The Path of Caleb Grey – Chapter 2: The Bitter Fragrance of Love
"So that night that, we went out for a drink and dancing and we talked until three am. You must remember that night Henry? That was the night that Dad made you arrange for more security members because he freaked out." Henry squints his eyes. Then shakes his head in remembrance.
"I do remember. Mike's intelligence told us that this Fernandez guy was trouble and we wanted you home. As usual you dug in your heals but you never mentioned that it was a woman that made you want to stay. As I recall you made the argument that this was your project and you were refusing to bail."
"Well that was true, I did want to stay because of the project. At that point I hardly knew Augustine. I was not going to run home with my tail between my legs because at that time there was just one bribe attempt. Remember I didn't know much about this guy at that point. Man was I naïve. But anyway…." I get up and go to my armoire in my bedroom and come out with the photo album I have hidden away. I can't bear to look at it, the pain it causes is too deep. But I want to share this with my brothers. I come out and hand them the pictures.
"Here. The front half are pictures of August, some of us together and the back half are of Vivi."
Ted gives me a really dirty look. "I swear to god Caleb…the reason for keeping this secret family of yours from all of us better me riveting and as legitimate as it can be or I will have your balls. Really? You have a bloody family album…your secret family. Any other little families you're hiding on us buddy? Jesus Christ. This is just fucked up."
"Okay Ted…let's hear him out. You know he will shut down if we keep being dicks to him. Whoa…bro…you are right about one thing…Augustine is…beautiful. God damn." Henry looks at the album and Ted looks over his shoulder at the pictures.
"Well at least your little secret was smokin hot…I will give you that. Open the back Henry. I want to see my niece that I didn't even know about an hour ago. Are you kidding me? She looks exactly like Delilah Mary. Oh my god they could be twins except your daughter has a darker complexion. She's beautiful Cal. How old is she?"
"She just turned four in September. Her birthday is the same as Mom's." I look over waiting for more wrath. She does look like Ted's daughter Delilah Mary who is also four and just a few months older. They look so much alike that it is the reason we are using her information for the passport. Ted is right in that they look more like twins than cousins. Henry whistles over the resemblance. Then does a double take.
"Mom's birthday? Oh your grave just keeps getting deeper." He stands up and rubs his hair. "Seriously…I am running out of words and forget what I just said to you Ted…I'm going to kill him. Caleb…keep talking before we need to get Amazon man over here to protect you." He looks at Tongo and pours himself another scotch – this time a full glass.
"Wait, I do have one question. Henry you said T was figuring things out. With what resources and how much does he know?" I am nervous about just who knows what. Lives are at stake here.
"Come on Cal. Just because Taylor is retired and getting up there in age doesn't mean he isn't still well connected." Henry looks over at Mike who leans forward and speaks for the first time since he has been in the room.
"Yes I still sit down with him on a regular basis and review issues with him. He has great insight. When I took over this job…what six years ago, I knew I would use him as a resource frequently. The same for Reid. When he took over for Sawyer, he knew he would tap into both his dad's and T's experience. Retirement hasn't kept either of them from worrying about you Caleb." Mike hints that Reid and Sawyer know what is going on too. "Yes, we had to tap into Taylor, Reid and Sawyer. Caleb…you and Tongo here have been very successful in having us on a wild goose chase. Hiding whatever the fuck you are really hiding. You frustrated the hell out of me. I had to go to Reid and use the GEH surveillance and intelligence. You left us no choice." Mike looks at me like he actually feels bad, but I know he does whatever Henry tells him to do. His loyalty is one-hundred percent to my brother so he can quit that bullshit.
