Louise: A New Beginning (2 page)

I don’t think I had ever felt so pissed and helpless. But I still decided to try my luck. I went to Paradise and asked for a meeting with the headmaster. Marlena turned out to be a real bitch. The moment I said I would like to help one of her girls, she said it was impossible, considering all the kids were supposed to live under the same conditions,
no exceptions
.

“May I at least send her a few small presents?” I asked Marlena.

“You may. But remember, you can’t send her anything too valuable. And I would highly recommend it be something she will be able to share with the others. Kids hate it when one has more than the rest of them.”

I nodded in response. “I’ll remember that.”

That day, I began to send Louise different gifts, hoping they would make her life at least a little more bearable while she had to stay in the god-forsaken place. I didn’t know what it was like to live a life like hers, but judging by what I saw and what my father told me about his own childhood, it was not even close to a piece of pie. I also sent Louise letters. They were supposed to keep her smiling, no more than that. Somehow, it was important for me to know that she smiled a lot, I just wanted her to be happy, even if, under her awful circumstances, it wasn’t often. Unfortunately, the biggest part of the problems we have when we grow up is the direct result of what we had to endure as children. And I never wanted to know that Louise’s future was ruined by the memories of her childhood. I knew neither my presents nor my letters could change everything, but I hoped she would have something good, regardless of how small, to remember from her life in
Paradise.

I never stopped caring about Louise. Year by year, I watched her grow up. After my father’s death, my life changed, I had to travel all the time, and I didn’t have much time to spend in New York. But even when I was not there, I asked Christopher to make sure that Louise was all right.

He took pictures of her, and then sent them to me. He told me about her breaking the curfew rules and sneaking into a confectionery to buy some sweets. Once he told me he saw her dancing in a train station. He didn’t have a camera with him, but he said she was so happy while she was dancing; people stopped to watch her and they gave her money. She always smiled and thanked them for their kindness. Christopher also said that every night on her way back to the orphanage, she would take a pair of black leather gloves from her pocket, and put them on just for a few moments, she would close her eyes and smile to herself; then she took them off and hid them in her backpack, or pocket. He said she did that even when it was warm outside.

I smiled at his words, but didn’t tell him that the gloves must have been the ones I gave her the day we first met. It made me so happy; simply knowing that she remembered me, made me believe that one day, when she was finally allowed to leave
Paradise
I would be able to see her again, and maybe I would be able to help her with her dreams about her future, or even just talk to her.

I always had that weird feeling telling me that my story with Louise was not over yet, that there would be a day where she and I would meet in a different place, in a different world, where everything would be easier. Or maybe it was just a trick of my imagination, I didn’t know. But the idea of watching Louise start a new and better life was quite alluring. I wanted to help her, I needed to know that she got everything she couldn’t afford as I child. Whenever I thought about her, I remembered my father, which I guess was another reason for my desire to do something good for Louise. He was not with me anymore, but the memories of him were so vivid in my head. I remembered every single word that he told me about
Paradise
, and I promised him I would take care of Louise.

I couldn’t help everyone from
Paradise
, even though I had enough money to buy the damn place, with the bitch Marlena included, but I didn’t know anything about the other kids
‘imprisoned’
there or their parents. But there was at least one child I could make happy. Louise deserved that, and I was going to be there for her when she was finally allowed to be free. . .

Present
day

Sometimes we spend our whole life looking for someone capable of making our hearts beat faster. We go to different places, we meet different people, we take chances; we win and we lose. But sometimes, one glance is enough to know it all, to see your future staring right back at you. And the moment it happens, everything changes: your past, your present, your future. Even the best of your memories seem to fade in comparison with those you want to make with the person you fall in love with, so hard it hurts to look away even for a split second. Because deep down inside, you already know that starting this very special moment, nothing will ever be the same again.

So it was with Louise and me. . .

I could have never imagined that the day we met again, after almost ten years, I would still be so fascinated by her. Of course, she was not a child anymore, but a grown woman, full of grace, and blinding beauty, who still believed that the world could be changed by a simple smile. That part of her, the fragile soul with big dreams still lived inside her. Not even her years in
Paradise
could change that. And the only thing that I couldn’t change was keeping myself away from her.

I gave her my word, I promised I wouldn’t try to control her life; I said I would wait for as long as she needed to understand what she wanted for her future, and if she wanted me to be there. . .and I truly hoped she did.

