Secrets of a Gigolo

14

Zachary sat in the audience with pride as he listened to Eliza preform. She had been practicing for this recital for weeks, and she was doing so well. Her solo was coming up, and Zachary couldn’t wait to hear it. Like many of the other parents, he held up his smartphone to record the performance.

Halfway through the performance, a body filled the empty seat next to him, but Zachary barely noticed. “She plays beautifully.” A woman whispered leaning over to speak to him so not to interrupt the enjoyment of the other parents.

Zachary looked over to see Brianna smiling back at him. “For Christ sakes.” He snarled quietly. “Why are you here?” He whispered back trying to keep their voices from recording on the video he was taking.

“I heard about the recital and wanted to see Eliza play.” She said with a sweet smile. He knew she was lying. Her presence here angered Zachary so much he couldn’t even form words to tell her so. Brianna pointed to the stage when Eliza stepped forward and began her solo. Zachary faced forward and watched Eliza play. It was a complicated piece, but she played it flawlessly he was so proud of her. “She’s very good.” Brianna leaned over to whisper in his ear.

“Yes, I know.” He snarled at her quietly. “Why are you here?”

“I told you I came to…”

“No, why are you here?” He demanded in a whisper.

“Because this is a public place and you can’t have me arrested for being here. I want to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk to you. I thought I made that very clear.”

“I know, and you did, but please hear me out.” She begged quietly.

“If my niece sees you it is going to upset her.”

“I don’t want to upset Eliza.”

“Then leave now before she sees you.”

“Not until you talk to me.” She refused.

Zachary frowned and looked at the stage. The recital was almost over. He wanted to record the whole thing, but it was looking like he wasn’t going to be able. He supposed he could buy the Blue-Ray the school would sell. He’d have to wait for a few weeks to get it but at least it would be full documentation of the performance with no risk of their conversation being on it. He supposed he’d recorded enough to show Eliza so that should satisfy the little tyke until he got the professional recording in the mail.

Zachary turned off his cellphone and tucked it in his pocket then he took Brianna by the arm and forced her out of her seat. They walked quickly to the doors at the back of the auditorium, and he escorted her out into the hall and off to the side making sure no one was around to overhear them arguing.

“There are five minutes until the end of the show. You have two minutes of my time. What do you want?” He snapped getting right to the point.

She reached into the large purse she had with her and removed a folded mess of papers. She held it out to him. “Your client's list.” She said offering it to him.

Zachary snatched the papers from her and looked around to be sure no one was within earshot. Even though his face was all over the news, he tried very hard to keep his sorted business affairs separate from his private life. He didn’t want people to think less of Eliza because of what he did.

“You could have picked a better place to give this to me.” He growled as he opened the door to the school office next to them. It was empty since it was well after school hours. He went inside, and Brianna followed. Zachary walked behind the desk and found a paper shredder. Zachary turned on the shredder and filtered each of the ten pages through the shredder destroying the list. He looked up at Brianna as he turned off the shredder. “I imagine you made copies?”

“No.” She said shaking her head. “That was the only one.”

“Maybe but I bet it’s saved to your computer so you can print it out again.”

She shook her head again. “I deleted it.”

“Then I can only imagine it has already served its purpose.” He said coming out from behind the desk and left the office stepping back out into the hallway.

“I read it, but I didn’t call anyone.” She confessed. “I didn’t print any names either.” She looked down at her fidgeting hands. “I’ve decided not to write the article anymore.”

That surprised him. He folded his arms a little leery about taking her at face value. He’d done that once, and it had backfired on him. “Did your editor find a better story?”

Brianna shook her head. “No. I felt bad about exploiting your life to further my career. So, I decided not to write the article.”

He was genuinely surprised by her confession. “What about your career?”

She sighed. “Well, it means I’ll be stuck at BBQ hut a little longer than I’d like but I’ll find another way to get back into the game. I don’t want to be one of those people that succeeds in life only by stepping on other people.”

Zachary didn’t know how to feel about what she was telling him. He was glad she had decided not to write the article, but he didn’t know if he believed her sincerity. He had made the mistake of trusting her once. He didn’t want to play the sucker twice.

“Look Zac; I am so very sorry that I betrayed your trust and took that list. I was so caught up in getting my job back that I hurt you and I don’t like the person that made me. So even if you can never forgive me, I just wanted the chance to tell you I am sorry. I really do like you and I know I lost a great opportunity to get to know a great guy and I’ll forever have to live with that.” Brianna placed her hand on his chest and stood up on her toes so she could place a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Good-bye Zac.” She whispered in his ear and then stepped around him and walked away leaving him conflicted and alone in the hallway.

Zachary went back into the auditorium as the audience rose and applauded the young musicians. Zachary clapped along with everyone else and then he went backstage to collect his niece. Eliza came trotting down the stage steps in her little black and white dress her dark curls bobbing on her shoulders. “Did you see me? Did you see me, Uncle Zac?”

“I did. You were very good. See all that practice paid off.” He said taking her violin case from her. He took her little hand in his. “What do you say we surprise Esmerelda and bring home some Chinese food for supper tonight?”

