Sanctity (33 page)

It was nearly 5 o’clock by the time I
finished so I donned my shoes and grabbed one of Charlie’s old
dress shirts from the closet.  I brought it with me with me to
use as a kind of lab coat to protect my dress while I packed up the
pastries for the function.  It was still overcast but no
longer raining as I hurried back to the shop. I made sure to
lock up after I stepped in not wanting to be surprised again by
Victor or anyone else for that matter.

As I pulled the lid down over one of the last
boxes I heard a soft rap at the back door.  I smiled at Victor
as I unlocked it and shepherded him through.  “Well, that’s
everything,” I motioned to all the boxes. 

“Wow,” he said but he was not looking at the
desserts, he was looking at me.  I couldn’t help blushing as I
realized that it was an off-hand compliment directed at
me. 

“Oh,” I started unbuttoning Charlie’s shirt
to reveal my dress underneath.

“Very nice,” he smiled and nodded. 
“That is quite the color,” he reached into his coat and drew out
his tie.  He shifted it so that it caught the light at
different angles and I could see that it was nearly the same shade
as my dress.

A shiver of panic ran through me and I took a
step back. 

“Are you alright,” Victor stepped towards me
and took my elbows in his hands to steady me.

His hands were like ice where they were
touching my bare skin and I instinctively pulled a little bit
away.  “Yes, I’m sorry. I guess… wow…I just had a little déjà
vu there.  I feel like I’ve done something like this
before.”

Victor looked a little worried for a moment
but quickly composed himself, “I felt a little something like that,
too, the first time I saw you,” his words were soft and
calculatedly shy but I didn’t seem to notice their
falsity. 

To me his voice sounded reassuring,
comforting almost and I felt a touch of giddiness flood my
insides.  I just smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked me to go
with you tonight.”

He took my hand and gave it a little squeeze,
“Me too, let’s load this bonanza up so we can make the most of
whatever’s left of our night.”

Victor offered to drive and though it was
small and sporty we managed to fit everything either into his trunk
or backseat.  He was very careful not to turn too sharply or
to accelerate too quickly so that none of the desserts would shift
or get damaged during the short drive to his office.  He took
me to the lobby and had me take a seat near the
elevators. 

“I’ll be right back.  I’m going to see
if some of the servers can give us a hand bringing everything
up.”

I idly sat and waited and within a few
minutes he was back with a handful of the wait staff that had been
hired to help with the function.  They systematically gathered
everything up and as they stepped into one of the elevators, Victor
and I stepped into the other. 

Victor turned to face me, “They said they
will take care of everything from here and make sure it is all
arranged for display and serving so there’s nothing left to do
but enjoy one another’s company,” his gaze was very intense as he
said this.  He took a step closer and I got the impression
that he was going to kiss me but instead he just took my chin in
his fingertips and tilted my face from side to side.  I felt
like he was searching for something and trying to get the proper
light to see it in.

There was a little flash of revulsion in his
expression that my mind refused to acknowledge, “You have green
eyes,” he said.  “I’ve never met anyone with green eyes; grey
eyes but never green.  They are very beautiful,” he said the
last part too flatly and it didn’t feel like a compliment but I
smiled anyway. 

I was a little disoriented as he offered me
his arm and we stepped from the elevator.  For some reason it
seemed as if everyone turned to us at once, almost like they were
expecting us.  There was a slight murmuring from the people
standing nearest us sipping cocktails and daintily nibbling on hors
d'oeuvres.  In an effort to avoid eye contact with any one
person in particular I turned my gaze to Victor. 

Smiling, he looked down at me, “Are you
hungry, or would you prefer something to drink for the moment.”

“A glass of wine might be nice,” I tried to
sound poised but I was floundering in self-consciousness.

“This way,” as he led me to one of the bars
that was set up along the wall it seemed everyone hurriedly 
resumed their previous activities and that Victor and I were no
longer of any interest.  Red or white?”

“Red, thank you.”

