Personal Possessions, page 27
Elle looked directly in my eyes and stood, crossing her arms over her chest. Oh, so now I’m dealing with stubborn Elleny…fine, I can deal with this.
“Really TJ, to be honest with you, I really don’t care what you have to say and I really don’t think you owe me an explanation on who you do and who you don’t do. Just like, I don’t owe you an explanation on what goes on in my bed either. It’s not like we’re married. I would’ve liked to have known so that you could’ve used protection.
I’d had enough. She wasn’t being stubborn Elleny, she was acting as if she was a two year old who didn’t get her way. If she wanted to act like that, she was going to get treated like that. I walked over to her, picked her up and tossed her gently on the couch.
“I said sit!”
“Trevor McHale!”
“You’re gonna sit and we’re gonna talk, and don’t call me Trevor again!”
I demanded as I sat down beside her. I had realized that Elle wasn’t used to having someone in her life to talk things out with. I’m sure Bear wasn’t one that she could pour her heart out to, so she was used to making the decisions on her own, well that time was through. Now she was going to grow the fuck up and remember what a real relationship was about.
“I don’t have time for this bullshit, TJ. I have calls to make.”
I was going to try something new, something that was going to be as difficult for me as sharing was for her. I was going to ask and not demand. I reached down and grabbed Elle’s hand, placing it against my mouth.
“Babe….where did you go this morning?”
Elle looked at me, but didn’t say anything…just stared. I saw her eyes move over my face but she never said a word. I would’ve given anything to know what was going through her mind at this very moment. I turned her body towards me
“Elleny?”
Slowly, Elle raised her hand and cupped it on the side of my jaw. Gently she took her finger up against my brow that must’ve been raised and ran across it until I lowered it. I had still didn’t know what was on her mind but she was no here with me. She continued following the curves of my face, I closed my eyes and memorized her touch against my skin.
I could hear the leather under us so I knew that Elle was moving. I sensed her presence before me; she was now straddling me. I let her continue. I felt her lips against my ear as she pulled my earlobe between her lips. I knew where this was going to lead and I wasn’t sure that sex was going to make this situation any better…
“Do you like when I do that?”
…with her words, I changed my mind.
I didn’t answer her verbally, I ran my hands up her thigh.
“Hmmmmm, I take it that’s a yes.”
Elle continued to whisper in my ear. I had no idea what she was trying to do, maybe this was something she needed, to hold the power…well, if that was the issue I would allow it.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Trevor.”
Did she really want to know what I was thinking? Last time she asked me a question like that, she wasn’t too thrilled with my answer.
“Do you really want to know what I’m thinking?”
Elle sat back for a moment and looked at me, she wanted to know, she would know.
“I’m thinking what in the hell I have to do so that you will never leave me again.”
“Fuck!”
Elle blurted out at the top of her lungs. That really wasn’t the reply I was hoping for. Without responding anymore, Elle jumped off of me and headed for the desk. I saw her grab her purse and head for the door.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
Grabbing the knob, she found out that I locked the door. Elle turned to me and glared…hard. If she could’ve had laser beam eyes, I would have been turned into a pile of dust at that very moment.
“Nice Trevor….real nice.”
I just shrugged. I didn’t need someone walking in, especially Sara while I had Elle bent over the desk half naked. That would’ve not been a good thing.
Elle unlocked the door and walked out, I followed not far behind.
”We need to talk!”
“Go talk to Sara…I’m sure she’ll eat your bullshit up!”
I headed back to my office where the piles of work had started to dwindle down to nothing. I called some of my salesmen and told them what to be on the lookout for and made appointments for some meetings that would be held out of town.
I had gone dick hard all afternoon when I looked down at my watch and seen it was the middle of the afternoon. I looked out into the waiting area and saw Elle approaching. I didn’t say a word, she looked like she was on a mission.
“I have booked you solid on Monday until 4:30; Tuesday until 7:30 and you’re going to have to do signings all weekend long to even start to get ahead of this. I talked to Mary, she’s calling me a cab. I’ve had a shit day. I’m going to the hotel to work and then going to bed. Have a good evening.”
Ok then.
I decided to stay at the office until I thought Elle would be asleep. I was drained from the fighting, the fucking and then the whole healing bullshit Rachel slapped on top of me. There was no way in hell Elleny Barker wanted to be who she was…she wasn’t “that girl” anymore. I had to realize that as did Rachel. I brought up the internet and started looking through the news. I found the article of Angela’s death and started reading. I wasn’t into it a full sentence when my phone rang.
“Trevor McHale…”
Silence.
I wasn’t about to say it again, so I hung up. Seconds later, the phone rang again.
“If you want me to stay on the line you better start talkin’'…”
“Trevor…”
“Tasha?”
Chapter 19
I agreed to meet with Natasha for a drink because I needed her to understand that this was not normal and I was completely serious when I said that we were through; she needed to move on with her life. I forgave her for the shit she pulled over on me, but the harassment had to stop and there was no way in hell that we were getting back together…ever.
