he's just stupid.”

  Ana giggles a little and reaches out for Faye's hand. “Thanks for being my friend, Faye,” Ana whispers, using the hem of her sweater to wipe the tears off her cheeks.

  The smile that crosses Faye’s face is brilliant. “Thanks for being mine, Ana.”

  I leave them to rest and talk for awhile, and go back to my office to call Blake and fill him in. Seems like we will be making a trip to Vegas soon, and I'm going to want him with me. I don't anticipate any trouble, but for some reason I have a bad feeling.

  Faye

  “Do you wanna talk about it?” I ask Ana when I hear Travis' heavy steps going upstairs. She shrugs as she sits up and hugs the pillow to her chest.

  “Not much to say…”

  There is obviously so much to say that I laugh a little, and she smiles, rolling her eyes at me.

  “How about...I don't even know where to start.”

  “That sounds more truthful,” I tell her and she releases a heavy sigh. I hesitate, not wanting to push her too much. “Maybe just start at the beginning?”

  She takes a trembling breath. “I've been crazy about X since I was a kid. My dad worked for his, so I was always part of the family. When I was being bullied in middle school X stepped in and made it stop. That’s when I really started noticing him. When X's dad died, he didn't want to take over running the New York family. So he moved to Vegas and brought some guys with him. Vince, my dad, says Xavier is going into legitimate business. He wants nothing to do with the bad stuff his father and his uncle, Dominic, were into.”

  “What stuff is that?” I ask. Whatever it was got my mom killed, so I’m prepared for it must be pretty bad.

  “Xavier Senior was into running guns, from what I understand. Drugs and women were Dominic’s thing. Prostitution was his cash cow in Vegas. I think the New York family dealt with trafficking women and girls, but I don't know for sure. My dad is pretty small change. He mostly ran errands and did bodyguard work for the family in New York. I was surprised when Dad told me he had been asked to relocate to Vegas.”

  “How come?” I need to get a better handle on what is between her and Xavier. “Maybe Xavier didn't want to leave you behind?”

  The look on her face tells me she never thought of that possibility before. “Do you think so?” she asks, her voice betraying her hope.

  I shrug. I don't know the guy, but I can't see any other reason he would have brought Ana and her dad with him if her dad wasn't a particularly important employee...er, gang member? Mobster? What is the correct terminology?

  “I dunno,” I tell her. “Maybe… did you see him a lot? Spend time together?”

  She shakes her hand back and forth, lifting one shoulder like she doesn’t really know. “I saw him around the neighborhood, and I saw him sometimes when I was working. He didn’t move away for college even though I heard he had scholarship offers. I figured his dad didn’t want him moving away from the business.”

  That was not the answer I expected at all. “You didn’t date him? Ever?” She shakes her head no. “So how did you end up married to him?” I finally ask, desperate now for her answer.

  Ana lowers her head. “He bought me from my dad,” she whispers, a bright flush coloring her pale cheeks. Her eyes flood with tears that don’t fall.

  ”He what?” I shout. “What in the actual fuck do you mean, he bought you?” Ana glances away from me, biting her lip. “Ana, what do you mean, he bought you?” I ask more gently as she starts crying again.

  “My dad got himself into trouble with gambling once we got to Vegas. X bailed him out in trade for marrying me.”

  “That doesn't make sense, Ana. Why wouldn't he just bail your dad out and make him work off his debt? Your dad already works for him…”

  “I don’t… I don't know. Dad just told me that was the deal. Everything happened so fast. Then there was my wedding night…” she trails off, crying harder.

  This is where she tells me why she ran. Something happened. Something bad. Something that broke her heart, and she ran instead of having to face it. I can feel it.

  “What happened on your wedding night?”

  Her laugh is brittle, her voice rich with sarcasm. “What usually happens on someone's wedding night?”

  “You made love?” I venture a guess.

  She laughs, that same mirthless laugh. “Well, I thought we were going to. It started out that way. Champagne and dancing after the wedding mass. Making out in the limo...but when we got to the room, everything changed.”

  “Did he hurt you?” I ask, imagining how devastated I would be
if my new husband hurt me on my wedding night. Could he be so callous?

