Dancing Barefoot (23 page)

"It's a recent development. He's not happy about it." She bit the corner of her lip, questions about where Jacques had gone consuming her thoughts. "I do trust Jacques, Sela. I need you to be on my side about this."

"Sides? I didn't realize I needed to choose a side, but if I do, yes, I'll have your back." Sela sighed. "Does he have any sexy friends?"

"Actually..." she thought of Carter and laughed, "he does. Do you like documentaries?"

"Does the man making the documentaries look like Jacques?"

"Well, no one looks exactly like Jacques, but Carter is handsome. He's British."

"Mmm...a man with an accent who makes documentaries. When does Carter come to town?" Sela scooted closer.

They filled the short cab ride with laughter and stories of Carter's past misadventures. But when she stepped from the cab, her smile faded.

Julie danced to a tune no one else could hear, her face full of rapture, as she hummed and twirled around strangers who looked like they were about to call the police.

"Isn't that your mother?" Sela asked, having only met Julie twice years ago.

Her heart fell to the bottom of her chest. She swallowed hard. "Yes, that's my mom."

She went to Julie and grabbed her arm, reassuring the onlookers that she would handle the problem. Sela walked next to her without saying a word
.

Jane stood near the door, a look of apology on her face, and said, "I'm sorry, Jessie, I called the police. I didn't recognize your mother and she was causing a scene on the street, actually accosted a man who she thought looked like someone named Edward."

"My dad," she muttered, ashamed that her friends were witnessing this. She had fought for years to hide this part of her life. "Edward is my dad's name."

"Oh." Jane and Sela said simultaneously, their gaze connecting over Julie's head.

Marc and Tiffany stood behind her. "Is there something you want us to do?" Marc asked.

"Just go inside, I'll deal with this," she said as a police car parked next to the curb. With a sigh, she looked at her oblivious mother and wished she didn't hate her and love her at the same time. "All of you can go inside, enjoy your night without me. I'll be fine."

"We'll come with you," Jane said, obviously feeling badly for being the one to call the police. "I didn't know...I thought she would get hurt or hurt someone else."

"Yes, we'll come with you." Sela studied her mom's upturned face. "What is she on?"

"Probably heroin, I don't know." She straightened when the policemen approached. She glanced around at the crowd they had attracted in front of one of the trendiest restaurants in town, noticed all the eyes that averted as she looked at the faces of the pretty and perfect.

"Who is responsible for this woman?"

"I am." She patted her mother's hand before relinquishing control to the policeman. "I am her daughter."

"I don't have a daughter!" Julie screamed, eyes suddenly wide and terrified as she glanced at the three women surrounding her. "Who are you? They're abducting me, they are. Don't trust them. They killed my daughter and are pretending so they can get my money."

Defeated, Jessica said, "She has no money. She's delusional."

Over Julie's head, she met Marc's gaze and stepped back when she saw him smiling as if enjoying their little show. He had sent his mother a car...and what else? Had there been some party treats for her to enjoy the ride? Only he knew the whole story.
Then she saw Charlie and his wife, Stella, standing the near the doorway. Marc must have invited them.

Maybe she had trusted the wrong person with her secrets.

She twisted the hem of her dress in her hands as they rode in a taxi behind the police car. "You two don't need to come with me, I've done this before a million times."

Jane gripped her wrist. "Why do you think you need to do everything alone?"

"It's okay to lean on your friends," Sela added. "I thought we were closer than this."

"It's not something I like to admit."

"Kind of like the fiance and the reasons you two ended so long ago? Kind of like that? I feel like you're two different people." Jane released her hand and looked out the window. "Marc knew and not us? How is that possible?"

She bit back all of the excuses she had used over the years. None of them felt right anymore.
"It's not easy being the child of an alcoholic," she whispered to no one in particular. "I spent my life either covering up for her or doing backflips trying to get her approval, all the while hoping that she meant it when she promised it would be the last time. I don't want to make excuses as to why Marc knew and you two didn't. It wasn't a matter of trust...it just happened."

"Is that why you went to Italy?" Jane asked. "Were you trying to break free?"

She smiled at the memory of her first hours in Italy. "I went to Italy because I wanted to see what it would be like to do whatever I wanted when I damn well pleased. I met a boy. We fell in love. I hung out with artists and adventures and we'd get drunk every night and sleep as late as we wanted. I created artwork I happily hung in a local gallery. I went there for myself and no one else."

"And you fell in love with a boy..." Sela pressed her shoulder against hers.

"Yeah, I did." She looked down at her folded hands in her lap and blinked back tears. "But then mom nearly died and I came home early. She tried to kill herself."

"Oh, my God, and you didn't tell us?" Jane again shook her head. "Would you have told us if she died or would you have buried her yourself with only Marc there to console you? Damn it, Jessie. You're not alone. We're your family, we've always said so."

She couldn't explain and right now she hated herself for feeling ashamed. She and her mother had had good times, too, growing up. It hadn't been a constant nightmare. There had been girls' nights where they'd paint each other's toes, watch chick flicks, and gossip. She'd loved those moments.

At the hospital, Sela worked her magic and convinced the police to let them take it from there.

"I hate you!" Julie spit at her. "Thorn in my side is all you are. I'm fine. You never want me to enjoy myself. I gave everything up for you, everything! You're the reason why every man left me. They couldn't stand being around you."

Jessica ignored her mother's rant and continued to fill out the paperwork. Sela and Jane stood at her side, obviously uncomfortable, which is exactly why she had done this alone all of her life. She'd never wanted to carry the label or have anyone think of her as a victim. Her hand shook on the pen as the insults continued.