I had no right to keep her by my side, knowing how much she needed to feel free, for the first time ever. She had never had the right to make decisions. Now it was her turn to make choices. And I loved her too much to take it all away from her, no matter how badly it hurt to let her go, after all those wonderful moments that we had shared.

I still remembered the day my world changed completely. It was late at night in Paris, when a new e-mail popped up on the screen of my laptop. It was from Christopher, he often sent me e-mails with news from the States. The old man was so addicted to modern technology, he said he liked Internet more than making calls, which was not usual for a man his age, who spent the better part of his youth, no scratch that, his
life
without a cellphone in his pocket.

I hadn’t been back to the US in months, and I really missed my old friend, who had been with me since the day I was born. He was more than just a driver and the house steward; after my father’s tragic death, he became my second dad, my true friend who I could talk to about anything and the only person in the whole world whom I trusted more than myself.

There were a few files attached to the e-mail.

“She has turned into one stunning, young woman,” I read the only line written in the letter, and then opened the first file.

It was a photo of Louise. I didn’t need Christopher to mention who he was talking about, I knew it was about the girl I met years ago in one of the many train stations in New York. 

I looked through the pictures, and smiled to myself.
She has changed. . .

I hadn’t received any pictures of her in a long time. Christopher said that she was doing all right, but tonight was the first time in ages that he allowed me to see her again.

She looked so happy. Who would have thought that a girl raised in a place like
Paradise
could actually look so happy. She was smiling with that familiar smile that I still remembered seeing on her face years ago. The memory was so vivid in my head, as if it were just yesterday.

“Beautiful indeed,” I whispered, going through the pictures again.

I couldn’t stop staring at the new Louise, the familiar stranger who I couldn’t wait to know more about. Just like the day we first met, there was something about her, something special. . .about the way her face lit up at the secret thoughts crossing her mind, about the way she was looking at the entrance of
Paradise
, holding a small suitcase in her hands. She was happy to leave that horrid place, no doubt. She was finally allowed to start a new life.

I reached for my phone and called Christopher.

“I guess you received my e-mail,” he said, instead of greeting me.

“Yes, and hello to you too,” I said in response. “She’s left
Paradise
, hasn’t she?”

“This morning.”

“Do you know where she went?”

“No. But I do know that she was sent to work at a gentlemen’s club.”

“Make a list of all the clubs in the city, I need to find her.”

“Are you planning on coming here to see her?”

“Yes.”

There was a short pause on the other end of the line, and then Christopher said, “I knew it. . . I knew you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself from coming back to New York the very second I sent you pictures of the girl. . .”

I laughed into the handset. My eyes traveled to one of her pictures on my laptop screen. “You make me feel like a stalker. But all I want is to. . .make sure that she’s fine.”

“Right. . . Well, anyway, we don’t know where she is now, so I’ll have to do some research, and I’ll get back to you when I have more information,
Sir
.” 

I laughed even harder. Christopher rarely called me Sir. He usually did that only when he didn’t approve of my actions, and obviously tonight that was the reason for his uncovered irony.

“Why don’t you believe that my intentions about Louise are pure?”

“I know how obsessed you are with protecting and helping her. You have been all this time, and that was even before you knew she grew up and turned into one beautiful lady. And I didn’t say I don’t believe your intentions can be pure. . .”

“Okay, then just let me know when you find her, okay?”

“Of course, Sir.”

But the next time I got a call from Christopher, the news that he had for me was not even close to good.

“What did you manage to find out?” I asked, hoping he had the address where I could find Louise.

“I still don’t know where she is. It’s not easy to search all the clubs in the entirety of New York, you do realize that, right?”

“But you
do
have some information, don’t you?”

He would never call me, knowing it was the middle of the night in Paris, if there was not a good reason to wake me.

“I do. But, I’m afraid you might not like it… ”

“Just spit it out, Christopher. You know I hate waiting.”

“Okay, so. . .” He hesitated before continuing cautiously, “there’s one club,
The Dragon’s Kiss
, where they saw a girl with a similar description to Louise’s.”

“That’s great news, isn’t it?” I said excitedly.

“Not really. . . The thing is that the club is known for selling their girls into sexual slavery. . .”

“What?” My heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of Louise getting sold to the highest bidder into yet another life of sheer hell and torture. “We need to be sure that she is not there.”

“I understand, William. And I promise I will find it out as soon as I can.”

“What’s taking you so long? You have always been so damn good at tracking people down!”

“Yes, but this case is different. Almost all the girls who work in these clubs change their names; which, in turn, makes things so much more complicated.”

