The Original Sin (Skye Morrison Vampire Series, #3) (19 page)

Archer sat across from me at the kitchen table and watched me silently stare at my food.  “Is something wrong with your breakfast?” he asked worriedly.

“I, uh…I’m just not very hungry,” I said, replacing the lid on it.

“You have to eat, Skye,” he said, gently chiding me.  “I left you alone for five days and didn’t make you eat during that time.  You must eat now.  You need nourishment.”  He set a beautifully wrapped, large rectangle box on the table beside me.  “Eat as much as you can and you can open this,” he smiled as I eyed the purple and silver wrapping. 

I reached out and gently touched the expertly curled ribbons.  “What is it?”

“Eat and find out,” he said simply.

With a sigh, I uncovered the food again and unenthusiastically dipped my spoon in the yogurt.  The yogurt was a little warmer than I usually liked and I wrinkled my nose at the taste.  It tasted old and unlike the quality I was used to.  I checked the label for the use-by date and saw that it was still two months away; meaning the yogurt, my favorite brand, should have tasted fine.

I pushed the yogurt aside with pursed lips and cleansed the disgusting taste from my palate with a sip of tea.  Even my tea tasted off and I frowned as I sniffed at the heat rising from the cup.  “Huh,” I breathed, surprised, as I sat back.  My tea even smelled unappetizing to me. 
It’s probably because I haven’t eaten anything in five days
, I silently considered. 
My taste buds must be off.

“What’s wrong?” Archer asked as I cut a square from my waffle using the side of my fork.

“Oh, um…nothing,” I shook my head, still deep in thought, and put the waffle in my mouth.  I slowly chewed as my stomach did somersaults.  The texture of the waffle felt all wrong and I wanted to gag.  Archer was watching me closely as I chewed and finally swallowed the vile mouthful.  “Are you going to watch me eat the whole time?”

“I’m merely making sure you get a proper meal,” he smiled guardedly.

I pursed my lips again and frowned as moved on to my fruit salad.  The fruit wasn’t very good, but it was a hell of a lot better than anything else I had eaten.  I managed to stomach down the entire bowl and pushed the plate aside when I was done.  “I can’t eat any more,” I sighed with a shake of my head.  “It’s making my stomach hurt.”

“You’re body has gotten used to being without,” he said gently and then sighed.  “That’s my fault.  I should have made you eat, but I wanted to give you your privacy.”

I covered the plate so I wouldn’t have to look at the food and turned to the box.  “Why did you get me a present?”

“I’ve had this for a while and was looking for the perfect time to give it to you,” he said with a small smile as he scooted the box in front of me.  “I think today is that time.”

I slowly pulled on the ribbon strands and unwound them from the box before ripping off the beautiful, thick silver paper.  After carefully folding back the silver tissue I gasped at the contents. 

“Louboutin’s,” I whispered in awe as I took the teal suede stilettos from the box and stared at the signature red soles.  “You bought me Christian Louboutin shoes?”

“Yes,” Archer said modestly.  “They matched the dress.”

I reluctantly set the shoes aside and pulled the dress from the box as well.  “Oh my word…” I blinked as I unfolded the beauty before me.  The dress wasn’t merely a dress; it was a designer Herve Leger by Max Azria teal and black bandage dress. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked back up at Archer.  “They’re so beautiful,” I whispered, biting my lip.

Archer relaxed somewhat and smiled widely.  “I thought you’d like them.”

“But…why?” I asked, confused.  There was easily five thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise sitting before me.  I had never received such an extravagant gift before.

“Why?” he asked, confusion playing on his brow as well.  “Because I love you, Skye.  I wanted you to have them.”  He said it so plainly and honestly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and my heart constricted at those three little words every girl on earth would die to hear come from Archer Rhys’ mouth…every girl but me.

“Archer,” I sighed, shaking my head as I moved to put the dress back in the box.

“Please don’t argue with me,” he whispered and I looked back up at him in surprise.  His voice sounded tired, defeated, and pleading…and it tore at my heart.