"She used to always be drawing, that one. I left her alone with markers one time and she drew all over the walls, created an entire forest. I caught hell from the landlord for that one. Bitch." Julie laughed before losing her focus and muttering about Edward leaving and never coming back.

Finally, the sedative the nurse had given Julie kicked in and she became docile before their eyes. She handed
the nurse the final paperwork and walked to her mother who had drifted off to sleep. Gently, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"She used to be the prettiest woman I had ever known," she told her friends. "We used to dance in the kitchen while she made dinner and sometimes she would let me help her with her makeup before she went on a date. All she ever wanted was to be loved."

"Come on." Sela squeezed her shoulder. "The night is still young and we are not going to let it end on this note. You are the youngest associate partner in your firm's history and, damn it, we want to celebrate you."

"That's right, Jessie." Jane fell into step beside her. "I'm thinking we go old school, find some take-out and cheap wine."

As they left the hospital, she thought about Marc's smile when he had turned his back on her. All of the moments of suspicion she had ever had about him stirred to life and whispered a warning.

* * *

Ava had called for them to meet at the hotel room. Simone had flown to Los Angeles and, according to her text message to his sister, wanted an answer in thirty minutes regarding his decision. Considering it was Wednesday, she had jumped the gun on her ultimatum.

"What are you going to do?" Kevin asked after a silent cab ride to the hotel.

"Ava wants me to take the first option." He strode through the lobby, thoughts with Jessica and wishing he had been able to be with her and her friends instead of dealing with yet another Simone created problem.

"The first option?" Kevin pushed the elevator button and frowned. "Isn't that the one where you stand by Simone's side for the next few months and she paints you as a hero?"

"She tells the truth, you mean." He gritted his teeth. Ava had received the same package Jessica had and, not only had she been blindsided, but hurt that he had kept the secret from her for so long.

His attempt at protecting his family had failed. Ava had sounded furious on the phone. He leaned heavily against the back wall of the elevator and watched the ascending numbers.
He didn't want to take option one. He wanted to tell the world what a manipulative bitch Simone was, but that wouldn't exactly make him sound sympathetic.

"I want to go back to Italy, to Florence with Jessica, and work on our house," he
said, surprising both Kevin and himself. "Or stay here for awhile, maybe skip the Amazon trip."

Kevin cleared his throat and sighed, "You can't start hiding after this, no matter what Simone does tonight."

"Is it hiding to want to slow life down and be with the one you love?" He shrugged without looking at the other man. "I don't think it is. I think it might be the smartest thing I have ever done."

When the elevator doors opened, he led the way toward Ava's room. They had only ten minutes to reply to Simone's text
, but he knew in his heart what he would do.

Ava opened the door with a flourish, her normally put together facade worn away by tears and stress. She turned her back on them and walked into the sitting room where the television had been turned to the Entertainment Network.

"You have no idea how betrayed I feel by my own brother," Ava said as she handed him the phone. "You disappeared from my life, but then you refused to tell me where you had been. We were like best friends, not only siblings. For three years, you have allowed that woman into our lives and made us all treat her with respect. Why? What did your sacrifice get you, cheri?"

"I wanted to protect the family," he said.

"So you used your own trust fund when father could have probably made a few calls to save you?" She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "Now she is going to bring us all down anyway. Why her? Those pictures of you and her in bed...I don't think I can look at you ever again. What if Jessica sees those?"

"She has," Kevin said from his side. "She wants him to choose option two."

Ava looked between them both with disbelief shading her eyes. "I do not believe she would say that. Think of the scandal, Jacques. Your book and your exhibit are all about—"

"Finding the beauty in the world because there is more beauty than not," he finished for her and tossed the phone onto the sofa. "That is what I will say. I have my own side of the story, Ava. I am not a monster who murdered a girl—who happened to be twenty year
s old and overdosed on her own. I did not want to shame the family by letting you know what had happened to me so I took care of it."

Ava shook her head and paced, her blonde hair coming loose from the knot she'd wrapped at the top of her head. "You will take option one. I blame Jessica, too, and I am sorry for it, but I do. If she had stayed with you, then you would never have—"

"That chapter is closed, never bring it up again. We have moved on and so should you." He looked at Ava's phone when it beeped. Simone texted with a warning: five minutes.

"Ava, he can't give in to Simone's blackmail." Kevin grabbed the phone and replied, 'fuck you' before she took it from his hands.

"She will ruin the Sinclair name. Do you know how hard I have worked for Ava Sinclair Originals? Why should I have to pay for your sins? You say you thought of your family before, I'm asking you to do so again." She thrust the phone at him. "Tell her you will do as she says. What do you care if she hangs on your arm for a few more months? Perhaps—if we spin this correctly—it could become good for you."

"I'm surprised you would put your label over all else," he said.

"Only for a few months, until after the fall fashion week in September. Then you can be with Jessica again if you want. Please. For me. I have never asked you for anything—"

"Don't do this, Ava. Don't ask him." Kevin placed himself between the two siblings. "It isn't right. He did nothing wrong."

"You encouraged Jessica to intervene, to get me away from Simone, now you are contradicting yourself. Am I hearing it all correctly? I want to make sure I have all of the information accurate in my head when I am cursing you later." He looked at the phone.

Two minutes.

"You lied to us all!" Ava stomped her foot, looking like a deranged fashion diva dressed in all white. "I thought you had died and now I learn that you could have and we may never have known."