I take a deep breath because I feel myself getting really pissed. "There was a god damn reason I kept this all secret. Do you think I gave a shit what you would all think of me morally…that I had a child with a woman you didn't know? This wasn't about that…this wasn't about being ashamed of my family or the woman I loved and the child I created. This has always been about Vivi's safety….your safety and a pact that Augustine made with the devil to keep me alive and our daughter protected. I'm not listening to anymore bullshit snide comments from any of you…you don't know the story….you don't know what we went through…and you have no idea how much this has torn me apart…being away from her and keeping this from you. So both of you…and you too Mike….quit with the judgmental shit. And you better tell old retired T and Phoebe's father-in-law, Sawyer, to stay the hell out of this before people get hurt. They don't know who they are dealing with."
"Caleb…listen we are just worried. We knew you were knee deep hiding shit again and we just couldn't get you to talk." Henry tries to placate me.
I am mad. So mad I feel my hands shake. "This god damn Grey conglomerate of a family I am in thinks they have the god given right to control everyone's lives and be privy to every detail. Well news flash big brothers…I am going to be 29 years old in two days. I am not a kid anymore. So either you both shut up and listen to what I have to say….or there is the damn door." I point to the door holding my scotch tightly with my other three fingers and stare my brothers down. "What's it going to be…because frankly…while I want to share this sad tale with you…and Tongo and I could use some other help…I don't have the patience to put up with much more of your bullshit." Both Henry and Ted stare at me like they can't believe I am challenging them. I don't usually, always playing up my role as the youngest. But not today. I have lived ten lifetimes in these past few years. I am not going to play the role of little brother tonight.
"Go ahead Caleb. I'm sorry…I can tell you have been through a lot. But this isn't easy for us either. But to your point, we should shut up and listen." Ted gets up and stands closer to me. He puts his hand on my arm and looks at me. "Seriously….continue. I guess I am feeling guilty here that I haven't been more involved in whatever this is so that I could have helped you sooner. But…go on. We are here now and we will see this through with you no matter what." I turn around and walk towards the windows.
Augustine had arrived before me. I worked out and had a follow up call with Uncle Elliot which of course prompted calls from Henry and my dad. Everyone suddenly was worried about my security. If this crooked politician who evidently had ties to the cartel realized who my father was, there would be no end to the bribe money and I was suddenly at even greater risk for kidnapping. I wasn't too savvy on just how powerful the Brazilian Cartel was…and how dangerous. But my dad tried to warn me and wanted me home immediately and evidently had quite the argument with my Uncle. Henry said Mike was sending over four more security team members for me…to appease my dad and that made me insane. I was trying to make my mark in the world. Prove myself and having a team of men following me around wasn't in my game plan.
I walked up to the table where Augustine was sitting typing a message on her cell phone. She was drinking a cup of expresso. I looked at my watch and it was going on 10 pm.
"Hey sorry to keep you waiting…I had to take a last minute call. Expresso? Man won't that keep you up all night?" I slid into the booth across from her and had my first glance at her. She was wearing a halter top that showed just enough cleavage to make my mouth water. She looked killer. Her hair was down and she had less make-up on then she had earlier. She looked casual and gave me a huge smile.
"I wanted to drink something that will energize me so we can dance the night away. I don't really drink alcohol. But feel free to order." I ordered a local beer and looked at her again.
"So…you are twenty-two years old. The only child of Estella de Costa. You don't know your father, you were born in Columbia when you were nine years old and you have been working at this job since you were eighteen. You live with your mother and your birthday is February 1. Oh….and you don't have a car but you have an ugly rusted blue Vespa." She looked at me with an open mouth gape. "Look Augustine…see that big guy over there…Tongo….you met him the other day. He isn't my buddy or someone I hang around with for the hell of it. He is my security…my CPO. The reason he is with me and the reason I am telling you I know this information about you is because I want to make sure upfront you know who my father is and why the security."
"Is your father cartel? I mean I knew you were important because the hotel manifest said VIP next to your name and you are staying in the most expensive suite we have. But I don't know much more. I am not a nosey person. But I don't like that you know so much about me. It makes me feel nervous." She pushed her cup of expresso away and started to get up. I softly grabbed her wrist.
