The Temp (29 page)

73

Roman was rigid on the drive back.

Eve squirmed in her seat. There was something about those guarded eyes, those passing looks he gave her. He had to know the truth of why she was here, nothing could convince her of anything else.

Yet, there was a slither of hope ingrained in her.

She wanted to ask what it was, wanted to know though couldn’t bring herself to do it. There was a line between them she couldn’t cross. They were not permanent and her existence in his life would be like a raindrop washed away by the ocean. The invisible line between them had never been more tactile, perhaps he’d already crossed it or perhaps he was merely giving her what she wanted by pretending this was real. Isn’t this what she wanted, the pretence, the belief it was real?

It never would be.

Roman’s gaze was steel grey, his hands white knuckled over the steering wheel. His jaw squarely set and it began to rain against the Audi.

After a while of hoping it was extinguished, his gaze didn’t stray to her again. 

She was in trouble. There were no many secrets she’d held on to, any one of them could have brought on this stony silence of his, any one, including the worst of all, she’d tricked him. She’d been standing on thin ice this whole time, hadn’t she? And finally she’d slipped through and she’d go under.

The Audi slowed outside the hotel. It was the first time Eve considered it an oddity that anyone lived in a hotel permanently. A hotel wasn’t a home, it was a façade.

Roman had secrets too.

He took her hand as she exited the car.

A hand. A feint flicker of a touch. It breathed in new life, new hope.

He walked her to the private elevator and swiped in his card.

Inside he turned on her. “Eve,” he pressed her against the wall, the steel hard against her back. Those penetrating eyes were dark opaque clouds. “I did what you requested of me.”

Eve didn’t understand. Both his hands pressed against the steel on either side of her boxing her in.

His heat radiated through his slacks. His gaze burned dangerously.

Even if something was wrong she couldn’t help the magnetism her lips quivered for. Her head tilted up calling for it. He was going to say something; it was on the tip of his tongue.

Instead.

Instead.

…

His mouth raced against hers banging her head against the steel, the thud shocking her spine. His hands were hard, unrelenting grabbing her thighs with claw like motions thrusting her up and trussing her to his hips. It happened so suddenly, so fast.

The mass thrust between her legs peaked against her paining to break free from his pants. The air left her in a whoosh. His lips urged hers pulling the life out of her, such desperation as he yearned and scratched beneath her as if he couldn’t get enough.

She moaned hard and shuddered as she came without meaning to. How could she? He wasn’t even inside her yet.

He yanked back, the air between them like an ocean apart. “Did you just come?”

Eve nodded and a tear slid down her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” he gripped her face with the same desperation a moment before.

“Don’t you ever be sorry,” his forehead pressed against hers hard and forceful. His hand was against the back of her neck. His breathing came hard and raging, a bull and a red flag.

“You’re angry,” she whimpered.

He drew back. “No. Yes. No. I”-he shuffled back, adjusted his pants and put his hands in his pockets facing the elevator as it slowed down to a halt. “Eve,” the way he said her name as if they would never see each other again. “I’ve held up my end of the deal. There’s someone here to see you.”

The cold wet wisps escaped her face in a torrent. She couldn’t process what was happening even as it happened.

The elevator pinged open and the world fell completely out of balance. Eve almost fell out into the foyer, her eyes glued to the person standing before her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

It wasn’t possible.

“Carra?”

74

“Eve,” Carra stepped forward.
The corners of her mouth curved up.
She’s here, she’s really here.

For a few heartbeats Eve could only stare, open mouthed, unaware of time, of the space, of Roman behind her.

“You’re here,” she finally said. Like an eternity had occurred between them and they were both the same.

The girl’s eyes glistened in the feint light. She was so different and yet so much like the girl Eve had known in her childhood. She was taller strung out and yet had the same eager eyes she’d had as a teenager.

“Well don’t just stand there,” Carra said. She stepped forward wetness brimming in the corners, her arms opening before them.

They embraced in an awkward hug, a repositioning of sorts, a new found awareness for personal space. It was odd as Eve touched the girl she had known from so long ago when hugging had been normal yet she hadn’t touched anyone so intimately as family in years. Years. So long without human contact, real human contact, how she’d longed for it.

Roman unlocked the front door and they walked in.

Eve trailed behind as Carra awed about the room. She turned back to Eve, her mouth opening, closing. Carra’s mouth slid up in an awkward smile. There was a glimmer of change to her appearance, a confidence and fear altogether held in place.

Roman placed a hand on Eve’s shoulder starling her. “I’ll leave you two alone for a while.” He didn’t look at her. Eve wished he would.
Please look.
She wanted him to stay, how could she say it out loud? She didn’t know how to act from here.

She hadn’t considered the possibility that having Carra here would happen so soon and so fast.
Carra.
She hadn’t thought this far ahead.
Carra.
Her long lost best friend who might be able to help her against the blackmailers, at least where the photos were concerned.

Roman closed the front door a moment later, a dull thud echoing up her spine.

Eve stared at the door a while before she remembered the girl in the room with her.

Carra was really here.

“So how are you?” Carra said, her fingers trailing over sculptures and furniture strewn about. She stood tall in a beige leather jacket and trailing blonde tendrils, her lips were nude and her make-up subtle, there was beauty there, refinement, enviable strength. Carra had always led the way.

They sat on the lounge. Eve smiled a forced smile, her hand holding onto Carra’s for dear life but nothing pulsed between them, the feelings were foreign and had so longer ago been shut off. 

“Where have you been all this time?” Eve said forcing herself to be blunt. A tear trailed down her cheek. “I thought something had happened to you.”

“It did,” Carra turned away and took her hand back unto herself. “So this is where you live?” there was a hint of indifference in her voice as she said it.