“I won’t,” I whispered back, surprising myself.  I had wanted to argue with him; argue about him telling me he loved me and that I couldn’t accept such an expensive gift, but I couldn’t.  The tone in his voice sent me backpedaling faster than I thought possible.  “Thank you for the gifts.  They’re really perfect, Archer.”

Archer stared at me a moment, appraising my mood, and finally smiled, genuinely relaxed.  “You’re welcome.  I want you to wear them for your shift at The Mausoleum tonight.”

My brow furrowed as I looked back at the dress.  “But, it isn’t dress code.”

“To hell with the dress code,” Archer said as he stood and placed a tentative kiss on my forehead.

That night, after painstakingly doing my hair and makeup, I shimmied into the dress and slipped into the world’s most perfect pair of shoes.  I sighed and bit my lip as I looked down at them and smiled.  I now owned a gorgeous pair of five inch pumps from my dream designer.  I walked over to the full length mirror in my closet and gasped as I took in the dress.  It hugged my curvy hips perfectly and accentuated my large chest with its tasteful plunging neckline.  The shoes and accompanying mini-skirt did wonders for my long legs.  I did a full circle in front of the mirror and for the first time in days, I genuinely felt happiness; I felt beautiful.

I heard a knock at my bedroom door and stepped carefully across the carpet to answer it. 

“You look stunning,” Archer said as his eyes slowly perused my body, head to toe and back.  “Absolutely breathtaking.”

I looked down and my hands and felt my cheeks flush hot at the sincerity of his words.  “Thanks,” I bit my lip as I finally looked up at him.  Archer was wearing my favorite charcoal gray suit with a white dress shirt underneath.  “You look very handsome as well.”

Archer held out his elbow for me and I timidly took it, allowing him to shut the door behind me. 

The drive to the club was relatively quiet.  Archer and I rode in the Escalade and were accompanied by our guardian Emrick.  Archer fielded calls on his cell phone and talked with other business men about their financing arrangements most of the time.  It was all very boring and I was glad when we finally got to the club.  I was looking forward to seeing my dancers and working with them tonight.

Archer took my hand as soon as we were inside and led me up to his office.  “I need you to work payroll tonight, if you don’t mind,” he said, sitting me down behind his desk with a secretive smile on his face.  “Whether or not you’re finished, come down at 9pm.”

“Why?” I asked, confused.

“You’ll see,” he smiled as he left.

I sighed and shook my head as I immediately delved into payroll.  I didn’t mind doing this part of my job, but I hadn’t seen Rachel in days and I wanted to see how she and Brian were faring in their new relationship. 

It was a few minutes after 9pm when I finally stopped and closed the office laptop.  I locked up the completed checks in Archer’s desk drawer and made my way down his private spiral staircase.

When I reached the second floor, Archer immediately spotted me and shoved a drink in my hand as he escorted me down to the first floor.

“What’s going on?” I asked, feeling a bit apprehensive at the unusual evening.

“Cupcake!” Nikki shouted as I reached the bottom of the stairs.  I saw her shoulder her way through the crowd and up to me.  She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly to her.  “I was starting to think you’d never come down.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked to see her.  Nikki seemed to work constantly, as did I, and we rarely saw each other lately.  I took in her tight leather pants and halter outfit with an approving smile.  Nikki looked great tonight.

“Archer invited me, Lyric, and a few other people out for the night.  He said that you had been working too hard lately and needed to have some fun.  How great is he BTW?  Rich, handsome, AND thoughtful!” she smiled brightly as she led me across the floor.  “He said everything was on the house, so we’ve been drinking it up while we waited for you.”

I turned back to look at Archer, but he was already upstairs and talking with a group of men in suits.  I silently reminded myself to thank him later.

“You won’t believe who’s here!” she squealed, drawing my attention back to her, as we finally stopped at one of the RSVP only, twenty-person party booths in the corner.

I looked around the table and saw Dean, Dylan, Zephyr who had his arm around a smitten Sissy Schneider, Lyric, my ex-boss Dan, my favorite ex-coworker Angel, and to my horrified surprise, my mother Grace Morrison.

“Mama?” I asked, shocked. 

