RICHARD
Richard couldn't believe it himself. He had not meant to go about things that way, like spilling the bean like that.
But, he wasn't regretting anything. Infact, he felt at peace with himself that he said it sooner than later.
He knew she felt the same way. Even as she kept denying it, he knew she felt the same.
It would cost him a lot to keep her.
As he got closer to his bedroom, he began to question his decision and weigh his options.
A lot could wrong.
A lot could go wrong, he mulled.
Simone was in the closet, when he entered the room. She was pulling on another shirt, a white shirt this time.
"You're finally here." Simone said, her voice still laced.
Richard didn't reply, he just stalked over to her side and gathered her hair out of the collar of the shirt.
She turned fully to him, her eyes searching his face for something. "Why do I have this feeling that you want to end things with me?" Simone asked, her voice thick.
Richard shook his head. It wasn't in denial. He most likely was thinking of what to say. "Simone..."
She gasped and took a step from him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're thinking it right? You really want to end things with me? Really Richard?" Her voice rang, growing shrill and unsteady.
"No... No. It's not like that. Don't you think we need a break from whatever this is?" He asked. It was a stupid question anyway, considering how her eyes were filled with horror and disbelief.
"A break? From whatever..." drawling out the word for emphasis, "this is?" She turned sharply away from him and faced the mirror to button up the shirt.
Her face was contorted with fury.
Advancing close, though still keeping a distance, he started. "Simone, listen to me. I know this sounds crazy, but I know you know it too. We need a break to get the clear picture of what is going on between us?"
She whirled around to him. "I know what is going on from where I'm standing. From here, I can only see a guy that doesn't want to get married and this is your way of kicking me out of your life." She spat at him.
Richard ran his finger over his hair. This was not how things were meant to go. She was taking things the wrong way.
She continued. "I love you Richard. I guess you've never felt that way for me."
Richard closed the distance and took her shoulders in his hands. "It's not like that, Simone. I just..."
"Was that why you let your secretary reserve a table for us at that restaurant?" She spoke so swiftly, Richard almost didn't get it.
But, when he did, his face was the perfect picture of shit!
"It is true Richard!" She gasped breathlessly. "I knew it but I didn't want to hassle you, but now..." She paused and walked past him, letting his hands drop from her shoulders. "I guess I was right. Is this why you never called me since that day? You didn't tell me Taylor was home... And the girl, Ava. I was shocked out of my wits to find her here."
She stomped into the bedroom and gathered her shoes in her arms. Richard had stalked behind her into the room. She stopped for a minute to look at him. "I love you Richard and if this is your way of telling me you want to end things with me, you should try again because..." She blew her hair out of her face. "I'm not breaking up, Richard. I'll give you two weeks to sort your shit out, but after that..."
Slipping her feet into the shoes and grabbing her purse and iphone from the nightstand, she approached Richard where he stood. "We're going to have a real talk. I'm leaving now. I have a morning show."
The way she switched had Richard frowning. She had switched as though it wasn't anything serious.
Placing a kiss on his cheek, she let herself out.
No goodbyes. No call outs.
Nothing.
He knew Simone wouldn't take it lightly, but he also didn't expect that show from her.
Weighing of options, again.
Now, Richard knew that he wouldn't go into something with Ava when Simone was still in the picture.
And his daughters?
His acquaintances?
He didn't need their approval, but he also needed it. He would be just lying to himself if he thought that no one would raise an eyebrow at him.
He let himself slump on the bed and let out a heavy sigh. He was forty nine for heaven's sake so he should be smarter and wiser.
He shouldn't be acting like a teenager who was asked out for his first date.
He'd gone on a lot of dates with different women, so he should know better. He really should know better.
Remembering that he had told Ava to wait for him at the kitchen, he made for his study to get something. Thankfully, they were the only ones in the house since Taylor had left earlier and wouldn't be back till much later.
Ava sat at the kitchen island, patiently waiting for Richard. He saw she had the bottle palmed close to her as if she was drawing courage from it.