“Yeah.” She said excitedly bouncing up and down. “Since it’s the weekend and I have no school tomorrow can we rent a movie?”

“I have to go out tonight.” He told her regretfully.

Eliza cast her eyes down and frowned. “Ok.”

“Don’t sulk.” He told her as he knelt and took her chin in his fingers to make her look up at him. “How about I make you a deal. I have to go to work tonight, but tomorrow, if you’re a good girl, we’ll go to a movie.”

“In the theatre?” She asked hopefully.

“Yes, and we’ll get those chocolate covered peanuts you like so much.”

“And can I have pop instead of juice?” She asked batting her bright eyes at him.

Zachary rolled his eyes as he gave in. “Ok.” She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. Zachary wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted Eliza into his arms as he carried her out of the building and to his car. Zachary put Eliza in the backseat of his BMW. It was the car he always took out when Eliza was with him. It wasn’t safe at her size to put her in the front seat of any of his sports cars.

Before pulling out of the parking lot, Zachary called Esmerelda to tell her not to make supper then he called his favourite Chinese restaurant and placed a take-out order. By the time he reached the restaurant, his order would be ready, and he could grab it and go.

***

Amelia dropped onto the mattress next to Zachary catching her breath. She was content and sated which was all that mattered he supposed. He was more often than not left cold and unsatisfied. Over the years s*x had lost its appeal to him except when he was with Brianna. Lately, it had gotten to the point where he had to think about Brianna to get excited enough to do what he had to.

Zachary sighed and climbed out of bed headed for the hotel washroom. He bent over and turned on the hot water then stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain shut. Zachary stuck his head under the water and let the scalding water roll over his body. He reached for the soap and proceeded to scrub away Amelia’s scent from his body.

Lately, his job was getting harder and harder to do. Every time he went to bed with a woman, he felt filthy, and his self-loathing only grew. It was getting to the point where he couldn’t even look himself in the mirror. When he was in bed, he closed his eyes and did what he must on autopilot, but mentally he left his body and tried to pretend like he was elsewhere.

The past week he’d been toying with the crazy idea of quitting. But he knew he couldn’t do anything else. Too many people depended on him. He closed his eyes and stuck his face under the water. He was doing this for the people he loved; he reminded himself, he had to do this for his family. If he didn’t do it, he couldn’t provide for Eliza. Sure, he had money stashed away for the day he decided to retire and yes it would likely get them through for some time but eventually, the money would run out, and he would be back to the facing the fact that he had no employable skills and no way to maintain their lifestyle. Also, if he didn’t do it, his mother would turn Ansley out on the corner. If he didn’t do it, the drug dealers would kill Addie. These reminders steeled his resolve.

He turned the water off and got out of the shower. He didn’t look in the mirror. Zachary stepped out of the washroom and began to get dressed. “Are you going to leave me so soon?” Amelia asked as she walked her fingers up his back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. Bracing her chin on his shoulder, she nuzzled his neck, and Zachary shuddered with disgust. It was starting to get to the point where he disliked being touched. It was a signal Amelia misunderstood for lust, thanks to the practiced smile he forced when it happened.

“We should go on a vacation together.” Amelia purred in his ear as he fixed his belt. Zachary shrugged her off and reached for his shirt. A vacation? He really couldn’t think of anything worse than taking a vacation with this woman. “What do you think about seven days in Havana?”

“It sounds… um…” He sighed as he buttoned up his shirt. “Seven days… I don’t think it’s doable.” He didn’t want to be stuck with her twenty-four-seven.

“Because of your niece? Can’t you leave her with the servants?”

He’d rather not. “It’s just that after the robbery she’s been in a bad place. I can’t possibly leave her now.” He said pulling on his jacket.

“Well then maybe we can take her with us,” Amelia suggested. “I would love to meet her.”

Zachary turned to offer Amelia a stone-cold gaze. “My niece is NOT part of this world, and she NEVER will be. You will NEVER EVER meet her… EVER.” He made his position clear. He didn’t care if it offended Amelia. Hell, he didn’t care if she never spoke to him again after tonight, he had strict rules, and the number one rule for him was that this world of his never overlapped Eliza’s world and he would kill himself to keep it that way.

Amelia’s eyes widened with surprise at the venom in his tone and the anger in his eyes. “Ok, I will never suggest it again.” She promised.

“See that you don’t because if you do, this…” he said waving his finger between the two of them, “is over… finished… never going to happen again. Understand me?”

“Understood.”

“I’m leaving.” He said and headed for the door.

Zachary went down to the valet to get his Jag. On the drive home, Zachary was lost in thought. He probably shouldn’t have snapped at Amelia the way he had, but the idea of her meeting his niece had angered him. He worked too damn hard to keep Eliza out of his sorted affairs.

In six years, he’d never introduced a woman to Eliza… except for Brianna. She was the only woman he’d ever let into his life. And now he couldn’t think of anyone else. Zachary realized he wasn’t in his neighbourhood. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. At this hour the street was deserted and dark. It was a residential street lined with apartments.

Where was the hell he?