He handed me a glass but only ordered a
mineral water with lime for himself.  He made a sour face as
he took the first sip, “Eww, that first taste is always so
bitter.”

“Yes, I know,” some of the iciness I’d been
feeling appeared to take a departure as Victor looked around and
began pointing out various members of his firm while explaining
their roles to some degree or other.  I tried to take an
active interest with the hope of keeping the chill at bay and asked
what I felt were appropriate and worthwhile questions.

Eventually, he turned the conversation to me
and asked me questions about where I was from and where I went to
school, questions about my family, my friends, my
relationships.  I got disconcerted when he asked whether or
not I was dating anyone and I tried to turn the conversation
away.  I asked similar questions about him; what his role with
the company was, where he went to school and so forth.  He was
not very forthright with the information he gave.  Most of
what he said was vague and consisted of one or two word
answers.

“Let’s mingle,” he took my hand and began to
introduce me around.

“This is my date, Lily Donovan; she owns the
bake shop down the street.  She made all the desserts for our
little party tonight.”

I heard this explanation more than once and
yet with every repetition Victor managed to make it sound
fresh.  I met a number of the attorneys, a few paralegals as
well as one or two of the partners that started the firm.  As
the night progressed and the desserts were laid out I became a bit
of a celebrity.  Everything was going over really well;
especially the cheesecakes and many of the guests were finding it
necessary to seek me out with their compliments.

Victor seemed irrationally pleased with the
notice we were both receiving for providing such a generous
selection.  I couldn’t help thinking that he was relishing in
the constant barrage of interest, almost as though he craved the
attention.  I myself was thankful when it appeared as though I
had fielded the last of my baking questions for the night and
Victor and I were able to turn our attention back to one
another. 

I think he sensed my weariness and asked if I
wanted to take a little break and sit down for a bit, “Yes that
would be nice.”

He pulled a chair for me and had me sit at
one of the nearby tables while he fetched another glass of wine for
me.  “Here you are,” he grinned as he handed me the
glass.  “So you were a big hit tonight,” he said, “I wish I
had known how popular you would be, I would have taken you
somewhere else instead,” he lightly chuckled,  “I feel like
I’ve spent time with everyone but you.”

I thought he was trying to
sound disappointed but it was not completely convincing.  I
wished I could make sense of whatever it was I was feeling, this
lack of sincerity in everything Victor did and said.  It was
all 
technically
 pleasing but not emotionally; something was
lacking.   “I feel the same way,” I said.  “I wish
we had more time to get to know one another,” I absently looked at
my watch and realized how late it was getting.  “Would you
mind if we called it a night soon?  I still have a grand
opening to attend tomorrow.”

Victor glanced around, “Yeah, sure, I think
you’ve made a memorable impression and I can safely excuse you at
this point.” 

His reply seemed odd but
again I ignored my inner misgivings.   I just smiled and
accepted his hand as he helped me up.  He said
goodnight
to a number of
people as we made our way to the reception area and the front doors
to the office.  Once we were in the elevator I began to
realize how truly exhausted I was.  The morning had been
emotionally draining and then working at the shop, topped with the
evening out with Victor; I felt like I was ready to drop
dead.

“Not yet,” I thought I heard him say.

“What’s that?” I was looking at the floor and
wrapped up in my own concerns for a moment.

“Hmm, I didn’t say anything,” Victor was
shrugging his shoulders at me.

“Gosh, I must really be tired.”

“Are you?  I can drive you home if you
like and if there is someone to get you to your opening.”

  “No, I would rather not put you, or
anyone else out.  Thank you anyway, it is kind of you to
offer.”

He smiled and pulled from the parking
area.  I turned my head away and looked out the window as we
drove along.  Now that the night was nearly over I found
myself confronted with the prospect of having to face Charlie when
I got home.  As I thought about what I would say and how
Charlie would react I began to realize that it was taking longer
than it should to get back to the shop.

“Victor, I think you missed the turn for the
cafe.”