She had turned her head to him when he entered. She started to stand but he urged her not to, taking the empty seat beside her he sat too.
"About what you said last night..." He started. "You said you have to pay off hospital bills..."
He paused as Ava nodded, watching him closely as she did.
She was thinking too. The same way he was. They were both in a corner right now and had to either go for it or be damned with it.
Her eyes were shadowed and her skin had paled by several degrees.
"I wanted you to have this. I wrote it last night." He slid something over the smooth surface towards her and saw how she fought with herself to even look at whatever I had written.
When she finally did, her brows deepened and she took the paper to peer at it.
Her eyes flickered to me, dazed. "You're writing me a cheque? Why would you do that?" Her voice was husky and her eyes were glazed.
Richard just gave her a reassuring smile. "I want you to have it. Do I need a reason to do that?"
"You're already paying me too much. I can't accept this," sliding it back to him, "what you're paying me will clear the bills. It might not be now but maybe by end of this year."
Richard clamped a palm over hers to halt the movement. "Then consider it another payment for your job here. You could call it the allowance for the next one year."
They stared at each other. Richard could read the confusion and battle in her eyes. Ava could read the sincerity in his.
Breathing the same air, the time ticking away without a care.
Ava finally broke the unspoken pact. "Are you sure? I... I don't know what to say." Retrieving her hand from his.
He smiled. Really smiled. "You can say thank you." Keeping his hand on his side of the island.
She smiled back. "Thank you." She muttered with the same sincerity she saw in his eyes.
He turned his hot gaze away from her, as if he was thinking hard about something.
"I..."
"You're right Ava_" he cut her off.
"About what?"
Training his gaze back on her. "About everything. You're just here to work and we shouldn't complicate things by diving into whatever is happening right now." He said flatly. His tone contorted and crisp.
Her face shadowed. She wasn't expecting that from the way her eyes fell to get hand and the cheque.
She suddenly sprang up and away from him, dashing to the counter.
"You're right. We shouldn't..." Her back was to him and her voice shook.
"Ava..."
She turned sharply to him, her eyes fierce. "I totally agree to it. We shouldn't be doing this."
Richard was a bit perplexed. She had told him earlier that they don't fit and now she looked...
Really looked like she would burst into tears.
"There are lots of odds against us. I'm forty-nine years and you're just twenty three. That alone, is enough to put out the wrong impression of things and I don't want you to face the brutality that comes from the media around me." He said evenly.
She swallowed.
He continued. "From the first day I walked into this place and saw you, we both felt it. But..."
"You really should stop saying those things to me. We don't fit!" She almost shouted it at him.
Richard slowly slid off the chair and took careful steps towards her. "Ava, you're beautiful and this thing here is what I can't wrap my head around. I don't want to hurt you."
She still looked fiercely at him.
But now, she had her jaw set and determined. "You don't know that." She breathed.
Stalking closer to her, he let his hand slide down her cheek and along her jaw, then down her neck.
Their breaths were becoming uneven, standing toe to toe, drowning in each other's souls.
"Sir Richard..."
"Whatever that happens right now will have consequences that we might not be prepared for." Cupping her face, he tilted her face, "do you know what I want to do right now?"
She shook her head, trying to keep her eyes on him.
Innocent. So so innocent.
He gave a little smile and leaned in. "I want to kiss you Ava."
Her eyes dimmed and she blushed all over. A bright pink burning from her neck to her face, then her ears.
"Me too." She bit out.
Richard wasn't expecting that. He almost thought he'd been knocked out of breath.
Knowing that was all he needed to go on, his left hand found their way to her nape, buried his fingers in her hair. While his free hand palmed the side of her face.
"There will be consequences, Ava." His voice hushed.
"I don't care." Her voice matched his but he heard the hesitation in them.
Taking the cue, he captured her lips and when the moan escaped her throat, Richard was certain about one thing.
They'll be damned.