"No…please listen. My father is not part of any illegal organization. Here…look." I showed her Wikipedia on my phone and my dad's background. "My dad is a self-made billionaire who is one of the wealthiest men in the world. There are people who look at me and my family as pay days…you know might want to hurt us for ransom. At least that was what I was brought up to believe. So we all go everywhere with at least one goon like Tongo with us and nothing happens. He is just there to make sure no one gets any ideas. But in the interim…anyone that we spend time with has a background check done on them. With or without their permission. So Tongo ran one on you. I will be honest…in this case I asked him to find out one thing only but of course he provided me with a detailed CV on you."
"Oh what was that one thing….my bank account? Did you want to make sure I was not a goal digger?"
I couldn't help it I laughed. Some of her language issues were actually cute and came at the right time.
"It's gold digger…not goal. Anyway…no…that wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted to make sure you didn't have a boyfriend because I won't mess with another guy's woman. You don't…and so I am here." I smiled at her but she didn't smile back.
"And you couldn't just ask me that? I don't understand Mr. Grey. I think you were just being in my business and I don't think I like it." She really was pissed. The music started up and I didn't want her to go, but I wasn't going to justify the background check. That was my world. She would have to get use to a lot more intrusion if she wanted to hang around me.
"Come on…teach me to tango."
"Samba. I don't tango."
"Samba then, come on. You said you would teach me."
"Hire an instructor….I think I am going to head home." She stood up and I had to catch my breath yet again. She was wearing tiny shorts that showed off her remarkable tan legs. I got my wits about me and jumped up.
"Augustine…please don't go. I want to get to know you. The background check was something I wish I didn't have to do, but I do to stay safe and keep those around me that I care about safe. That could mean you if you will let me get to know you better." She stopped and pulled me outside where we walked to a discreet corner. She was on a mission.
"Look Caleb, everyday important men, in their fancy cars, expensive clothes and big wads of money come to the hotel and everyday one of them tells me some bullshit line about how I am this and that…pretty, sexy whatever. I know what they want and I never give it to them. You are the first man that has caught my eye and I thought somewhere in your smile there was a really sweet guy. But I don't want to be caught up in anything that is not on the up."
"Up and Up." I smile.
"Up and Up? You sure that is the expression?"
"Yes…the expression is up and up." I wait. She grabs my phone.
"Pull up the information on your papa again." I pull it up and hand it to her. To my surprise she sits on the concrete fence that has a beautiful flowerbed of geraniums and marigolds behind it and starts reading every word. She is there for over 30 minutes. I paced in front of her stopping every few minutes to peek over her shoulder to see what part she was reading. There was a lot of stuff written about my Dad and she was forwarding the links and reading them too.
Finally she looked up at me. "You are lucky this article says your father is a good man. Very giving to the poor, very in love with your mother Anastasia and you have two brothers and one sister. You are the youngest and you are from Seattle. Your father started his own company when he was just 21 and he did it without drug money or corruption. Your beloved grandmother Grace, a well-known Seattle pediatrician died two years ago of Alzheimer's and your father just gave fifty million…" her mouth hangs open and she shakes her head. "That is a lot of money… to Alzheimer's research in memory of Adelaide Trevel…Trevelyan and Grace Grey….who is Adelaide?"
"My great grandmother. You done?" I don't like talking about all of this. When Grammie died it was really hard on my dad and I miss my grandparents. I avoid thinking about anything painful. If I don't think about it…I can pretend it didn't happen.
"Yes for now…let's go dance." I look at her. Just like that. I sigh in relief.
"That's it. You don't want to know anymore? You didn't research me or Google me before tonight?" I should let it go but I don't want anything to come between us later.
"No…should I have?"
"Well no, but most people do I guess."
"Why…are you important or just the son of someone important?"
I laugh. Talk about being put in my place. "No…I am not important. Just the son of someone important. But someday I will be."
"And why…why will you be important Caleb Grey? What will you do to become famous?"
"I will be the best designer and architect of my time." She smiled and softly touched my chin with her finger.
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm positive about that. Let's dance."
