There was a knock. Then another, and then a downpour that fell upon Shawn Spencer's door. The man groaned and threw on a pair of faded jeans and yesterday's t-shirt.
"What?" Shawn asked his dad, obviously knowing what he wanted. The freshly pressed suit was a dead giveaway.
"Are you just waking up?" Henry asked with a scoff. "Come on, get dressed.
"I don't wanna." Shawn said indignantly like a small child, stomping his foot for added effect.
"Get dressed, Shawn. I didn't come all the way down here for you to say 'I don't wanna.'" Henry wasn't in a mood for Shawn's usual antics.
"Well apparently you did. You should have called first." Shawn crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, trying not to laugh when it freaked loudly.
"I did call first. Three times." Henry held up his phone to show his call history.
"Would you look at that." Shawn said, pretending to be impressed.
"You need to be exposed to culture, kid." Henry tried to make him see his side of things.
"If I wanted to be exposed to something, I'd go visit Buzz at the strip club he dances for part time, but you didn't hear that from me. As for culture. I finished watching the Breakfast Club..." Shawn stopped to peek at his dad's watch, "five and a half hours ago."
"Real culture, kid." Henry pressed. "Go shower and change. Shave, too. You look homeless for a millionaire."
"Millionaires can look however they want, last I checked." Shawn was really beginning to hate how much more than usual his dad was trying to control his life.
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"Julie, you ready to go?!" Juliet heard Declan's voice through the bathroom door, their bedroom on the other side.
"One minute, Dec!" Juliet called back with a roll of her eyes. Why the Hell did he have to be so pushy all the time? She did her best to look the best she could. He got to look at her, so he should appreciate it too, right? She could think of a certain brown haired, hazel eyed man that would be more than happy to stare at her all day.
Finally she opened the door and slipped out. The red dress hugged her every curve and made her feel beautiful. Her hair was curled and pinned up, only a twist on each side of her face to have a framing effect. She went with lip gloss instead of lipstick. She went smokey for the eye shadow, wanting a sexy yet mysterious look.
"Really, Julie? We're going to the Glaikit Quarry Resort & Spa, not a rave." Declan said in disgust.
"You don't like any part of my look?" Juliet asked just above a whisper. She put so much time into her appearance every day. She had to. It was her father's club, after all.
"I'm not saying you look bad, I'm just saying you look like a downtown district girl." Declan shrugged. "Come on, we don't have time for you to take a second forever."
Juliet's jaw dropped at the words that had left her fiancé's mouth. Was Declan trying to hurt her? Did it make him feel better about himself? She had actually thought she was pretty, but he just had to tear her down.
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Shawn found himself walking up the cobblestone walkway of the Glaikit for the second time in two weeks. He hated the damn place. Only money was allowed in. It was the kind of resort saved for CEOs, celebrities and only the greatest of honeymoons.
"Try to mingle this time instead of standing at the bar like some kind of alcoholic." Henry hissed as he pulled his far less than anxious son instead.
"Dad, you know I hate people. They're even worse when they only have pissing contests about who's the richer douche bag." Shawn was really hoping to repeat last week if he could.
"Behave." Henry pointed a finger in Shawn's face, causing Shawn to snap at it like he would bite it off.
Shawn broke away from his dad, who was pissing him off more and more by the minute. Now it was time for Shawn to spread his antisocial wings and try not to fly into a wall.
"Did you take the yacht out today, Steven?" A middle aged man asked his companion.
"On a day like this, how could I not?" The older fellow named Steven responded. He couldn't help but notice the younger man who had slipped into their conversation, appearing as more of a wallflower kind. "My apologies, good man. My friend William and I have been chatting about our sea craft, but we have not addressed you at all."
"Nah, I'm good." Shawn said nonchalantly. "I'm just pretending like I belong here so my dad doesn't yell at me." Shawn told them honestly. As much as he wanted to call out this Steven fellow, he couldn't pull the trigger. Steven seemed polite enough and looked like an old time sea captain. Shawn likes this guy.
"Do you have a vessel of your own?" William asked as he sipped from his tumbler.
"I do not." Shawn responded almost sadly. "I'm more of an exotic animal collector, myself. I have a polar bear named Jean Claude and a white tiger, Arnold. They eat nothing but Kobé beef and Powerade." Shawn lied. The men looked astonished, but didn't call him a liar.
"Excuse me William, Steven." Juliet appeared out of nowhere. "You don't mind if I steal young Shawn here, do you?" she asked politely with a smile, flashing perfect white teeth.
"Not at all, Ms. O'Hara." Steven chuckled. "Just go easy on the boy." he winked before Shawn was dragged away by the arm.
"What do you think you're doing?" Juliet asked in a gruff whisper.
"Mingling with my new acquaintances, Juliet. What are you doing? Is it inappropriate if I say you look absolutely ravishing this afternoon. Everything you did is working for you, 110%." Shawn tried to loosen her up a little.
"That's a little inappropriate, but very flattering, thank you." Juliet rolled her eyes. "Listen, Shawn."
"Wait, why do you know my name? I never gave it to you yesterday." Shawn pondered aloud.
"I know everything there is to know about everyone in here, Shawn. So does my fiancé and my father, who owns this club and resort." Juliet quickly shot off, knowing she didn't have much time. Declan thought she was in the restroom. That's what she had told him, anyway.
"Damn. I'm officially impressed by the CIA level clearance." Shawn joked, though he was actually a little creeped out by her information.