Zachary looked around, and then he realized he recognized the apartment he was parked next too. This was Brianna’s apartment. Somehow driving on instinct in his distracted state of mind had landed him outside her apartment building at three in the morning. He hadn’t meant to come here he just wound up here. Zachary looked up to the third floor. There was a lamp on in one of the bedroom windows. He wondered if it was hers.

What was he doing here? And why wasn’t he driving away? Zachary sat on the street gripping the leather steering wheel staring up at the window with the light. He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there when someone walked past the window reading something. The low light cast shadows around, but it was defiantly Brianna. It was mostly her silhouette, but the curtain was partly open, and he’d caught a glimpse of her pretty face.

What was she doing up at this hour? Zachary reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. He wanted to call her, but he knew he shouldn’t she was trouble. Zachary stared at the window biting his bottom lip with indecision. He’d taken a chance on her, and she had screwed him royally, he’d be a complete lunatic to do it again.

Zachary looked down at her number still programmed in his phone. He should have deleted it. He’d tried a few times but had never been able to delete it. In some strange way not deleting her number was like still having her around. Deleting it would be so final. It would mean it was over.

It should be over… shouldn’t it?

It was over… wasn’t it?

He looked back up at the lit window, and he looked back at his phone and sent Brianna a text message. He shook his head as he typed it out. What was he doing? He was a glutton for punishment.

***

Brianna was engrossed in book three of Zachary’s journal when she heard her cell phone beep alerting her to a text message. She had been pacing while she read wrapped up in the pages. Brianna walked over to her bed and sat down. With the pages in one hand, she picked up her cell phone to check the messages.

Her eyes widened as she realized it was from Zachary. She put the pages down on her nightstand and brought up the message:

Why are you still up? ~ Zachary

She was confused, how did he know she was still up?

How do you know you didn’t just wake me? ~ Brianna

Don’t freak out but I can see you through the window. ~ Zachary

Brianna lowered her cell phone and looked at her bedroom window. She stood up and walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain to look out. She saw Zachary standing in the street leaning back on the hood of his Jag with his cell phone in his hand looking up at her window. Surprised to see him she stood mouth agape and slightly waved down at him. Then she typed out a message to him:

What are you doing here? ~ Brianna

Just driving by. ~ Zachary

Liar. ~ Brianna

I don’t know I didn’t mean to end up here I just wound up here. I guess subconsciously I wanted to see you. ~ Zachary

Why? ~ Brianna

Can I come up? ~Zachary

Brianna cringed and looked back at the many stacks of papers with his journals printed on them. No having him come up would be very bad. He’d know she had stolen his journal and he would freak out. She wasn’t ready to let him know what she’d done. She quickly sent him another text:

I don’t think that would be a good idea. Why don’t I come down? ~ Brianna

She quickly put her cell phone down on the desk and pulled on a pair of jeans. She’d been ready for bed wearing nothing but her t-shirt and panties. With her pants on, she left her room and slipped on a pair of runners then took her keys and left the apartment.

Brianna reached the street, and as she came out of the front door, she smiled as Zachary stepped up onto the sidewalk and came her way with his hands stuffed in his jacket pocket. He offered her an awkward smile. “Hi.” He said quietly.

“Hi.” He looked down almost like an awkward adolescent. “What are you doing driving around at three in the morning?” She asked taking a step closer.

“I was headed home, but I ended up here.” He confessed.

“Headed home?” He lifted his guilty gaze to meet hers, and she understood. He’d been working. “Oh. I see.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about you. About what you said about not writing the article. It means a lot to me that you decided not to do it. And I…” He chuckled ironically and shook his head in disbelief, “I cannot believe I’m going to say this, but I want to see you again.”

Brianna smiled and took a step closer. “You’d give me a second chance? Even after what I did?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “We all do things we’re ashamed of. Hell, I do things I’m ashamed of every damn day. You made a mistake. And I’d like to think that if I trust you that you wouldn’t do it again.”

“No, I won’t.” She promised.

“I miss you.” He confessed quietly. “I know that Eliza misses you.”

“I miss both of you too.” She smiled.

He took a cautious step toward her. “So, what do you say we give this craziness another go?”

“With all the same conditions?” She asked. She knew she had to share him, but she still hoped against hope that he might be willing to do the monogamous thing at some point.

He frowned. “Yeah…” he nodded casting his eyes down in shame, “unfortunately.”

She knew he felt like he had no other choice but to do what he did and she hoped that one day soon she could prove to him he didn’t. But she also knew that until that day came, it was a fight she couldn’t win. It was a fight that would only drive him away. She didn’t want that. Brianna wanted to bring him in close and show him he was worth so much more than he thought he was.

“Is that something you can still live with?” He asked hopefully when some time had passed, and she had yet to say anything.

“Yeah.” For now, at least.

He looked up and smiled at her. “Yeah?” She nodded. “Why don’t you come over tomorrow, say noon? I’m taking Eliza to a movie, and I think she would love it if you joined us.”

“I would love to.”

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She half wondered if he’d try to kiss her, but he didn’t he just turned and got back in his car and left.

Well then, she should probably go to bed, or she would fall asleep in the movie.