“Well, I don’t care, Christopher. I need to find her, do you hear me?”

“I do, Will. And we will find her. Soon.”

“Tomorrow. I need her address tomorrow. And I’m taking the next flight to New York.”

Back then, I couldn’t even imagine what my
‘tour’
around the gentlemen’s clubs of New York City would turn into. It was a nightmare, my very own, personal hell that I thought I would never be able to get out off.

One by one, we searched the clubs. There were so many people there, so many faces, they started to blur in front of my eyes. But none of them were Louise. Fortunately, we didn’t find her at
The Dragon’s Kiss
, which was a true relief. But there was more shocking news that Christopher was about to share with me.

“Remember the day you asked me to find out who her biological parents were?” He asked, when we were on the road to yet another club on our endless list.

“Yes, did you manage to find them?”

“Partially. I only have her father’s name.”

“Who is he?”

“You will never believe who it is. . . Fletcher Montgomery.”

“No freaking way. . . You mean, Fletcher Montgomery, as in the Democratic candidate for President of the United States of America?”

“One and the same, yes.”

That was the moment I found out the true reason Louise was raised in
Paradise
. That was also the moment when I realized how much I would need to do to protect her from whatever her father had prepared for her. I was sure a man like Mr. Montgomery would never let his illegitimate daughter ruin his precious career.

“It can be dangerous,” Christopher said, as if reading my thoughts.

“I don’t care. I promised my dad I would take care of Louise, and I’m not going to break my promise, and I care very little about who her father is, or anyone else but her for that matter.”

“What if she doesn’t want you to help her?”

I didn’t think about that. I was so busy thinking about finding her, I didn’t think about what would happen after we met again. I didn’t even think about her reaction to seeing me after the last ten years. Back then, I didn’t know I would be covering my face to keep her from knowing who I was. That was just a part of the game that I agreed to play for her own sake, the game that turned into something so much more than just a plan on keeping a promise to my father.

I did find Louise. I made sure she was all right. I took her away from
Le Papillon
, the club where she was sent to work for Drew, who also turned out to be her uncle. And somehow, I fell in love with her along the way. . . Since the very first time I invited her to dance for me, I knew I was attracted to her. I was older than her, I should have stayed away from her and her life, but I couldn’t.

I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing her again, about playing that small
‘Mr. Secret’
game with her. We both liked it, we both enjoyed playing it. And there was no way in hell I would willingly leave Louise. But then… She left me. With nothing but hope that I would be with her again one day.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, bringing me back to the here and now, and my reality. I looked absently at the closed door of my office and said, “Come in.”

“Good morning, Sir,” Christopher said, walking over to my desk and placing a tray with a cup of steaming coffee on it.

“To what do I owe your ironic use of the word good, this time?” I asked, taking the cup. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Not yet, but you will.” Christopher looked at me thoughtfully, and then he proceeded, “Don’t you think that she deserved to know the truth?”

My jaw tightened at his words. I knew exactly what he was talking about. “It’s too early. She’s not ready.”

“She
is
ready, William. Unlike you.”

I sighed and rose to my feet, going to the window to breathe some fresh air. There was one thing I couldn’t find the courage to tell Louise. We hadn't seen each other for almost five months. . . It drove me crazy, but I couldn’t do a damn thing to change it. She knew I was worried about her, as well as she knew that I couldn’t wait to see her again. But she never called, never even e-mailed me. Christopher was my only source of information. He kept looking after her. Unlike talking to me, she never refused to answer his calls. They even met a few times when Louise needed help moving into her new apartment and sending applications for colleges. Of course, she refused to accept help from me.
Stubborn girl.

“Did you talk to her about moving into my house?” I asked Christopher.

For weeks, I had been trying to get him to talk to Louise. The race for the election her father was about to begin in just a few days, and I had no doubt the man would do his best to make sure his secret daughter would not become a threat on his way to great success.

“You know she would never agree to live with you, under the same roof, at least not until she wants to do so.”

“Then make her want it!” I turned to look at Christopher. “We both know what is going to happen if he wins the election.”

“You still believe he would try to hurt her? Why would he? And why now? He had eighteen years to take care of this
‘problem’
, but he let her live. Of course, sending the poor girl to
Paradise
can hardly be called anything other than hell, but technically she is still
alive and breathing. . .
”

“You don’t understand. . . If he finds out that she’s found her mother, he won't stop until he
‘deals’
with them, just to keep his reputation intact. Separate, they are harmless, but together. . .together they are the power that can ruin his life, ruin
him
.”