I looked at my watch before I left the car; eleven-twenty. I was giving her thirty minutes…tops.
I walked in and the bar was dark. It took me a minute but I found her sitting in a circular booth in the very back of the bar, she looked like shit. Her hair was a mess, she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days, and hadn’t had a bite to eat in weeks.
Her blonde head raised as I approached and she met me with a drunken smile on her lips.
“Tasha…what the fuck.”
“Come…have a seat.”
The words slurred from her mouth. She attempted to move around the table so that I could sit but ended up falling on the seat. Seeing as how she couldn’t even hold her head up, this didn’t surprise me.
“Tasha…how did you get here?”
There was no way in hell she was getting behind the wheel of a car. With her luck, she would get in a wreck, kill the other driver and would live, most likely in a vegetative state.
“Ah…honey, this is my home away from home. Now that you kicked me out…”
I closed my eyes and went to the other side of the wrap-around bench. I didn’t want to sit next to her and give her the wrong idea. Once again, Natasha tried to scoot closer to me, but again…that wasn’t what happened.
“Shit, next time I’m getting a fucking table.”
I could barely understand what she was saying.
“Natasha, grab your shit, I’ll take you to a hotel…or a friend’s. You really need to sleep this shit off.”
“I’m not going anywhere!!!” She screamed.
I turned around and all eyes were on us. Righting myself, I rolled my eyes. Talk about drama…this was enough to turn a man.
“Fine. What is it that was so important?” I replied quietly.
Taking a chug of the liquor that was in front of her, she smiled a wide almost crazy looking smile.
“You’ve been a very bad boy, Trevor.”
Natasha said as she waved her index finger from side to side.
I looked to my side and saw the waitress standing there.
“Can I get’cha a drink, hun?”
“Fuck off, Ginger…he’s taken.”
I looked back at Natasha, who now had her face buried in the rest of her drink. I ignored the remark and ordered.
“Jack…straight up…on the rocks, please.”
Ginger winked and headed back up to the bar.
I turned back towards Natasha wanting her to continue with what she was saying, I didn’t want to spend more time than I had to with her. She made me sick. I might have forgiven her; that didn’t mean I didn’t forget.
“How’s that, Tasha…”
She held up her hand as to ask for another drink as he face came back to me.
“You’re sleepin’ with a married woman.” She garbled.
I wasn’t about to have this conversation with her. First off, this was nothing that concerned her and second off, she was the last person in the fuckin’ universe that I would talk to about my personal life; true or untrue. I didn’t change my facial expressions or even glance away from her when I replied.
“I’m not discussing any of my details with you, Tash…now get your shit, we’re leaving.”
“Gonna take me back to your house so I can meet the bitch who took my place? Maybe that will be a waste of time since next week there will be another.”
She finished her smartass remark by laughing so that everyone that was in the bar could hear. That comment right there, let me know that whoever she was getting her information from was not a very thorough source.
Ginger stepped beside the table and place my glass of Jack down in front of me as well as another glass in front of Natasha. I wasn’t going to stay here any longer, so I leaned my head back and filled my mouth with whiskey.
“This reunion is over, Tash…you can either come with me and I will get you a hotel room or take you to a friend’s house to sleep off your self-pity or else…I’m walking out that door and I will make sure that I never hear from you again.”
“I know who she is, Trevor. I know her name is Elleny Jackson and I know that she is a married woman…” Natasha grabbed her glass off of the table and took a healthy gulp before she finished. “I wonder what her husband would think.”
I was furious. I flew out of that booth and across the table and got as close as I could to Natasha so that she would understand that I meant business here.
“I’m gonna say this once to you, Tash…you’re gonna leave Elle alone. You’re not gonna do anything, say anything as a matter of fact her name will never leave your lips again, or I swear to god…”
“Elle? Did you say Elle?” Natasha whispered.
Her face had changed. There was no more melodramatic threats of “I’m gonna tell on you”, this shit just took a turn for the worst. I knew it when suddenly, she became sober.
“Holy fuckin’ shit! It is her…isn’t it, THE Elle.” The obnoxious laugh that just happened five minutes ago was not more maniacal. “Well, well…I think I’ve stumbled on something here.”
She knew about Elle from the nightmares I would have. Waking up in the middle of the night as she laid beside me, hearing me scream Elle’s name…she wasn’t stupid, as she just proved to me.
I sat back down and rubbed my hand over my face, cursing myself for allowing my emotions to get the best of me. I should’ve known better.
“What do ya want, Tasha?”
“Oh…I think you know what I want.”
I uncovered my face and informed her of what was not going to be happening.
“We are not getting…”
“Oh, I don’t want to get back with you…shit…I thought for months on how not to marry you, but nothing I could come up with made it that I could drop you but keep the money…until now that is.”
She confessed as she finished off her drink.
Damn, didn’t see that one coming. I knew she wanted my money, but planning…scheming? I was in that moment shocked I was still alive.
“How much, Tash?”