"Wait…one more thing. The article said you were stabbed and injured and almost died. This terrible thing that happened to you….well are you okay now?"
I hate talking about it. I will never be okay but not a way to impress a woman telling her how fucked up you are. "Umm…I live with it. But I'm okay. Josie helps me." I look down at her and shrug. Might as well tell her bits and pieces.
"Your dog? How does she help?"
"Ahhh…she just makes me happy and keeps the nightmares away. Otherwise I'm all good. Now are you going to teach me to Samba so I can show you what a dancing stud I am?" She surprised me when she reached up and kissed me on my cheek.
'Yes let's go handsome boy. Something about you…makes me want to like you and I don't know…touch you and make your sadness go away." I wink at her.
"I am sure we can come up with some ideas on how to do that. Let's go."
Henry stops me to go to the bathroom real fast and Ted gets up and walks to my refrigerator helping himself to some grapes. He scrounges around in my cupboards and comes out with a protein bar.
"God damn Cal don't you have any real food around here? I am starving. I haven't had dinner yet." I roll my eyes at him and tell Tongo to order up some food from the restaurant across the street. He doesn't need to hear this tale, he lived it with me. We wait for Henry to rejoin us and we casually talk about Ted's kids and other family issues for a few minutes. Ted's wife Genevieve and his three daughters Stella, Delilah Mary and Anabelle are away visiting Genevieve's parents for a few days, so Ted has been on his own the past few days. He said he tried to get a free meal out of Phoebe but she is pregnant with her fourth child and due any day. So she told him to forget about it as she wasn't even making Jax, Grey, Charlotte, or little Jason dinner. Her mother-in-law, Frankie was feeding all of them so she could rest. My parent's had a charity event they had to go to so they weren't good for dinner either. Henry rejoins us and I filled in some more gaps while we wait for Tongo to return on the dinner run.
I open the photo album and find the first picture ever taken of Augustine and me. It was a selfie I took with my phone that same night. I look at it quickly and then shut the book. I literally feel short of breath. I see her in my dreams…day and night…but I can't look at the pictures.
"We danced that night for several hours. It was really fun and we laughed, talked and for the first time in years I was really having fun with a woman, not just seeing her as an object. We would work up a sweat, go outside sit and talk more and I told her all about our life growing up. She told me everything about Rio…and what she liked to do when she wasn't working. She self- taught five different languages, she came from Columbia and moved to Rio when she was nine years old. Maybe I was the one that did most of the talking. I just know we never had a quiet moment when we weren't dancing. By the way I sucked at Samba." My brothers both grinned picturing me doing a dance none of us knew a thing about. When we were young my Mom made us learn to fox trot and we could all dance pretty well to current music. But, the Samba wasn't anything we were familiar with. "I told her about my family, the stabbing, why I had Josie and my designs….we just talked about everything. She was fascinating and a great listener. I told her things I hadn't even admitted to myself."
"Did you fuck her that night?" Ted looks at me as he tosses some mixed nuts in his mouth. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I love my brother. He is my hero and he is the toughest bad-ass I know. But he can be the most blunt, crude prick you will ever have a conversation with. He is exactly like my Uncle. He states whatever he is thinking and most of the time, it doesn't bother me. But when it comes to my relationship with August…it pisses me off. But I am not in a position to get defensive. I understand that.
"Not that you need to know that information…but no not that night. We didn't have sex that night." I shake my head as I recall that night. "We kissed…you know heavily…I walked her back to her place…and loved that she led a simple life. She was living in a small flat, two bedrooms, just her and her mother. But you know I was just so into her that everything looked normal to me. I can still smell the gardenias. Not just from her perfume but there were gardenia's planted all along the walk way to her apartment." I know I am sliding back again…as I look at my brothers just staring at me. Finally Henry states the obvious.
"You really were in love with her…I can see your pain. God damn Caleb what happened to her?" I turn my back to him and continue with the saga.
