Adam averts his eyes back to his plate. It had been a few days since he'd seen Devereaux slipping out of her office and since then he'd received the full report he'd been waiting for. The one that told him in deep detail the nature of Lola's relationship with Devereaux and her rise from the ashes to where she was now. It was an absolutely fascinating journey the details had literally kept him riveted. If anything knowing all of what she'd gone through to get to this point had made him admire her even more. In her own quiet way she was truly a force to be reckoned with. The only question left was could she be trusted? More importantly should he allow himself to fall in love with her anymore than he already had? He needed to know if he could truly trust her the voice kept gnawing at him. Was she still working for Devereaux? She seemed happier and more relaxed since the day he'd seen him leaving her office. Perhaps something in their relationship had changed? It could be any number of things that had somehow lightened her load how could he possibly determine what it was!
"What's the matter Adam?" Lola says looking over at his furrowed brow.
"I beg your pardon?" He says pulling his mind back to the moment. Lola smiles back at him laying her fork on the side of the plate staring at him pointedly.
"You've been unusually quiet all day. Is something bothering you?" She asked looking concerned.
"Business nothing more." He fluffs off and continues to slice into his steak trying to ignore the nagging in the back of his mind.
"Anything I can help you with?" She asks while resuming her meal. Adam shakes his head no.
"No, but thanks for asking. Just something I'm working on. You, on the other hand have never looked happier or more beautiful." He teases making her smile broader.
"You think so?" She asks her face brightening. It was rather a shame he needed to do this and ruin a wonderful evening but he needed answers.
"Yes, ever since the other day when I picked you up for lunch. Funny I thought I saw Devereaux St. Jacques coming from your office." He probes watching her for a reaction she looked startled and mildly upset before schooling her features back into her mask of nonchalance. He'd started he may as well finish it. He needed to know. Ever since the bid Devereaux had won over his he'd had this nagging suspicion he couldn't shake.
"Adam, you know I can't discuss my patients with you." She says trying to avoid his suspicion. Adam smiles to himself enjoying the little game of cat and mouse they were playing. He could tell by her response the small twitch at the corner of her mouth there was more there.
"Is he a patient of yours?" Lola smiles over the brim of her glass before setting it back down on the table.
"Is Mr. St Jacques ill" Lola looks back at him one brow arched. Exactly what was he getting at and how much did he already know? With his money and contacts more than she'd liked. Suddenly she felt trapped unsure what to do. Should she keep the pretense or just tell him?
"I can't tell you that either. Honestly Adam what's the sudden interest in the comings and goings of my office." Adan chuckles.
"Nothing my darling just trying to solve my curiosity. I mean you have told me that you've spent sometime in France I was just curious if the two of you had met before." Lola sits back in her chair smiling in astonishment.
"Adam, are you jealous?" Adam chuckles. This was something he might be able to use to ferret out what he wanted. He just needed to play it just right.
"As I said I was just curious is all." Lola blushes for the first time in a very long time a man was jealous because of her.
"You have nothing to worry about Adam what's in the past should stay in the past and Devereaux is definitely not apart of my future."
"So tell me Dr. Colgate what is a part of your future?"
"I was hoping you could tell me."
"I've never been much of a fortune teller but from what I can tell it's looking pretty bright." He flirts then chuckles enjoying the twinkle of laughter in her eyes.
"Oh how so?" She flirts back enjoying the evening they'd spent together as she had all the others before it. Adam was exciting, funny, passionate romantic he was like no one she'd met before. She was awed by intensity of the feelings she was developing for him which both frightened and comforted her at the same time.
"I'm sorry madame I can only tell you my visions as I see them it doesn't give me details." He chuckles making them both laugh before his tone takes a serious inflection.
"It's just that you've never really talked about your past and whenever I bring it up you avoided it like the plague." He looks at her pleading as her eyes avert his. He reaches out and takes her hand in his and gives it a little squeeze.
"Lola it's just that for the first time in a very, very long time I find myself feeling connected to someone. You don't understand how big a deal that is for me and I want us to be as honest and as up front with each other as we possibly can. That means I want to know everything the good along with the bad. And, I swear on my children's lives I'm not going to judge you for it. God knows I've done some things that would make, what am I saying does make most women run for the nearest cab!" He says with a laugh sliding closer to her as he speaks.
"I want this time, with us to be different. I don't want there to be any lies or any manipulations of one another because of them. I want you to feel you're able to trust me with anything and I need to feel the same way about you. You know me well enough to know exactly what I can do and what I'm capable of. Just like I'm positive Krystal has filled you in on every detail." He says as she nods in agreement.
"I could just have one of my investigators dig up every spec of information on, you leave no stone unturned as they say. What I want is to hear it from you." Lola stares at him seeing and not seeing him at the same time. He was right he could do exactly what he said. She could spend the time they had together always wondering always waiting or she could just tell him all of it now and be done. He was giving her an opportunity to start their relationship on an even level without fear. Without having to worry at every cross moment what he may have found out. Maybe she should tell him the entire story from beginning to end now. This way if he was going to walk away it was early in the relationship and at least this time she wouldn't have given any more of her heart to him than she had as she had done with others.