She looked over and smiled at me tightly as she set down her drink and scooted out of the booth to hug me.  “Hello, darling,” she said fondly as she hugged me to her.  “You look…very grown up.  Did this dress not come with a shawl?” she asked as she took in the small straps, my bare arms, and visible cleavage.

I immediately flushed hot in embarrassment and took a deep breath as I tried to calm my racing heart.  I was still in shock.  I couldn’t believe my mother, of all people, was here tonight.  I gazed around the club at the scantily dressed dancers, cages, and clientele and I looked back over at her with slightly fearful eyes.

“Interesting choice of careers, darling,” she pursed her lips, obviously displeased with me working here.

“Um…” I mumbled with wide eyes right before Dean suddenly scooped me up into a bear hug.

“Hey, gorgeous!” he rumbled deeply as he sat me down and held me at arm’s length.  “Good God, that dress is amazing.  Whoever bought it for you needs a pat on the back.  They really did a huge solid for all us horny guys.”

I smacked his arm in horror and looked back at my mother.  She crossed her arms over her chest, unamused, and waited patiently as everyone else greeted me.

As soon as I was able, I excused myself and grabbed my mother’s elbow.  “Let’s go get you another drink, mama.”

“I believe that’s a good idea, darling,” she said as we turned and walked over to the first floor bar.

Hunter cleared us two barstools at the end of the bar as my mother glared at him with distaste.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, shaking my head.  My mother rarely came to Austin because she pretty much worked constantly and I was still in a deep state of shock at her presence.

“I got a phone call from your new boss, Mr. Rhys,” she said as she stared into my eyes, searching for something.  “He told me that you had been doing an amazing job as his Executive Assistant, and he wanted to gather a small group of your closest friends to thank you for a job well done.  He said that you could use a visit from me.”  I swallowed the huge lump in my throat as I listened.  “He is a very persuasive man, that Archer,” she pursed her lips.  “He wouldn’t take no for an answer and even paid for my airfare and hotel before he bothered to contact me.”

I nodded my head, fully understanding where she was coming from.  With Archer, you never really had a choice.  You did as he asked whether or not you actively chose to.

“He’s very high-handed,” I said as I took a deep breath.

“Very,” she cocked one eyebrow.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here, mother,” I smiled tightly as I reached over to hold her hand.  “I’ve missed you so much.  I haven’t seen you since graduation and I’m so sorry I haven’t called as much as I should.  Things here have just been a little crazy.”

Her eyes softened towards me and she smiled fondly at me.  “I’ve missed you as well, darling.  Your great aunt Anne has been asking about you.  You missed her 79
^th
birthday party last week.”

I cringed as I squeezed my eyes shut. 
Oh God!  The party!
 “Oh, mama…I’m so sorry,” I looked down at our clasped hands.  “Please forgive me.  So much has been happening…I-I completely forgot.”

She looked over at Hunter and Lochlan behind the bar and pursed her lips with distaste again before turning back to me.  “I can see that, dear.  Did you really have to take a job at a fetish club?”

“Mama, please…don’t be mad at me,” I begged fearfully.  I couldn’t stand to see disapproval in my mother’s eyes.  I had always strived for excellence and her approval growing up.  Her disappointment tore greatly at my already damaged heart.

“Darling,” she said, gripping my hand tighter, her eyes pleading.  “You are better than this place.  You are a brilliant, beautiful, college educated, talented young woman who should be working in city museums or at a university teaching.  You do not belong in an environment such as this.”

“Mother,” I began, attempting to reason with her, but she cut me off.

“Skye Everleigh Morrison, I did not work hard my entire life providing for you, teaching you, and guiding you, to have you stoop to such a level,” she scolded.  “I raised you better than this, young lady.  This place…it’s not normal.  It’s disturbing.”

“Not it’s not, mother,” I said as I took my hand out of hers and straightened my back indignantly.  “It’s just a style of music and dress.  The people working here are as normal and well raised as you and I.  They love their families, their lives, and they have morals.  What you see here isn’t a fetish club, mama.  No sexual acts are performed and/or even simulated.  Everyone remains dressed and well behaved.  It’s just a club mother, I promise.”

