The Phantom Phillipe

Chapter One-2

“Feeling better, honey?” Bella Lisa asked.

“I feel much better, Bella Lisa, thank you.”

Williamson put his arm around her shoulder and she cuddled up next to him. She whispered in his ear.

“Promise me something, Phillipe.”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll keep taking your medication.”

“Of course.”

“And… never cut yourself again.”

Phillipe nodded.

“I promise you, Bella Lisa. I give you my word. The Beast inside me is gone. I’ll never cut myself again.”

“Or anyone else, Phillipe. You won’t cut yourself or anyone else.”

“I vow to you, I won’t cut myself, or anyone else, ever again,” Williamson whispered to Bella Lisa.

They sat quietly together, holding each other, watching the bikes glide by and admiring the California coastline. Williamson’s good mood turned sour when he noticed the disapproving looks of couples strolling by on the boardwalk.

People notice the age difference between us.

He felt he had aged several years since the injury.

I wonder if the age difference bothers her.

Williamson thought about the nature of his relationship with Bella Lisa as he stared out into the blue Pacific. Just a few days ago, the passionate s*x between them was like a storm at sea, causing the waves to crash against the rock jetty in front of his condo, splashing sea foam high into the air. Then, after he cut himself with the shard of glass and went back on his anti-psychotic medication, a sense of calm seemed to prevail. There was still a strong attraction between them, but rather than it arousing their mutual passion, the bond between them was comforting now, like the soothing sound of the flat tranquil surf, forever emptying itself upon the shoreline and receding back into the sea.

Something’s different now. Something has changed. Is this what love feels like? Is our relationship coming to a close, or is it becoming stronger? Why can’t I have both, the passion and the tranquility?

Williamson breathed in, and squeezed Bella Lisa tighter to him.

I’ll wait until I’m better. I’ll get back in shape. There must be a way to get the spark back.

Then an impulsive thought entered his mind.

What if I asked her to marry me? Right here. Right now. But what if she says no? You’ve only been with her for a week. Are you crazy? You’ll scare her off. Get a grip on yourself, Williamson!

As if Bella Lisa could sense his conflicting thoughts, she turned and looked him directly in the eyes.

“What’s wrong, Phillipe? Something’s troubling you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.”

“Come on, Phillipe. Talk to me. I know when there’s something troubling you.”

“I suppose I’m just not used to feeling… weak around someone. Or being taken care of.”

“You’ve helped so many people in your life. Allow someone to help you now.”

“Ok. But…”

“Yes?...”

“Could we get you one of those loose slutty nurse outfits for you to wear, you know, the one where your breasts keep accidentally falling out?”

“Phillipe!”

“I guess we’ll have to wait until Halloween.”

“You’re so bad.”

“I am…”

Phillipe kissed her tenderly.

“Maybe we should head back,” Williamson said.

“OK. This was…”

“What, Bella Lisa?”

“It was nice. To be out with you, fully dressed for a change.”

“Nice for you maybe, not so nice for me.”

“If I allow you to dress me in those see-through clothes on the beach, the bicyclists will crash into each other, sneaking peeks at me.”

“That’s why God invented bike helmets.”

“You are a naughty man.”

“I am.”

Phillipe and Bella Lisa walked arm in arm back to the condo.

After a peaceful evening spent dining and relaxing in the Entertainment Room, they turned the TV off and then retired into Bella Lisa’s bedroom for the night. Perhaps since he had slept so long, Williamson woke up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep. He quietly got out of bed and took his medication. Williamson took a walk through his condo. He stopped in front of the refrigerator, opened it, looked inside, and then closed it. As he was about to head back to Bella Lisa, he looked down the corridor into the West Wing.

I don’t hear it any more, that f*****g voice in my head. It’s gone.

Williamson noticed the open door at the end of the hallway and decided to go into the room where he had cut himself. As he walked in, Williamson noticed the black door with the red trim had been repainted white to match the rest of the condo. He turned on the dimmer switch and the room was empty. Mrs. Potcia must have had everything moved into storage. His collection of knives and bondage equipment was gone. The thick mirror he had shattered with the hilt of a knife just a few days ago had already been replaced. The blood stains on the wood floor were removed. The smell of bleach still permeated the air. It looked like any other spare room in the condo.

It’s just as well. That part of my life is over.

Williamson looked at himself in the mirror. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his sunken cheeks.

God, I look like s**t.

Williamson walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He walked slowly back to Bella Lisa’s bedroom and cuddled up next to her warm body and fell asleep.

When Williamson awoke in the late morning, Bella Lisa had already left. He got up with a slight groan and took a Vicodin and a Clozapine with a swallow of water from his bed side. He walked slowly across the condo to his own bedroom and sat down at his work desk. He turned on his computer, read the business headlines, checked on a few of his personal stock holdings and called in to his office for an update. Mrs. Potcia sent him a message, asking if he would like breakfast in his room and he declined. He checked on the nightly reports from Firmin on the income generated at the Adam and Eve Club. It seemed like his business enterprises had gone quite well in his absence.

It’ll be good to get back to work.

A few hours later Bella Lisa burst into the room, full of energy, with a plastic bag in her hands.

“You came back,” Williamson said.

“Of course, I came back!” Bella Lisa said, sitting on the bed.