  “I don’t know exactly how to answer that...I was a virgin. He was rough with me. Out of control?” Her voice lifts in question at the end. Her face is flaming red now, and she keeps her eyes focused on her twisting fingers. “I liked it… Does that make me bad?” Her voice is small.

  I don’t know what to say to make her feel better.

  “I don’t think so,” I tell her. “I’m still a virgin, though, so I only know what I've read in books.”

  A genuine smile finally settles on Ana’s face. “All of my experience comes from trashy novels, too. Other than that one time.” She laughs a little. “Aren’t we the pair?”

  I nod, the tension finally breaking as I laugh with her. I guess sometimes it's just easier to laugh than to face up to something upsetting. I think we have both had plenty of bad stuff in our lives.

  The laughter feels good.

  “I wish he hadn’t left that night," Ana says, becoming serious again.

  “So after deflowering you,” I say in a dramatic voice, and we both giggle, “he walked out on you? That’s so messed up.”

  “I know, right? He walked out, and I heard him apologizing from the hall.”

  “Apologizing for what? Not getting you off?” I ask, and we both laugh again.

  “No! He did...I mean...I did.”

  That sets both of us off into peals of laughter again. I’ve never had a girlfriend I could talk about these things with, even if what we are discussing is messed up.

  “At least he did it right!”

  “Thank goodness,” she says with another theatrical eye roll as we collapse, laughing, back into the couch cushions. It good to laugh, even though I know that we shouldn’t be laughing about this.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Travis

  I can hear the laughter in my living room as I end my call to Blake. I filled him in and asked him to come over and make sure Ana gets home safely. I want to take her to Xavier as soon as possible. In the next couple of days if she will agree to it.

  Women are confusing. I don’t how they went from tears to giggling like out-of-control teenagers, but I’m relieved by the sounds they are making.

  I’m hoping it will make the next few days easier for both of them.

  The one thing I can’t make up my mind about is if I want to bring Faye with us or ask her to stay here. We have already spent so much time apart. I don’t want to leave her here, but not knowing what we might face in Vegas worries me. It’s time to start making plans so that I’m ready for anything.

  “Analise,” I say from the doorway, drawing the attention of both women to me. “I haven’t contacted your husband yet, but I am planning for us to leave by the end of the week. I have someone coming to pick you up tonight and take you back to your apartment, if that’s alright with you, and if you need help packing I can send someone over to help you with that as well.” It’s more of a statement than a question, but I do want her to know that she is allowed to speak up if something isn’t to her liking.

  She takes a deep breath before acquiescing. “That’s fine, Mr. Keller. It’s time for me to go back. I don’t really want to do this alone anymore.” She gestures to her belly, and I know it’s time to lay all my cards on the table.

  “I don’t know what went wrong to make you leave your husband, Ana, but just know that if you get back and continue to face problems, you will always have a place to stay with Faye and I.” My eyes are on Analise, but I can feel Faye’s on me, and I hear her quiet sigh of relief.

  “Thank you,” Ana says, smiling at me for the first time tonight. “You have no idea how much better that makes me feel. I’m sure I will be fine once I get back though. Xavier never treated me badly.”

  Faye has been quiet during our exchange, but now she pipes up from her corner of the couch. “I’m coming. Ana’s not going back to Vegas without me seeing for myself that she is going to be ok.”

  Ana nods and claps her hands. “Road trip,” she cries. They both grin, and I don’t have the heart to tell Faye I didn’t think she should come with us. The uneasy feeling I had earlier returns full force.

  This is why I want Blake to come with us on this trip. He and I have been through every kind of hell together, and even though I can’t foresee any actual threats, my vague feeling of unease is why I’ve decided to leave soon, and to not tell anyone we are bringing Analise back to Vegas.

  The girls chat and giggle on the couch until Max barks at the door, announcing Blake’s arrival, while I review my plans over and over in my head.

  He’s leaning on his crutches when I open the door and let him in. Jerking my head toward the kitchen, I motion for him to follow me so we can talk in private. I’m sure that something is going to go sideways, so we need to discuss as many scenarios as we can think of.

  I hope he can put this paranoia I’m feeling to rest; otherwise, I might lose it before we get to Vegas.

  “Everything sounds like it’s going better than planned,” Blake says without preamble. “Why the doom and gloom face, brother?”

