The Temp (16 page)

34

“I’m going to fuck you in every one of these rooms.”

Oh boy.
Eve spun round, the air trapping in her throat.

Roman Pierce stood against the backdrop in his living room, the sun grazing barely over the horizon in a golden haze. He’d shown her many of the rooms, letting her lead the way as she touched original brick walls and concrete facades and marvelled at skylights. He’d taken off his jacket and draped it over a lounge. The top button of his shirt was undone revealing an olive tan. He stood at ease, hands peeking from his trouser pockets. His eyes were shrouded in omniscient light and dark like the angels in a Rembrandt painting. He was pure perfection. Godly. And right now that demi-god was looking straight at her with undeniable intent.

“Even in the bathroom?” she whispered.

He took a step closer, a lion stalking a gazelle. “Especially in the bathroom.” He stood against the floor to ceiling glass. He pulled back a lever exposing them to the mild breeze. “And this is the
pièce de résistance.
”

“Oh my god,” Eve walked out onto the vista of a balcony flowing out to the rest of the harbour encircling the back of the house. In the distance villas dotted the horizon and yachts rose up before it on the liquid ultramarine waters darkening with the fading light.              

“It’s the best view anyone could ask for,” Roman was looking directly at her.

Eve glanced away, her face a beet red in contrast to her dress. “A little cliché,” she whispered.

“You bring out those in me,” he stepped towards her. “How does a temp know so much about architecture?”

“It’s an interest,” she lied, she was getting good at lying, too good.

“You like buildings.”

“I studied Art remember?”

“Did you paint or sculpt or”-

“I painted. I don’t anymore. I like the stories in buildings and what they represent.”

“I’d like to know your story.”

“I don’t have one,” Eve stepped closer.

“Everyone has a story,” Roman took her hand, his gaze pouring into hers.

“Mine’s rather mundane.”

“I don’t believe it for or a second. Maybe you’re hiding in your novel.”
Her novel.
Eve went cold all over, if Roman could tell, she was definitely hiding there.

“We’re missing the sunset,” Eve whispered though she couldn’t tare herself away from him.

“I’m not missing anything,” he raised her hand to his lips and kissed inside her palm trailing a finger down her wrist sparking an instant reaction. Eve shuddered from her shoulders to her thighs. “I want you.”

She pulled away reluctantly. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“I’ve already been inside you, what’s your fear?” Roman mused against her skin.

Eve spun out of the hypnosis, “It’s just. I”-how could she tell him? This would be her first time, her nerves raced, her palms sweat.

Roman moved back, holding her hand and pressed his lips to her palm.  “I’ve never been privy to rumours in the office,” he said.

“Neither have I,” Eve held his gaze. She had no idea where this was going. She leaned out against the balcony, the saltwater breeze lulling her to the ocean. A seagull glided overhead.

“I heard a rumour last week. Rumours don’t often make it to me,” his eyes were dark silver in a blemish of light. Eve’s heart sank to the bottom of an abyss. It was one of those car crashes she couldn’t look away from even if she knew exactly what was coming. It was watching the news after an earthquake then seeing delayed tremors shake the country again and all she could do was watch. All she could do was watch and hold her breath. “Normally it doesn’t interest me to listen,” he continued.

Eve bit her lip and slid her hand out of his. She wrapped her arms around her; suddenly no matter how much sunshine there was left she was infinitely cold, her shawl not enough. “Don’t listen,” she chanced a glance out onto the blue emerald ocean.

“Would I be your first?” he said. His voice was so far away. Eve didn’t say anything for a while. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he stood next to her, his arms lacing around her waist cinching her in. “You should have told me,” his mouth was close to her ear.

“Why?” her breath stole away in the wind.

“I want to be your lover.” Her cheeks reddened instantly. She’d never heard anything as…clichéd, erotic, hot and desperate.

She tensed her jaw and met him head on. His hands gripped her face like a lifeline. “I hate that you couldn’t tell me first, you told someone else”-

“I didn’t, they guessed. I didn’t tell”-it was only half a lie. She’d told Trigger and even though she knew about the bug, there was betrayal there of another nature. He shouldn’t have led her on if he knew about the bug.

“You swear you didn’t tell anyone?” Roman’s eyes clouded.

“I swear,” this time it was a whole lie. She had a job to do and her virginity being up for question had really put her over the edge. How could she give it up for a job, blackmail? How much was it worth?