"Shawn, everyone in here is very wealthy and powerful, as far as Santa Barbara is concerned. Some of us even nationally so. You need to be careful about who you mess around with." Her voice held a note of heavy importance and sincerity.
"Relax, Juliet. I'm not going to start any wars." Shawn rolled his eyes and smiled. "I'm just trying to have fun, just like everyone else. Except my fun involves a lot more lying than everyone else's." he admitted.
"Just be careful, for my sake and my father's. And please, avoid me. It's nothing personal, but please." Juliet's ocean blue eyes pleaded as much as her hushed voice.
It killed her to say that to Shawn. She didn't know him personally, but just a flash of pain shot across his expressive hazel eyes before it was gone. She'd never seen a pair of eyes that could say as much, if not more than words. And that unshaved face, not being too scruffy but just enough to make him look like a ruggedly sexy James Bond in that suit. She knew she shouldn't think such a thing about a man that wasn't her fiancé, but excuse her for being a straight woman with eyes.
"Don't worry Juliet, I won't screw up your perfect world." Shawn smiled though his words cut like a knife.
"Ah, there you are, Julie." Juliet had to fight with all of her being to not stiffen like a board at Declan's voice. This wasn't supposed to happen. "This must be Shawn Spencer, one of our newest members." Declan said with a fake as Velveeta smile.
"I am Shawn." he confirmed. "It doesn't take you long to memorize the fresh meat, does it?" Shawn matched Declan's shit grin.
Juliet watched the exchange with interest and a lot of worry. Shawn had no idea what had just walked in, and she didn't think he would be able to talk his way out.
"No, it really doesn't. We don't get new members often." Shawn had been waiting for this. Old Money hounding the New Money. Juliet had warned Shawn, Old Money doesn't get along with New.
"I'll try not to stick out too much, I promise." Shawn held his smile as long as Declan. He would play this game for the sake of the girl that tried to warn him about shit like this. "You'll barely even know I'm here." Shawn assured.
"No, by all means, make yourself at home Mr. Spencer. Me casa es sue casa." Declan chuckled.
Juliet was getting uncomfortable watching the two men size each each other up. "Declan sweetie, we should get on with our afternoon and let Mr. Spencer get on with his, don't you think?" Juliet smiled pleasantly at the two men.
"Perhaps we should, honey." Declan concurred. "Mr. Shawn Spencer, it was good to meet you." Declan offered his hand.
"It was good to meet you as well, Mr. Declan..."
"Rand. Declan Rand." The men shook hands and then separated.
Shawn bowed to Juliet and received a short curtsey in response to his gentlemanly behavior. "Good afternoon, you two." Shawn said in final parting as they went their separate ways.
Shawn decided he had had enough of the high life for one day. It was time to pack in. A walk home seemed in order. Something was happening here. The feeling was faint and he couldn't pinpoint it, but something was slowly unfolding. He couldn't help but feel that Ms. Juliet O'Hara had something to do with it.
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Again, the car ride home was deadly silent. This time Juliet didn't venture to ask if anything was wrong. She had learned last week what his problem was. Hopefully she could find an excuse to get a bit of distance from Declan for the evening.
The couple entered the great mansion, and Declan closed the door behind them. Juliet took that as her sign to get the Hell away from him for a couple hours.
A strong hand clamped hard on her forearm, causing her to be pulled back in mid step. She was forced to turn around and look Declan in his infuriated eyes.
His eyes bore into her for a short moment that felt like years to Juliet. Instead of speaking, he hit her. A hard, open handed slap that stung instantly and left a red print.
She was speechless, her hand covering the searing skin of her poor cheek. Her jaw was dropped in pure shock. She had known Declan to be verbally and emotionally abusive, but never once had he hit her.
Before she knew what was happening, Declan had pulled her hand away and struck her face two more times, sending her to the tiled floor. Tears openly rolled down her cheeks at not only the pain, but also at the embarrassment and idea of it all.
"We do not speak to trash such as the Spencers, Juliet. They are garbage compared to our names. If we are seen with garbage, it won't be long before we too are seen as garbage. Our families have worked too hard to have it all undone in a short time by you associating with the likes of that man."
The coolness of Declan's doctrine frightened her more than his shouting ever had. Had he really lost his mind.
"Furthermore, darling fiancé, had I not only last week forbidden you from speaking to him? I am to be your husband, and if I say you are not to speak to another man, you are not to speak to another man." Declan crouched directly in front of Juliet's face, his hot breath smelling of high end booze.
"I... I'm sorry. I was only," another slap. Juliet felt hot pain across her face again, sending her onto her back this time. She lay fully prostrate on her back, now openly sobbing at the pain and the manner of which she was being treated.
"Do not. Talk back. To me." Declan seethed. "I don't care what you were trying to do. You are to speak to no man, you are not to look at any man other than me or your father!" His voice finally broke and the yelling began. "If you fail to grasp it this time, you will be further disciplined." With those final words, Declan left Juliet to recollect herself on the cold floor.
Juliet O'Hara had always lived a structured and ordered life. She always had straight lines to walk with certain consequences should she go off path, but never like this. Things were escalating quickly, and if it continued, she wasn't sure she could keep on living this life, the only one she knew. She wasn't sure she knew it anymore, but she couldn't see a way out, either.
"Don't worry Juliet, I won't screw up your perfect world." Shawn's words rang in her head, hurting as much as the hits she had taken. "Is my world so perfect?" she sniffled before picking herself off the floor.