She sighed as she looked over at Hunter and Lochlan again.  She pursed her lips tightly and frowned before turning back to me.  “Still, darling…I do not like you working here.  Perhaps I’ll make a few calls when I get home and see if we can’t get you into something more…normal.”

“Mother, I don’t need your help,” I sighed, grabbing her hand again, pleading with her.  “This is only temporary, okay.  I’ve already given me two week notice and I’ll be out of here soon.  I was thinking about talking to Dan to see if I could get my old job back at Drop Kick’s while I worked on finding something else.”

My mother’s eyes widened at the news.  “Really?  You’re quitting?  What made you change your mind?  And, I’ve always liked that Dan.  I don’t understand why the two of you never dated.  He’s very fond of you, you know.”

I swallowed hard and looked away.  My mother had this uncanny ability to read every emotion on my face and I didn’t want her to see the pain etched deep within it.  Part of me didn’t want to leave, even after all the things that had happened to me.  It wasn’t just the $85,000 a year either.  “The Mausoleum just isn’t the right fit for me.  And as far as Dan is concerned, Dan is like a brother to me.  I love him, mama, but I don’t think I could ever be in love with him.  Our relationship just isn’t like that.”

Grace reached over and pulled me to her, hugging me tightly.  “Darling,” she sighed in relief.  “I’m so happy to hear that you’re quitting.  But you don’t have to wait two weeks; you can quit tonight.  I’ll support you until we can find you another job.”

“No, mama,” I shook my head, pulling back from her.  “I can’t do that.  That’s extremely unprofessional.  And you know I can’t take your money.  The townhome you bought for me was more than enough.”

“I don’t like these people,” she said, leaning in to whisper in my ear.  “There is something about them...”

I bit my bottom lip, part of me feeling the exact same way, but I would never admit that to her.  “They’re not all bad.”

“What can I get you lovely ladies to drink?” Hunter asked suddenly, and we guiltily jerked back from each other.

“Uh…mother, this is Hunter,” I said, politely introducing them.  “Hunter, this is my mother Dr. Grace Evelyn Morrison.”

“Doctor,” Hunter smiled and bowed his head politely.  “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hunter,” my mother returned the motion but without the smile.

“My mother will have a cosmopolitan and I’ll take a margarita rocks, please”

“Darling…the calories,” she chided and I swallowed hard before changing my order to a rum and diet coke.

“Coming right up,” he said, his brow furrowed at her comment to me, and went to make the drinks.

“How was your flight here?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.

“It was very nice,” she said, surprising me.  “Mr. Rhys arranged for first class accommodations.  He even booked me a suite at the swanky Driskill Hotel a few blocks from here.  Sadly, I cannot stay very long.  I’m in the middle of some important research and I left my assistant in charge of things while I came to attend to you.”

“I appreciate you coming, mama,” I said, feeling guilty that she had to drop her work to come here.  I knew how time consuming her experiments were and I knew how devoted she was to their outcomes.

“Darling, I love you,” she said, reaching out to cup my cheek; her eyes soft and affectionate.  “You are my only child and I couldn’t be happier to have such a responsible, terrific, caring, and beautiful daughter.  I know I don’t always tell you, but you are the very best thing that I’ve ever done.  I consider you my greatest accomplishment.  Having you brought a sense of joy and peace into my heart that I had previously never known.  Your birth completed my life Skye, and I couldn’t be prouder of what you have accomplished with yours,” she said before looking briefly around the club, “present situation excluded, of course.”

“Of course,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her neck. 

“Here you go,” Hunter said, setting our drinks down in front of us.  “Can I get you ladies anything else?”

“That will be all,” my mother said sharply, disengaging from our hug.  She did not like Hunter but I couldn’t figure out why.  My mother had never acted this way towards anyone before…well, not that I ever saw.

“Dr. Morrison,” Archer spoke behind me.  “I do hope you are enjoying your visit to our little establishment.”  I glanced over my shoulder at him and warned Archer to behave with a flare of my eyes.

“It’s very…unique,” my mother replied diplomatically as she picked up her drink and took a small sip. 

“I’m so glad you could come tonight,” Archer smiled tightly down at her.  It was painfully apparent that he didn’t like her very much. 
I wonder what happened between them.