Insufferable Proximity (46 page)

“Damn, that was painful.” Julian groaned in displeasure as he watched her cover her body with the dress.  “To bad clothes weren’t optional at the party.” he joked but she raised her brow with a frown, knowing that soon he would realize that clothes were optional. She turned back to the mirror to look at herself, she loved the dress and the way that the material hugged her body. Unfortunately, the front was a little too lo-cut for her taste. “You look amazing.” Julian said as he walked up behind her, his hands sliding around her hips, “how am I supposed to keep my hands of you today?” he bent to kiss her neck.

“You don’t think it’s to low-cut in the front?” she asked bending a little to see how much cleavage she exposed.

“Not at all, I wish it revealed a little more.” he said pulling the top down a little.

“My breasts look like they are ready to pop out through the top.”

“I won’t let them.” he said as he put his large hand over the front of her breasts, holding them in place with a grin on his face.

***

“This is where you grew up?” Julian asked Heaven as he looked up at the large mansion. The thick columns in front of the house were carved into nude women and the large, crisp-green yard was littered with lots of red flowers.

“We moved here when I was nine.” she said and realized that the memory was not as haunting to her. They walked up the stone steps and over to the grand front door and Heaven stopped dead in her tracks. “Julian, there’s something I need to tell you before we go in.” she took a deep breath and turned to him.

“What?”

“Well, this is, um, my mother is-” she was ready to finally admit the truth when the front door swung open.

“I don’t believe it!” Maude stood there, riddled with shock at Heaven’s appearance, “Sevigne? Is that really you?” she asked in disbelief, she had known Heaven over half of her life and had never seen her dressed up or even attempting to look feminine.

“How was that vacation Maude?” Heaven tried to change the subject.

“Oh shit, I can’t believe what I am seeing! Your mother is going to freak right out!” she squealed as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands, her fairy wings and partially clad breasts bouncing with her.

“Everyone calls you by your middle name?” Julian asked her.

“Yes.” Heaven answered.

“Don’t expect me to call you that.”

“I don’t.”

“I never will.” he said firmly.

“I know.” she rolled her eyes and led him through her mother’s house, and back towards the pool.

The party was in full effect just as Heaven knew it would be, the half-naked women, the couples having sex in the cabanas and a few groups making out in the open. Heaven felt the embarrassment to her soul as she stood there trying not to look at the nude woman run past them. Then to make matters worse, she noticed every female in eye sight had stopped what they were doing and were openly staring at Heaven. She knew it was just a matter of moments before they figured out who she was.

“Julian I have to tell you something very important.” she said and took him to a secluded spot over by the back door, “um, Julian this is a brothel.”

“I know.” he answered and she felt her blood boil.

“You know? How do you know?” she put her hands on her hips.

“How do you think I know.” he answered and she felt a strange unease. Had one of these girls here had sex with Julian? Knowing his sex drive it was possible that most of them probably had, she felt a deep disgust overwhelm her mind at the thought. “So why are we here?”

“Well,” she tried to think of a way to explain it, “I grew up here, my mother is the Madame of this establishment.” even though she had dreaded divulging that information, it felt as if a three hundred pound weight had been taken off her shoulders.

“Well where is she?” he asked not seeming the least bit shocked by her deep, dark secret.

“Did you just hear what I said, Julie? I grew up in a brothel and my mother is a pimp.”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked not understanding what the problem was. She was ready to open her mouth to repeat it again when they heard a collective gasp behind them and they both turned to see that a bevy of naked women had gathered around them.

“Shit.” Heaven cursed under her breath.

“Sevigne?” one of them asked

“Yes.” she answered, knowing they wouldn’t believe her if she denied it.

“Oh god you look amazing!” the woman smiled ear to ear.

“I can’t believe it.” another one cooed.

“You look so beautiful.” they all stood around her in awe as she pushed past them, not comfortable with the situation. At this point her comfort level had been eradicated and she was ready to get the hell out. Just when she didn’t think it could possibly get any worse, she heard an all too familiar voice cry dramatically across the yard.

“Oh dear god!” Sybille cried out and Heaven turned to see her mother doing her dramatic speed walk towards her, her aunt right behind her with a look of shock on her face, “Thank you for answering my prayers! My beautiful daughter!” she cried dramatically, going down to her knees in a gesture of thanks, a group of girls running over to her with concern.

“This must be your mother.” Julian grinned remembering all the things Heaven had told him about her.

“Yes it most certainly is.” Heaven frowned, watching the girls help her mother up as she continued to cry out her appreciation. Her aunt walked over to stand before her with a look of pride.

“My beautiful niece, you look amazing my dearest.” she said with a genuine smile as she hugged Heaven tightly then kissed her forehead as she always had.

“Oh my beautiful darling let me look at you!” Sybille squealed holding Heavens arms out, “I cannot believe it, what has happened? Is this a dream?” she began speaking in French, something she did whenever she was overcome with emotion. “Who is this? Is he with you with?”

“This is Mr. King, we work together.” she explained and both her mother and her aunt gasped in shock.

“Well hello Mr. King.” Coco grinned in amusement.

“Call me Julian.” he said.

“So are the two of you a-”

“Let’s go get something to eat.” Heaven cut her mother off, grabbing Julian’s arm and taking him over to the large buffet table.

“Pinch me sister.” Sybille said but Coco shook her head.

“It’s too early, I don’t want to jinx it.”