“No. The man who found you lives here,” it was hard to keep her voice steady. “I wanted to know what had happened to you,” she locked in on Carra again hoping she would answer her question this time.

Carra’s head fell. “I ran away after my parents died. It was very hard for me. I was hurting and I wanted to get away.”

“Why?”

“I was young. It’s how teenagers deal with things I guess.” Eve noted the way she gave a standard answer deflecting from herself and the responsibility of her decision.

“And?” she whispered.

“Things were bad for a bit. I learned to fight for myself and make a name for myself.”

“Carra what happened?” Eve took her hand again.

Carra smiled a dead man’s smile. “I live in Brooklyn. I work as a waitress and I’m going to night classes at the local college. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. I tried a year later, by then they said you’d been taken to your grandmother’s and I didn’t know where to look for you.”

“Oh,” her chest deflated. It was a lot to take in, after years of thinking the worst, living in denial. All this time Carra was living something close to a normal life and working in the same city. All this time…

It couldn’t be true, it couldn’t.
The photos.
Carra wasn’t telling the whole truth, how could she be? How had the photos come about? How had they…?

Eve took in a sharp breath, focusing herself, willing herself to say it out loud.

The photos. I have to know.

“Eve, how did you find me?” Carra blinked. “The man who left, how did he”-

“I asked him for a favour.”

“Evee,” she took her hand. Her lips tugged at the side in the Carra way Eve remembered. “I”-

“What is it?”

Carra’s brow crunched. “Evee, be careful who you trust.”

“What do you mean?” her gaze watered, her pulse picked up. Did Carra know of the trouble she was in?

“Eve, I don’t know how you found me, I’ve stayed hidden for a reason. Nobody can know I was here, do you understand?” the urgency in her voice caught Eve off guard.

              “Carra, calm down,” Eve place a hand on her. She’d never imagined herself to be the stronger one. Carra was forlorn in the grim light.

“I don’t understand. Who’s after you?” 

“It doesn’t matter, Eve you’re in danger,” Carra’s attention skittered round to the empty apartment.

“Roman’s fine. He’s protecting me.”

“Then someone else is out to get you. They know about your past. You only told me once but I feel you’re on the verge of something.”

“Carra you’re not making sense.”

“You’re in danger.”

“I know.”

“You do?” Carra narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t understand how you could know that Carra.”

“Trust me Eve. I’m trying to protect you.”

“Tell me what you know.”

Carra turned away. “I can’t. But if you tell me what
you
know, maybe I can help.” 

Eve looked around, they were alone. Roman had promised to give them privacy. She trusted he would. Eve looked into the eyes of the girl who once was the mirror image of her. They’d been like sisters, looked like sisters, if not twins at some point in their lives.

“I can’t tell you everything,” Eve began.

She would tell her as much as she could.

75

Roman leant against the front door.

He’d been there long enough; he couldn’t stand the wait any longer.
He couldn’t take it, he had to get away and give Eve the privacy she needed. Only then might she come back to him.

So he went down into the lobby of the hotel and next door where the bar was. It was almost empty tonight, how he liked it. He ordered his usual and began the wait. He nursed the glass of scotch and would for the next half hour counting the minutes until custom dictated it was ok to return to the apartment.

So much had changed recently, he couldn’t keep up. He’d never given someone privacy in his own home, for Eve he was willing to make an exception, there was something dark and haunted about her that she clung to and he was desperate to find out what it was.

Carra was his answer. Maybe she’d enlighten him. Maybe. He’d find a way. As time wore on he couldn’t get the image of Eve out of his mind. He could tell, as soon as she saw Carra, she hadn’t truly expected to see her again. It was either she didn’t think he could do it or she really did think the girl was dead. Carra only triggered more questions in need of answers. For the last half hour he’d been going over endless possibilities in his mind. He should think of other things, anything else. He told himself he wouldn’t get attached. He’d told Eve the same.

So why did he feel like this?

He sighed against the glass, fogging the sides.

Blood red swam in the corners of his vision. He turned to the creature as it stalked towards him. Yes him. It was heading directly for him.

His pupils focused, his mind awakened.

Her hips sauntered hypnotically. “Mind if I join you?” she purred in a lush accent he couldn’t place. She was a vision in floor length red with hair propped over one shoulder. There was something breathtaking about her and hinted of a world far from vanilla. The attraction was instant just like every man in her vicinity would feel it, she was nothing compared to Eve. Nothing. Not anymore.

“No, thank you.” Her fingers clasped over his forearm revealing red lacquered nails filed to a point. He could only imagine what she would do with those.

“I don’t take no for an answer.”

Roman squared up. “I don’t bend to anyone’s will.”

There was a flash in her eyes. He didn’t need to affirm himself anymore, it was inside him, a resistance towards this woman he wouldn’t have had otherwise. She wasn’t the girl upstairs, the soft innocent girl who waited in his penthouse.

“Liar,” she hissed and skulked away like a panther.

The old him would have watched her disappear, a flash of swaying hips, a douse of exotic perfume. He’d already banished her from his mind. Except for the word, liar. He didn’t bend to anyone’s will.
Liar.

*

The creature stalked out the bar minutes later and turned the corner. “He didn’t go for it,” she said, stopping around the corner from the hotel building. There was an edge to her voice.

“Perhaps you’re not as good as you claim,” said the man in the overcoat.

“Don’t patronise me,” she spat baring her teeth. “He’s taken.”

“I disagree.”

“He wears the look every man does when he thinks he’s in love.”

“Really? You’re that good, are you?”

“You wouldn’t recognise it if it slapped you in the face. You owe me.” An envelope was passed between them.

“Not anymore,” he said. “Perhaps, next time we can take this further.”

“Only if the price is right,” the woman spun on her heel and disappeared leaving the man standing in the alleyway.