“I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want,” he tucked back a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Good, fine, don’t. If you care you’ll leave me alone and won’t play games with me. I didn’t wait this long to loose my virginity to a man who simply fucks for pleasure.”

The wind whipped up in that second and Eve’s hair flared out wildly pulling loose her clip, her heart galloping away. She’d never spoken back like that before, never defended herself. It was invigorating. Perhaps if she’d done this to her blackmailer in the first place…Eve spun on her heel.

He grabbed her in the next second, arm round her waist and wheeled her back in, pressing his lips to hers. The kiss stole her breath away and his hands snaked up her back. Her mouth responded and she felt the flicker of his tongue and she reciprocated by flicking back fuelling the fire between their lips.

“Is that how you really feel?” he pulled away, breathing against her, his forehead touching hers.

“I have to protect my honour.”

“This isn’t a fairytale, Eve. I can’t be the man you want me to be.”

“I know. There are no knights in shining armour and there’s no us.”

“Us,” he trailed a hand through her hair. “If I tell you something, will you at least not give up on me?” Eve nodded. “I’ve been hurt before.”

She laughed dryly. “What did she do to you?” Eve looked up at him her eyes wide. She didn’t believe Roman Pierce could ever have been hurt by a woman. He was strength, resilience and power. She’d never considered to find weakness or vulnerability there. As if they could be on the same level, as if-

              It was all too much too soon.

“Everything,” he said. His eyes held hers and there was such hardness, a knotted tension she’d never seen before. How could he act so forward with her and cower back when things got serious? He dropped her hand and walked off the balcony. “I’ll take you home now,” he said, his voice swallowing behind the glass interior of the house. Eve stood out in the ever increasing cold of the night. She grew cold and frozen, a statue on his balcony. Was this really how things had transpired?

For a moment it had turned serious, the furthest they’d ever come along in what could have been a relationship. For a moment…then he’d retreated into himself. 

Eve didn’t know how to feel. He should pull away, while he could, resent her and never want to see her again. At least then she had a viable excuse to quit this blackmail. She was meant to continue on, give in to his whims and execute the plan as it had been laid out, to protect herself. Yet, there was a need to protect her dignity. She couldn’t be with Rome in such an intimate way and walk away. It was for the best.

A numb ache invaded the region of her heart. She felt for him in some small way.  She was empty inside as if she’d had an organ removed she didn’t know she had. Roman was kidding, wasn’t he? He’d taken her all the way out here. Was this really the end?

*

The drive in his Audi was deathly silent except for the coaxing whir of the engine; the subtle tell they were actually moving. Eve sunk against her seat feeling smaller than ever. She’d never considered Roman might have been hurt before. Who would?

“Will you ever tell me what happened?” she felt the size of a mouse stolen away in his car. It was the first thing she’d said to him since the balcony. Her eyes begged for his wide and wanting.
Please look at me.

His fingers flexed over the steering wheel.

He never looked her way.

“No.”

35

“You didn’t have to walk me to my door.”

She was on the verge of tears. The ride home she’d told herself again and again, this wasn’t happening. It so was. After everything, Roman was rejecting her. He had a right to reject her, she wasn’t Roman Pierce worthy, and she’d known from the very beginning. It was just-

It felt like he was rejecting her for her virginity. She was being blamed for never having had that kind of experience before.

All the lights were off except the ones in the lobby, she couldn’t remember the last time it had been this quiet in her building. It was close to nine o’clock. Most of her neighbours were old recluses or like Trisha had a child and didn’t stay up late.

“Yes I did,” Roman said as he led her to the door. “You live alone.” His eyes strayed to the lock of the ancient door.

Eve fumbled with the keys aware of how clichéd she was acting at this very moment. Keys, jingling, it was every woman’s sign at the end of a date she was holding out for a kiss. One kiss, maybe it could save this whole night. It had in the past.

Roman Pierce did not kiss her.

Eve frantically sought the right key, wishing she could stop acting like this was a signal. The sting was closing in on her tear ducts threatening to unleash at any minute. “You’re right. I’m quite the target. Would you like to come inside and check there isn’t someone lurking in the shadows to take advantage of me?” Eve meant it as a joke, not even, a dig to get back at him for the silent drive.