"Okay Adam whatever other plans you had for us cancel them. You can also let your staff know we're finished and to brew a big pot of coffee because this my friend is going to be a very long night." She said pushing her chair back and walking down the hall to the living room Adam following behind her not sure what pandora's box he had opened.
"Where are you going?" He asks finally catching up to her quickly fleeing back."
"To the living room!" She says pulling from him and heading into the room. She looks around quickly as the fading sunlight casts the room in long shadows perfect atmosphere for what she had to tell him! By the end of the evening they would both know where they stood.
"What the hell is in the living room?" He says coming in behind her as Lola makes her chosen spot comfortable by retrieving a couple of pillows from the sofa and places them on the chair facing it. She wanted to be able to watch his face as she unraveled her tail she'd know just by looking at him where she stood.
"Did you take care of the coffee?" She asks slipping off her shoes as she talks. Adam pulls the cord for the servant then gives him quick orders before ushering him out the room and closing the doors. Lola watches him her chin propped on her palm. Adam look about the room and take the only seat open to him. He wanted her story he would get it but she would be sitting in the power seat this time. She would have preferred to do it in the safety and comfort of her own home but, this was better. At least if things didn't work the way she hoped the memory of it wouldn't be lurking around every corner of her home.
Adam takes the seat on the sofa preparing himself for either the truth or lies looking at the expression on her face it was hard to tell which. From the distance she'd put between them his instincts told him it would be the truth. A liar would want to be close so they could give all the physical assurances when the lie turned south. No, his instinct said it was the truth he would hear. She wanted distance to avoid physical contact and interruption from them. She wanted her story to be fluid and he was going to give her every opportunity to do so no matter what lie she threw at him. He'd wait till the end of her soliloquy before saying a word. He was sure that by the close of this evening he would have his answer one way or the other.
"Are you comfortable?" She asks watching him squirm slightly in his seat.
"Yes I believe so." He says his patients with the dramatic turn the evening starting to wane. He thought, then shook off his inpatients. He'd asked for it he was going to listen patiently without uttering a sound. He just hoped he could keep that promise if she lied.
Lola looks out the window behind him. The sun had just set and the sky was lit with pinks and oranges fading off into the darkening sky reminding her of evening she'd first met Wellington. She closes her eyes and begins to tell Adam of the evening they'd met her jealousy and rivalry with Leslie Stockton. Her marriage to Wellington the birth and death of their child. Her depression, madness and alcoholism. Her attempt to kill herself and Wellington in the process. Her time in jail. What she'd done to Krystal and Babe. Her life in Louisiana and meeting Devereaux. How she'd saved his friend's life, in turn Devereaux had saved her and changed it. She told him what she'd had to do pay him back without betraying Devereaux's trust leaving out all the details of the bid. She'd also kept to herself the last deed she'd done for him but, she'd made it understood her association with Devereaux was terminated and she owed him nothing without betraying Devereaux's confidence. That was still business and anyone who knew Devereaux as intimately as she did knew not to betray him ever. What she'd told Adam had been the truth from beginning to end. If he had information on her he knew she was being completely candid and she honestly felt better for it. She felt cleansed and refreshed for having done it. Whatever happened with them from this point forward she had nothing to be afraid of and it felt good.
Adam listened to it all intently till the early hours of the morning when she finished. She hadn't gone into great detail of some of her actions which was understandable from what he now knew of Devereaux. Reviewing in his mind from the report he'd read he knew she hadn't left anything out. She'd closed her eyes and told it as if she was watching it all play out in her mind. There were moments when he had to stop himself from going to her. The tears began to stream from the corners of her eyes as she wept over the death of her daughter. He didn't even think she realised her face was drenched with her tears till she'd finished. He'd wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her but had fought the urge. He hadn't wanted to break the spell she was under. When she'd finally reached it's end her expression became relaxed, serene in fact. She'd taken a deep breath and opened her eyes then stood and walked straight to the end table and pulled a few tissues from the box and wiped her face then blew her nose. She took another deep breath then walked to the library table retrieved her purse and opened the closed door.
"Where the hell are you going?" Adam calls to her crossing the distance between them in three easy strides. Lola stares at him shocked unsure how to respond.
"You were so quiet....I thought you wanted...I wasn't" She stammers looking up him confused and fearful.
"You're not going anywhere." He whispers sweeping her into his arms and kissing her letting loose the passion that had been seething between them. Adam pulls at the thin fabric of her blouse as she loosen the buttons of his shirt. Raw animal instinct exploding between them. He maneuvers her away from the living room door kicking it closed behind them as he pulls her to the floor with him. He waited as long as he could and had the answers he needed tonight he would finally have the women he wanted completely, unafraid and unashamed.
*Copyright Takeitish Pine Valley Chronicles 2017
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