“Did I?” he raised his eyebrows in mock
surprise.

“Yes, I’m sure you did.”

“Pity,” he said and continued to drive.

I was seized with apprehension as I watched
him and wondered what his intentions were.  “Would you please
take me to the shop, it’s been a long night and I would like to go
home?”

“Home,” he sighed, “I like the sound of
that.  I would like to go home, too.  Tell me Lily, do
you have a home; not a residence, not some place you live but a
home, with family and friends?”

“Of course I do, everyone does.”

“Do they?”

“Please Victor, you’re scaring me.”

He laughed and continued to drive.  I
wasn’t sure what to do, part of me wanted to unbuckle and jump from
the car but he was driving way too fast for me to make a successful
attempt without killing myself.  I knew I was helpless,
defenseless.  No one knew where I was, or who I was
with.  The people at the law firm would know, if anything
should happen to me, that I was with Victor, surely that must act
as a bit of insurance against anything too severe.

“No, it won’t.”

“What?” I asked.

“As far as they know, you were there but you
left with someone else.”

“That’s impossible.” I said shaking my head
in disbelief.

He looked at me; his gaze was viciously
intense, “Is it?”  My mind was flooded with the image of me as
I sat at the table just before we left.  Victor was handing me
my glass of wine and I snatched it from his hand and tossed its
contents into his face.  As I stormed towards the front door,
I seized Charlie by the elbow and dragged him along with me.

“Oh, now that wasn’t very nice of you, now
was it?”

“How did you do that?  It’s not
possible,” my voice was trembling with the terror.

“Hmmm,” was the only reply I received.

“Where are you taking me?”

He smiled, “Why, I’m taking
you home, of course.  I’m taking you
home 
Lily
.”

I started relentlessly casting for ideas as
to how to get out of the situation.  I instinctively knew that
there was something more to Victor than I was capable of dealing
with and quickly discarded every momentary option I
considered.  I decided it was better not to take any chances
until it was absolutely necessary since I had no idea how dangerous
Victor’s intentions truly were.

After a short time had passed I found that
the area we were driving in was familiar to me.  I felt like
Victor was driving me to Aunt Margaret’s.

“Humph,” Victor snorted, “Aunt
Margaret’s.  She is no aunt of yours.”

I turned my head to face him, “Please Victor,
she is old and helpless and I’m sure she has never done anything to
hurt you.  Please leave her out of this!”  My eyes stung
with unshed tears as I worried over Victor’s plans.

“You’d be surprised how cruel she can
be.”

“No, she’s never done anything unkind, not to
anyone, I know it!”  I was tempted to reach out and grab the
steering wheel and deliberately cause us to crash.

Before I could act though Victor struck me
with a ferocious backhand, “None of that,” he said.  I could
taste the blood as it flooded my mouth and trickled from the corner
of my lips.  Victor took a finger and crudely wiped it as it
dribbled towards my chin, “Mmm,” he sighed as he wrapped his mouth
around his bloody finger, “now I can taste why Michael loves you so
much.  I’m tempted to take you now but I’ve waited a long time
for this moment and it will be so much better once we’re all
together.”

“Michael?” I thought to myself.  “I
don’t know anyone named Michael,” I blurted out loud. 

“Of course you do, it’s right there,” he
violently poked his finger between my eyes.  “In fact, he’s
everywhere on you, I can practically smell him in your hair, on
your skin, in your breath.  How much did he give you? 
What did he do to you and how is it that you are still alive and so
distinctly his?

I was not completely clear as to what Victor
was saying but I felt the need to defend myself for the lie he
seemed to believe of me.  “You’re wrong.  I’ve only known
one man; there is only one man that I have ever loved.”

This declaration brought on a fit of laughter
when Victor heard it, “Michael will be very disappointed to know
that.  I’m sure he has been beside himself with grief sharing
you with Charlie all these years.  Now to find out that you
never really loved him.  I couldn’t have placed the cherry
more artfully on top.”