“Yes.” Rome stepped into her apartment before Eve could even turn on the lights. She stared after him. He appeared to be walking from one end to the other. It only took a few steps to make the whole of her place. His attention darted from her clothes to her furniture to her bed. Indecipherable. “Eve,” he held her gaze finally. She tilted her head to the side. Tears ebbed down one side out of view. How their roles had reversed. His hands tucked into in his trouser pockets, his look hard, protected. He’d erected a barrier between them; it had always been there only now it was apparent to her. It was a barrier she so desperately wanted to break and yet she held back. She had her barrier too. She had her reasons. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore,” he said. Her mouth opened. She walked up to him and slapped him. Roman Pierce did not flinch, “you’re getting good at that.”

“Don’t,” she snapped. “Don’t push me away when you’re feelings are on the line.”

“I don’t understand you. I thought you wanted this.”

“I do,” Eve looked away. She couldn’t tell him.

“Do you even know what you want?”

Eve fell onto the sofa. “I do and you’re complicating everything.”

He stood before her and put his hand underneath her chin lifting her watered face to his. “All I can offer you is temporary,” he said. “I can’t be your knight in shining armour.”
Temporary
, that word was burned on the inside of her skull. It hung between them taunting her and had done so from the very beginning.

“What are you offering me?”

“A place by my side as a companion and lover. Nothing more. I won’t offer you my heart because I don’t have one to give. I won’t bare you my soul if I don’t have one.”

“Did she take it? Is that what this is? You’re in love with another woman?”

“She didn’t take anything. She made me see there is no such thing as true love.”
No such thing as true love?
He walked to the door pausing before it. “I won’t argue with you on the existence of love. You can accept it doesn’t exist. When you finally do, I’ll be waiting.” The way he said it held so much conviction of the fact that she would return.
Like hell.
The tears stole away any words she could have said. He let out a sigh and stepped out of her apartment, the door shutting with a tiny bang.

He was gone as suddenly as he’d appeared in her life.

P
ART  
IV

Cornered

36

“Come on, pick up.”

Trigger had punched the number into the phone for the seventh time that day. Eve wasn’t answering any of his calls. If she didn’t answer soon he’d have to go over there. The girl was scared, had a right to be, she couldn’t cop out though. There was no way around it, everything was on the line.

Eve answered on the final ring.

“Stop calling me,” she cried.

For a moment he was silent. He’d never heard such fear and desperation in her voice before. She’d cracked, after everything, she’d finally cracked.

It was Sunday night and as far as he was aware she’d had a date with Roman the night before. He had a bad feeling about what had happened. There was a bitter taste in his mouth thinking of her with him. Bad tastes asides, there was nothing he could do about it. He could watch, observe. 

He had to be hard on her, everything was hanging on her.

“What happened last night?” he pressed on. She didn’t answer. No response was worse than anything else; it was the no comment implicating imminent guilt. “Eve, I’ve given you enough time, you need to make your move. Weren’t you supposed to be with him last night?” 

“I can’t,” her voice sounded like a whimper. He figured straight away things had gone south last night. Perhaps she’d even gone as far as to tell Roman the truth. She wouldn’t, would she? She was fully aware of the consequences.

“You can.”

“I won’t.”

“Eve,” he breathed down the phone. “What happened for you to change your mind again? We agreed, didn’t we?”

“He doesn’t want me.”

“He does Eve, you don’t see what I see,” he ran a hand through his hair. “How many times have we been down this road? I can’t tell
them
no. They won’t accept it. There is no other way.”

“But”-

“Eve, I’m coming over,” everything about this was wrong, utterly and horribly wrong.

“No. I won’t be there,” her breathing was ragged as if she were pacing her room or moving swiftly.

“Eve, you can’t run away from this,” this time his voice held a note of desperation. “Eve?” Trigger didn’t get an answer, all he heard was the dial tone.

He threw the phone against the wall, it landed intact on the floor. Damn modern technology, where was the satisfying smash at the end?

He gripped his head, elbows up eyes skimming the place; he wanted to rip his hair out by its ends. What could he do?

Eve couldn’t do this, she didn’t understand the lengths these people would go to if they hadn’t already heard the conversation and taken evasive action.

There was only one thing to do.

He got in his car and stamped on the accelerator. The car jerked out and into the street, his attention darting from the road to the phone.

He pressed call again. Nothing. Eighth call. Ninth call.

The car blew passed a red light, horns blaring behind him.

It didn’t matter.

Eve was in trouble.