If that was what kept Elle safe then Natasha could have it all. Money wasn’t worth Bear hurting Elle any more than he had already done.
“Two million.”
Shit, that was chump-change to me. I wouldn’t let her know that, but truth be told, she was the one getting screwed on that deal; she could’ve asked for so much more.
“Done!” I exclaimed.
“And the house.”
Fine, she wanted the house, she could have it. I hated that huge house anyways. Once I moved back down to Richland, I planned on using it as a vacation house, but that’s fine… I knew exactly what would happen. Property tax would come due, there would be no way in hell she could afford that high of a tax; she’d lose the land. I'd come in, pay the tax and own the property. That would chap her ass.
“Fine…the house, it’s yours. I will get with Sam tomorrow and have a check drawn up and couriered over; you can let me know where you want it sent. I will contact my attorney and have papers for you to sign, but you have to give me thirty days on the house. ”
She smiled that smile again.
“I will give you two weeks to get your shit out or else I will be asking for that as well.”
I made a mental note to be sure to add in the contract that this would be a final sale. She wanted stipulations…so did I. She was going to leave me and Elle the fuck alone and I would never hear from her again.
“Fine. This meeting is over.”
I stood up to walk away when I felt her grab a hold of me and hug me. I pushed her off, as she stumbled she laughed.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Trevor.”
As I walked away I flipped her off, never looking back to see what her reaction would be.
I drove to the hotel sat in my car for a moment thinking of what just went down. I didn’t regret one single decision that I had just made. If she would have asked for every fucking cent I had, I would’ve given it to her and never thought twice about it. It was only money…Elle and her children’s safety was so much more important. I left my car and bleeped the alarm planning on heading straight up to the suite; that was until I went to pass the bar.
I thought to myself that I would have one drink and only one. I walked inside and sat up at the bar and asked for a jack straight up on the rocks. The bartender nodded once in acknowledgement and went to pouring my drink.
I started thinking over the last couple of days with Elle; the conversations that we had. I thought about what she had said in the elevator.
“I’m here to work Trevor. I’m not here to fuck my boss. I’m finishing my job and I will leave as soon as the last contract is signed.”
Maybe that was the problem, I hadn’t made this personal enough. I got her here with the excuse of work, but the main objective was personal. I took a gulp of my drink and felt the burn down my throat. That burn had a totally different meaning now. I wasn’t using it to wash away the thoughts and visions of Elle, in fact…I wanted to remember every minute I had with her, this was to help me think of how I could repair her.
I thought back to the first time I saw Elle out on the street in Richland. I fell right back in love with her at that moment; I wanted to see that very look on her face again…all the time.
I held up my glass to the bartender asking for a refill. He did not hesitate.
I sat there in that bar for what seemed like minutes thinking on what Rachel said to me, how far Elle and I had come in the last few days and what the future would be for the two of us together. I looked down at my watch and realized it was blurry. I yelled at the bartender for the time and could barely understand the words that were coming out of my own mouth. I took it that it was my time to go pass out.
I didn’t realize how much I had drank sitting there, it became obvious as I stumbled to the elevator. Making it into the suite, I went directly into Elle’s room, there was nothing better than to wrap up next to her and pass out. I opened the bedroom door quietly walked in. I didn’t hear anything, so I walked as quietly as possible around the bed, when I tripped over something falling directly onto Elle’s side of the bed. I tried to catch myself, but my reflexes were slow and didn’t make it. I crashed into her…or did I.
I felt the covers, there was no one underneath them. I felt around until I could reach the light on the wall and I flicked it on. I began looking around when I realized the bathroom light was on…she must’ve been in there. I sat on the edge of the bed waiting for her, it didn’t take long for her to open the door and come into the bedroom.
“Hi.”
No response.
I approached her to give her a kiss and Elle turned her head.
Why was I not surprised that she was still angry with me from this afternoon. Elle flew around the room as though she had wings. She was throwing clothes on and off, putting towels on her head then pulling them off. Finally, she crawled into bed as I decided to take a shower, I’m sure it didn’t help that I reeked of cigarette smoke.
Finishing up, I headed back into the bedroom, Elle was already asleep. Quietly, I crawled in bed and pulled her up against me.
“I have a headache.”
Well, hello…I guess she was awake. Her response to me pulling her against my body humored me.
“And so it begins….”
I said to no one.
Quickly, Elle flipped over to look at me.
“So what begins, TJ?”
I lifted myself up so that I was sitting with my back against the headboard.
“The wifely duties of denying her husband….”
Elle brings me her eyes as she speaks; I’ve sobered up a bit now since my shower, so my words aren’t as garbled.
“I think you consumed way too much alcohol tonight with whoever you were out with. If you were smart, you would turn over, close your eyes and pass the fuck out. We have a huge day tomorrow.”
I put my arm over the top of her to try and roll her over so that she is facing me again as I roll I put my mouth up to her ear.
“Awwhhhh, do I detect a lil bit of jealous there, baby? You know I am all and only yours.”