"It has been so much fun Caleb. You didn't need to walk me back. I make this walk all the time." It was almost three in the morning. It was warm and a bit humid and while the flat was located in a relatively safe part of the Copacabana area, I was not going to let her walk back by herself. I was brought up with manners and my dad was adamant that my brothers and I always treat females with respect and letting a female walk home alone at that time of night was against everything I was ever raised to believe in. "You are a sweet man. I enjoyed getting to know you better." She smiled at me as we walked. There were a few people out walking. The area was full of night life and the late hour certainly did not discourage activity. In Seattle, pretty much after two am the streets were quiet. But the party atmosphere never seemed to die down in this part of Rio.
I took her hand as we walked and looked at her. "Honestly Augustine….this is the most fun I have had in a very long time. I feel really at ease with you. I don't know what it is." She laughed and nudged my shoulder as we walked.
"It is because I am sweet and nice. I have a way that makes people want to talk to me. The problem is…I don't always want to hear other people…but you I do. I want to know more about you, your dreams, and your family….everything. Can I ask you for a meeting on Saturday if you're not busy?" She seemed shy asking this and I wasn't even sure what she quite meant.
"A meeting? What kind of meeting?" We stopped walking and she looked at me puzzled.
"A meeting…you know where we meet, we go places, have lunch…I show you more of Rio…we have dinner….we maybe kiss…if you want to kiss me….and then you go home. Oh I can't believe I just said that…about the kissing." Even in the night light I could see she was embarrassed. I laughed when it finally registered.
"Okay…you mean like a date? I would love to go on a date…or meeting as you say on Saturday and have you show me more of Rio. That would be awesome. But…there is only one thing I can't do."
She looked disappointed. "Oh what is that?"
"Wait until Saturday to kiss you." I pulled her closer and tipped her chin up and leaned down. I didn't wait for permission. I kissed her softly and she kissed me back so I kissed her again with just a bit more to it, then pulled back. I somehow knew that as beautiful and hot that Augustine was…she was not frivolous with her emotions. I didn't want to strike too soon. And strangely, while I was incredibly attracted to her and if she had asked me to have sex with her…I would have…without hesitation, I didn't feel ready to go there. For the first time in my adult life…I didn't want to just have sex with this woman. I wanted to know her…I wanted to connect with her and I wanted to love her. I knew that the moment my lips touched hers that this woman would change my life forever. And it did. My life forever changed the moment we kissed. We kissed for at least thirty minutes and I didn't want to stop kissing her. Her lips were soft, her fragrant- sweet smelling gardenias, beautifully placed on her neck and shoulders drawing me in. I couldn't resist kissing her softly behind the ear and we soon found ourselves up against the front door. I wanted her but I was trying to keep control of the situation.
"Augustine we should stop. I would love to be with you, but I think we should slow this down a bit don't you?"
She leaned back and ran her fingers across my lips and was gasping for air agreeing we needed to wait. We were both breathless. She smiled and reached up and kissed me again. I ran my tongue softly over her lips again, kissed her neck and fought with my hands that were now creeping their way around to her breast. Just as I was about to touch her the lights on the front porch flicked on and off and the door softly opened.
"Augustine…Augustine…" a woman's voice startled us both.
"Si, Mama." She moved back. "Mama won't let you in the house. She doesn't know you."
I held my hands up in defeat and laughed. "I understand. I wasn't going to come in and I promise I was trying to pull myself away from you. You're just so tempting. But hey…get inside. Don't want to make your Mother mad at me before she knows me." I kissed her nose softly and made a pouting face.
"No more sadness Caleb Grey. I never want you sad around me again. I only want to make you happy."
"That would be a dream come true. Goodnight beautiful. I will see you Saturday for our…meeting." I winked at her and waited for her to get inside. As I was walking away she opened her bedroom window and yelled at me.
"Caleb…Caleb Grey." I turned around and looked for where her voice was coming from. Her window was hiding behind a large bougainvillea bush with bright purple blooms. I stepped over the rocks and moved the flowers out of the way and moved close to the window.
