The One (30 page)

"You've
got that right. For starters, you are going to send me that recording. I want
to hear it.
”
I demand.

“
Now, I have to leave, but trust me, I will
find some new ways to make you grovel. What you did was sneaky, borderline on
betrayal..." my voice trails away.

"I
know, and I'm sorry, I just wanted to protect you!" he exclaims.

"And
you did, so thank you. Don't forget to send me the recording. I have to
go." and I disconnect as Lily is pulling me towards the door.

"I
think we both deserve a drink now! All this plotting is making me
thirsty! I'm sure it's 5 o'clock somewhere!" she grins.

I
laugh. Thank God, she is here!

CHAPTER 27

Let it go?

Julian

“
Uncle
Juju! Uncle Juju!
”
followed by loud laughs was what woke me up.

Something
was bouncing on my California king bed, and already giving me a headache. I was
in the middle of a dream. What the hell was this noise?

I
opened my eyes slowly, only to be met with intense green eyes and the goofy
smile of one of my nieces.

Which
one was it: Emily or Emma? And more importantly: Why was she here? Was I still
dreaming?

"Uncle
juju!" came from my left, and another pair of green eyes was staring at
me.

"What?
... ". I cleared my throat, "What are you doing here? How..."

"Hello
Julian." said a clear, deep voice.

I
looked up, and right in front of my bed was Charlie Patterson, my brother in
law. He was looking at me with an amused smile.

"Charlie?
How...What are you doing here?" I asked with a hoarse voice.

I
was stunned.

"Well,
why don't you get up, have a shower and then we can talk? Frankly man, you look
like shit..."He replied, grinning at me.

"Nice
to see you too Charlie." I grunted.

"Always."
He lifted one of the girls, and continued, "Girls, let's give uncle juju a
few minutes to clean up, and we'll have breakfast." Looking at me, he said
sternly, "Fifteen minutes, Julian."

They
left the room, and I put a pillow over my head.

Shit!
Melissa was here! 

((~~!~~))

Cleaned, shaved, dressed and looking more
human than he had in the past four days. Julian walked into his kitchen greeted
by smells of pancakes and bacon.

His
sister looked up from the pan she was frying eggs in, and said "Hey
Jul," He didn't reply and just stared at her for a little while. They
seemed to communicate without words under the bemused looks of Charlie and the
girls. Finally, he said, "Thank you." She tilted her head and said,
"Thank Marcus."

Marcus
had rung her the previous afternoon describing what he had seen upon
going to the house. He mentioned the Belinda episode, and within hours Charlie,
Melissa and the girls were on the first transatlantic flight.

She
would be damned if she let her baby brother sink into the depths of despair
once more if it could be avoided altogether.

Julian
sat down between his nieces and said, "So, how are my two favourite
daredevils? What have you been up to? And I want to know everything!" They
both laughed, already putting on innocent faces...

Charlie
was watching him. Julian loved children and children loved him, it was a pity
he didn't have any.... Damn Belinda!

Once
they all had breakfast and the girls had been put upstairs for a nap, the
adults headed to the terrace to talk under the sun.

"So,..."
Charlie started.

Melissa
gave him a pleading look. She knew her husband. He was a straight shooter and
didn't like to beat around the bush. He would confront anything head on. She
also knew Julian. He didn't like being cornered; that made him dangerous,
distant and unpredictable. They all had a vivid recollection of the Belinda
episode.

She
interrupted and said, "Jul, have you made any plans for your
birthday?"

Both
men smiled, first looking at her, and then at each other. They knew what
she was doing, and they somewhat felt grateful for it. Charlie, because he
wasn't looking forward to voicing aloud the reasons why his brother in law was
falling apart, even though they would eventually get to that; Julian, because
it was a welcome distraction, and he'd take any rather than talk about
her
and what she had said about him.

He
hadn't planned anything for his birthday which was nearly 3 months away, he was
sure Frances was already organizing some sort of surprise party, and that
what he said to his sister.

She
frowned. He smiled innocently and said, "What?" He knew what was
coming...

"So,
she is still around?" Melissa asked staring at him, shaking her head in
disbelief.

"Yes,"
he said in a syrupy tone.

"I
see." she replied, anger lacing her voice.

"Mel,
just say it..." Julian continued, smiling.

"Well,
she's borderline crazy...I really don't see..." she stated, looking at her
nails.

"Charlie?
Can you tell your wife what any man sees in Frances?" he asked, looking at
his brother in law for help.

Charlie
chuckled and said, "Speak for yourself mate, I'm a happily married man,
and do not see anything in Frances Palmers... "

The
three of them laughed.