“What’s in the bag?”

“I bought us lunch. Deli sandwiches and chips. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Phillipe joined her on the bed and they ate their lunch together.

“I have such good news. First, I called the rehab center and the doctor said my Father is doing much better. They said in a few weeks he would be reevaluated for discharge. He apologized for all the things he said to me and wanted me to thank you for helping him break out of his drug addiction.”

“That is good news. The tenants are on a month to month lease so I can give them notice. Your Father can move back into his condo next month.”

“Wonderful. Thank you, Phillipe. Also, guess what? I got a job!”

“What? Really?”

Williamson felt his gut clench. He tasted the bitter aftertaste of his medication.

That’s it then. It’s the beginning of the end.

“Yes, I’m so excited. I got hired as a foster care social worker at Kid’s Care Social Services. I’ll be visiting foster children to make sure they’re safe in their foster homes and advocating for the parents to try to get the family back together, if possible. I thought I’d work there for around a year, and then use the experience to help on my application for the Master’s Degree program in Social Work at UCLA.”

“That’s a good idea. When do you start?”

“The training starts tomorrow!”

“So soon?”

“I know I promised to take care of you, but they have all these cases that need immediate attention and—”

“Don’t worry about me, Bella Lisa. I’ll be OK. I feel much better. But what about the job I offered you? I really wanted you to manage my charitable foundation.”

“I know, Phillipe, and it was very generous of you to offer the position to me, but I wanted to accomplish something completely on my own. I hope you can understand. You could write a letter of recommendation to help me get into graduate school, if you’d like.”

“Of course, Bella Lisa. Of course.”

She’s so young and happy about her job, her future. And I’m old. I’m an old man, compared to her.

“Where’s the office located?”

“It’s in East LA.”

“That’s a dangerous area, Bella Lisa. How did you get over there for the interview?”

“I took the bus.”

“What? Bella Lisa, why didn’t you ask for a ride over there?”

“I didn’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s a pretty dangerous area of the city to go to on your own. Will you let Cogworthy drive you to work tomorrow morning?”

“OK. It was a pretty long ride. And some of the people on the bus were staring at me. It did make me feel kind of nervous. Maybe Cogworthy can give me a lift until I save up enough money to buy a car.”

“Ms. Mauricio, I could easily afford to buy you a car—”

“No, I can’t possibly accept anything else from you until I’ve repaid my father’s—”

“I told you, you don’t owe me anything for—”

“No. I insist on paying you back. As soon as my father lands a job—”

“Why don’t we discuss it later? For tomorrow morning, Cogworthy will drive you. When I need his assistance to go back to work, you can borrow one of my vehicles and drive there. It will be much safer for you.”

“OK. I appreciate how concerned you are for me. Thank you, Phillipe.”

Suddenly, Williamson felt more like her Father than her lover. He wished he knew of a way to recapture what he felt was slowly slipping through his fingers.

If I could just keep her here for myself, alone, for the rest of my life.

“It’s my pleasure, Bella Lisa. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I wish there was something I could do for you.”

“Maybe you can help me later this afternoon. I want to make an appearance at my office and at the Adam and Eve Club, just to let the staff know I’m still around. Would you mind accompanying me, Bella Lisa?”

“I thought the doctor said you should have at least a few weeks of bed rest before going back to work.”

“I know, but I’m going crazy stuck here in this condo.”

“Oh really? I guess now you know how I felt, being trapped here as your prisoner. Sure, I’ll come with you. I know everyone will be so happy to see you, Phillipe.”

Late in the afternoon they took the limo to the downtown Los Angeles office of Williamson Investments and Real Estate Services. While Phillipe was in the shower, Bella Lisa called Andre Firmin to arrange a welcome back party. Firmin knew Williamson would not approve of the expenditure, even for a party for himself, so Bella Lisa used the rest of the cash Williamson had loaned her to pay for it. When the elevator doors opened, all 200 employees of both divisions of his company shouted, “Surprise!” Out of the corner of his eye he glanced slyly at Bella Lisa, and she raised her eyebrows innocently. Each employee stood in line to welcome Williamson back with a handshake and a hug. It was clear to Bella Lisa how much the staff liked and admired him. In just a few hours Firmin had been able to find a catering service to arrange the food. He even found a lively four piece jazz band that had set up in time to start playing as soon as they stepped into the offices. It took a few hours for everyone to pay their respects to Williamson and eat. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Before the party ended, Williamson whispered into Firmin’s ear and Firmin started tapping his glass with a metal spoon. Soon several staff members joined in the tapping of their glasses. The band ended their song. As the voices in the crowd calmed to a quiet murmur, Williamson walked over to the microphone by the band and said a few words to the crowd.

“Good evening, everybody. I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone in this room. This party was such a big surprise to me and it’s a great feeling being able to be back with all of you.”

Everyone at the party applauded warmly.

“Also, I want to say how much I appreciated all the flowers you sent me in the hospital after my accident and the kind words you wrote on the many notes and get well cards. I’m really proud of how smoothly the business has run in my absence. You guys are awesome. It’s due to your talent that we’ve become one of the most profitable companies in the LA area. As a matter of fact, you’re making me kind of nervous how well things are going. The Board of Directors might start thinking I’m overpaid.”