“What is going on here?” Sybille asked as both she and Coco studied Heaven and her date.

“The last person I would expect her to bring home is her arch rival at the firm.”

“I don’t care who it is, I’m just glad she is finally showing interest in someone.”

“You should care sister,” Coco frowned at her “he is a past costumer.”

“Of course he is what man isn’t.” Sybille grinned, “Besides he was only here a couple of times.”

“Three,” Coco corrected her since she never forgot a face or transaction, “but only two girls.”

“I don’t believe it, she just ate a heaping spoonful of strawberry shortcake.”

“Unbelievable.” Coco said shaking her head in disbelief. Heaven had never eaten at one of their parties, always complaining the food was too fattening. They watched them as they stood close together at the buffet table, Heaven was actually serving food to Julian, a menial task that she usually would never bother herself with.

“Look at her smile.” Sybille said with joy filling her, “I haven’t seen her smile like that since that day when she was seven years old.”

“And the day she passed the bar.”

“He does more than just work with her.” Sybille said, never missing the signs of romance, “look how intimate he is with her, she’s never allowed anyone to be that intimate with her.”

“Or get that close.”

The sun was bright, the water was warm and the scent of deep-fried foods drifted through the air. Heaven picked up a chocolate chip cookie and took a bite, she could not help but feel a bit of jealousy as she looked around her mother’s enormous back yard and wondered which one of these women had sex with Julian.

“So, how many times have you been here, as a customer?”

“Three.”

“So three women, huh?” she scanned the room again.

“No, just two, I was with one of them twice.”

“You liked her that much?”

“No, she was available and rushed down the stairs when I came that day.”

“Who are they?”

“I don’t remember their names.” he shrugged.

“Have you seen them here since we came?”

“No,” he answered, “but I don’t think I would be able to recognize them if I did.”

They walked over to her mother’s personal table and sat down, Julian immediately started eating, but Heaven braced herself for the barrage of questions she knew was coming.

“So, the two of you work together?” Sybille asked and Heaven sighed, knowing it had started.

“Yes.” Julian answered as he slowed down on his food, realizing the questions that Heaven had warned him about were on their way.

“So you’re just friends?” she asked.

“Sybille!” Heaven hissed through clenched teeth.

“No we are more than friends.” Julian answered to Heavens dismay and Sybille’s delight.

“You two are a couple?” Sybille dared to ask.

“Yes we are.” Julian answered her honestly and Sybille smiled from ear to ear.

“Then this calls for the celebration of all celebrations!” she stood up and yelled to Maude, who was just coming back from the store.

“No celebrations!” Heaven hissed, showing a glimpse of her old self for a moment and Coco grabbed her sister’s hand.

“You’re going too fast, please don’t mess this up.” she warned her.

“I can’t help it darling, I am just so excited.”

“Come on, one drink Heaven.” Julian suggested.

Sybille, Coco and Maude who had just gotten there were suddenly paralyzed with shock and unable to stop the gasp from coming out of their mouths. Sybille opened her mouth to speak but her sister grabbed her hand and shook her head. Maude just looked at the two of them in astonishment. Heaven never allowed anyone to call her Heaven. Who was this man?

“Fine one drink, but first, I want to give you a tour of the house.” She smiled and Julian nodded.

“Good idea.” He answered.

“Mother, I hope you can contain your excitement until we get back.” She said as she took Julian’s hand and then quickly led him away from the party. Once they were out of sight, Sybille turned to her sister.

“Pinch me!” Sybille cried dramatically.

“Only if you pinch me first.” Coco answered, still in shock.

“I think I am going to cry.” Sybille sniffled.

“I can’t believe it.” Maude said.

“I’ve never even heard anyone call her by her name before, it sounds so beautiful.” Sybille felt the tears welling in her eyes.

“I know and it fits her perfectly.” Maude blotted her tears with her candy cane striped napkin.

On the main floor of the mansion, there were a few scantily clad women, playing hide and seek with a gentleman, Heaven didn’t usually take that particular route, but wanted to show Julian the beauty of the house despite what it was used for.

“I don‘t want a tour, I want to see your room.” Julian said and Heaven grinned a little before leading him up the stairs to her wing.

“I have a separate wing from the rest of the brothel, it’s locked off and only for family.” she led him to her door. “My mother says it looks like someone slit a vein in here.” she grinned as she opened her bedroom door, and Julian was instantly overwhelmed by the red glow that illuminated the room. Everything in her room, including her walls was red.

“I like it, it’s definitely you.”

“Do you?” she took a step closer to him and he grinned as he pulled her even closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss, but he promptly picked her up and carried her to the bed. She broke the kiss, pulling back to look at him. “Does it freak you out that my mother’s a Madame?”

“Not in the least.” he pushed her hair back from her face, “But why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why do you think, that’s not something you just advertise. That’s why I didn’t want you come in the first place.”

“I’m glad I did.”

“Why so you can snicker at my humiliation?”

“No because it explains a lot about you.”

“How so?”

“Your virginity, your outlook on sex, it all makes sense now.”

“Oh so you think after meeting my mother once that now you know what makes me tick?” she asked defensively, still not comfortable enough with him being here to accept his analysis.

“No, but now I understand why waiting for sex was so important to you.” he kissed her lips as he pulled her to his lap.

“I didn’t want to make a mistake, I have seen a lot of girls make a lot of mistakes. I wanted my first time to be perfect and something I would never regret.”