Charlie
continued, "Well, joke aside, man, you can do so much better. I mean,
I get she is Frances Palmers... but aren't we here to discuss someone
else?"

He
stared at Julian, holding his gaze.

There
was an awkward silence until Melissa hesitantly said, "Jul, we..."

"I
know. You are worried." he exhaled.

"I
know.
”
He smiled at them,
“
So
let's do this. What do you want to know?" he asked, making an opening
gesture with his hands.

Charlie
and Melissa looked at each other, and Charlie spoke first, "Is there any
news? Have you found her?" he asked decisively.

"Yes.
The investigator found her, and she made it clear to him she doesn't want to
have anything to do with me." Julian replied flatly, looking defeated.

Melissa
gave him a puzzled look and said, "But Jul, last we spoke you were adamant
this was it, she was the One, and now you tell me the investigator tells you
she wants nothing to do with you and you take it? That's it?" She
continued, surprised to see him cave so easily, "Then, why are you
depressed? Why did Marcus call me in a panic? I..." she added,
incomprehension etching her face.

"He
made me listen to a recording." Julian stated in an icy tone.

Charlie
repeated, "A recording? From her? Saying what?"

Julian
cleared his throat. These damn words had been playing and replaying in his head
for the last 3 days, he almost knew them by heart by now.

"She
was having a conversation with him, James
…
and he recorded it, for me, for his
report
…
In a nutshell, she says I'm a great lay but nothing else. I have no substance,
and she'd be foolish to ever fall for me. She is quite content with her life as
it is, and apparently there is a husband in the picture and from her own words,
she seems to love him..."

Melissa
lit a cigarette while Charlie poured coffee in their cups. This latest
development was unnerving, and Julian speaking quickly as if he wanting
the words to leave his mouth as fast as possible wasn
’
t helping in digesting the news.

"She
says she will have me arrested if I pursue her, calls me weak, and accuses me
of delusions of grandeur just because we slept together and I fell in love
with her..."

He
stopped, unable to continue, and turned his head towards his pool, unable to
face either of them. 

His
last words still hanging in the air, Melissa and Charlie exchanged looks. The
only time they heard Julian ever say he was in love was when he was talking
about Madeline....

Melissa
reached for her brother's right arm and said softly, "Jul, you are in love
with her?"

He
looked at her and then at Charlie, and admitted in a distressed voice,
"Yes. I know it's crazy, actually ironic when you think about it...!
”
 He looked up at the sky and added,
"The old man must be laughing his ass off, after all the women I bedded
and have toyed with, now it's my turn to feel like a bitch..."

He
got up declaring, "I need a drink. I'll be back in a minute." and
went into the house.

Charlie
and Melissa both looked at him, dumbfounded. It wasn
’
t even 10:30 a.m.!

((~~!~~))

I didn't really need a drink, I went in
because I could feel myself on the verge of exploding and I didn't want Melissa
and Charlie to see me like this. It was bad enough I had to admit I was in love
with a virtual stranger who had done the cruellest number on my heart.

I
calmed myself down, took an Evian from the fridge and went back to the terrace,
and said with more conviction that I actually felt, "I will be fine. I just
need a few more days."

Charlie
looked at me and said, "Julian, are you in love with this woman?" He
held his hand up and continued, "I mean, I'm talking the
‘
can't live without
’
kind. The
‘
If you could have any woman in the world,
this is the one you'd chose kind
’
...The
‘
she
’
s the first thing you think of when you
open your eyes in the morning and the last one when you go to sleep kind
’…
Because if the answer is yes, then a
few days are not going to change a damn thing. You need to decide if you really
want her or not, and if the answer is yes, then you do pursue her, regardless
of what some investigator or some recording says...You pursue her until you are
face to face and she tells you why you can't have her. Then you take it like
a man.... If the answer is no, then you let it go for good right here,
right now, and I guess, go back to Frances or whoever takes your fancy, but
there's no fucking in between, man..."

Melissa
looked at her husband with loving and understanding eyes, and I watched
her. This is what I want. This is what I thought I had with Vi, the way she
looked at me that night...

I
couldn't have been wrong, what I felt, what we both felt was real.

Charlie
is right, I can't let go of that.

I
look at them both and say smiling, "I feel much better. Nothing like
calling in the experts to put things in perspective...Charlie you'll have to
send me your bill, flights included. This was an expensive psych consult...
"

"Count
on it." says my brother in law and he adds sheepishly, "I can't wait
to meet her. I'm fascinated already!"

"You
and I both." says Melissa, with a wide smile, as she shakes her head
looking at the expression on her brother
’
s face.

I
grin and say, "Soon." already thinking about my next call to James
Marshall.