"Yes Augustine de Costa?" I was only inches away from her blocked by the concrete wall and a screen in the window. She put her hand up to the screen and I put mine up touching her hand, feeling the warmth through the mesh.
"I don't know how I know this…but I just do." She was whispering and I leaned in closer if possible, so I could hear her.
"Know what beautiful?"
"That we are going to have the deepest love…I am going to love your pain away Caleb Grey. You just wait and see."
I believed her and walked back to my hotel with Tongo who had been discreetly following us. He caught up to me and chuckled.
"Oh oh Uso. I smell love in the air…or is that the fucking flowers all around us." I laughed.
"I think both big guy…I think both."
Tongo walks in with the dinner interrupting my walk down memory lane and for me it couldn't have come at a better time. I was getting weary of talking but yet I had so much more to tell. I turned around and Ted was just staring at me and Henry had walked up behind me softly. He reached out and touched my shoulder.
"Caleb…for the love of god…your killing me here. I can tell you were madly in love with her. There is so much for you to fill us in but just answer a few questions before you continue. Please?" Henry has turned me around and is looking at me. All but pleading. I nod giving him permission to ask. "Did you love her like she thought? Did she love you?"
I can barely speak…my voice so soft that Ted has to stand up and walk closer. "More than a man and woman could and maybe should have loved each other. We fell deeply deeply in love. From that night on and we never stopped loving each other. I will never love another woman like her."
"And the other woman you dated over the past five years? What the fuck was that? If you were so in love why have you been with hundreds of women…every time I turn around your face is in the paper with another woman." Henry starts pacing again. "Jillian…you were with her for what three or four months…you sure didn't seem to be missing August when I saw you with her pushed up against the wall at Coping Together last summer."
I look down I can't say anything, rather I just take a deep breath and let out the air slowly. I am so tired. Tongo steps forward. "We had to make it look like Caleb was not involved with Augustine. It was to protect everyone." Both Ted and Henry rub their hair looking very confused. "But I was there and I promise you…Caleb has never been with these other women other than for show. It was to make certain people believe he was not with August. This past year was the first time since Augustine that Caleb you know…." I give him a dirty look. Who I am sleeping with is of no one's concern.
"I wasn't talking to you Tongo…I was talking to my brother." Henry stares at Tongo and he backs away nodding. I know Tongo is trying to make them understand that I was completely loyal to Augustine and that this was real. But I don't need him to speak for me. Besides…Henry is nowhere ready to get past what he thinks is Tongo's betrayal. He doesn't know all the things Tongo has done to keep me alive. I suspect he will find a way to forgive him when he hears everything. "Caleb…how often were you actually in Brazil when we thought you were in Asia…Europe…or wherever? I mean your career has soared over the past few years. How have you managed this secret life and god knows what else and built this dynasty?"
"I will get into all of that…but I assure you my career and everything I have accomplished is legit and hard earned. Let's just say when I wasn't with them and especially Vivi this past year…I was only driven to work. It made the painful distance more manageable. And not that I owe you an explanation but Jillian was someone that I tried to be with to forget the pain. Clearly she is out of the picture and it didn't work to well now did it. "
"Oh fuck me this is confusing as shit. Caleb….just tell me…is Augustine dead. Where the hell is she?" Ted leans in with his hands now in his pockets. He looks up at me with a sad look. I walk away from my brothers and head to the bedroom.
"Eat your dinner…we will talk some more in a few minutes." I don't want to respond.
"God damn it Caleb. Answer Ted. Is Augustine dead?" Henry walks across the room briskly coming towards me and I turn around before he reaches me. I know that my face gives me away. I stare at Henry coldly. I feel only anger as I answer his question.
"Yes…Augustine is dead…to me. And she is dead for Viviana. Nothing else matters." I walk into my bedroom and sit down on the bed and pull the ring out of my pocket that I carry with me everywhere…hoping to find the strength to tell them the rest of the story.