  “Everything is going better than I thought it would,” I grumble in response. “Makes me nervous. Things are never this easy.”

  Blake grins at me and pushes my shoulder with his. “Sometimes things just work out, man. Don’t be so fussy. This is gonna be an easy trip. Drop off Mrs. Cerelli, make assurances that Faye will be safe, and then we can par-tay!”

  His easy going manner helps me let go of some of the tension I have been feeling. I’ve never had a bad feeling in the field that he didn’t pick up on too, so if Blake isn’t feeling bad vibes, it probably is just me being fussy.

  Trying to smile, I try to push my worries aside and lead him back to the living room. “Ana, this is my partner Blake Stone. He is going to take you back to your place.”

  Faye hops up, extending a hand and helping Ana to her feet before pulling her into another hug. They smile at each other and I hear Analise say, “I’m glad it worked out like this. Now we actually get to be real friends.”

  Faye’s eyes sparkle, and a smile turns up the corners of her mouth. “And someone has to go back to Vegas,” she complains, “just when I don’t have to be ready to run at a moment’s notice.” She rolls her eyes and laughs.

  “I will tell Xavier that regular visits are a requirement of me coming home. It’s not like I have many friends there.” Ana grins, squeezing Faye’s hands.

  I'm happy to hear her call it home. I hope it means that she will be happy there. I can hear the affection she has for Xavier when she says his name and I wonder again what could have happened to make her leave him.

  They hug again and Blake opens the door, stumping onto the porch with his crutches. His SUV is parked right beside the steps, and I help Ana inside while he crosses around to the driver’s door. The girls wave at each other one last time as Blake backs out of my driveway.

  “You okay, Sweetpea?” I ask, slipping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her against me as I close the door, securing us inside with a flip of the lock.

  She snuggles tightly against my side with a nod, her slender arms wrapping around my waist as I guide her down the hall.

  Faye

  Being pressed against Travis’ side as we stroll back into the living room feels perfect. There is nowhere I would rather be right now. The memory of his kiss earlier still lingers in my mind. A girl doesn’t just forget her first real kiss, not when it was with this delectable man. It is all I ever wanted.

  “Yeah. I'm good. Taking Ana back is the right thing for her and the baby. Probably for her husband, too.” After hearing the whole story from Ana, I am fairly certain everything that happened between them was a misunderstanding.

  “Xavier should get the chance to do right by them.”

  “She loves him,” I blurt out as Travis sits down and tugs me onto his lap, holding me close, his face nuzzling the side of my neck making shivers of pleasure run down my spine.
Embarrassed and not sure why, I turn and bury my face against the soft cotton of his t-shirt, breathing in his clean scent.

  “He sounded too worried about her to not have deep feelings for her too,” he mumbles against the top of my head.

  “Hopefully this gets them to open up and talk to each other about whatever went wrong.” His words trail off and I can tell he's hoping I have some insight as to why Ana took off like she did. I debate with myself for a moment, unsure if it’s okay to share what she told me. I decide to tell him. I don’t want there to be secrets between us. Even if they aren’t ours.

  “Things didn't go so well on their wedding night,” I murmur against the hard planes of his chest. Talking about sex with Travis is more than a little uncomfortable for me. Talking about it makes me think about it and then I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have it with him. “It was her first time, and it sounds like things got out of hand.” I glance up and see that all of his attention is riveted on me, and I hurry to fill the silence. “To make it worse, he left her alone right after. And apologized for it.”

  “Ouch,” he groans, shaking his head with a small chuckle. “That’s not good. No wonder she was upset.”

  “Yeah… She said he apologized from in the hall.” I wave my hand around, not knowing exactly how to continue. “After he already left the room.”

  “Shit… that was an epic fuck-up,” he says, his fingers smoothing my hair and tracing circles on my back.

  “Yeah. Poor Ana. It really made her sad… and mad. “

  “She's gonna be okay, Pea. And so are you.”

  A warm, happy feeling spreads through my chest, and I wrap my arms around his neck and snuggle closer to him. “I'm so happy you found me, Travis,” I whisper. Gathering up my courage, I sit up to press my lips against his. I feel him smile against my kiss before his hands slide around me, one settling on my hip and one sliding up to cradle the back of my head as he traces the seam of my lips with the tip of his tongue.