Chapter Eleven
One month later
"That was a good movie," remarked Kennex as the credits rolled. He was with Ava during a date at her place. They had eaten Chinese takeout and then watched a movie on the couch with popcorn and drinks. Ava moved away from his side and rose to grab the empty plates and cups.
"Yeah, it wasn't bad," she agreed. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. When she was done she turned around to face him.
"Can I ask you something?" she wondered.
"Go ahead," he offered.
"You seem distracted tonight. Is everything all right?" she wanted to know. He knew that he hadn't said much tonight, but he hadn't realized that Ava had noticed that.
"I'm fine. It's just that Dorian was very quiet today. When I asked him why, he said he'd promised not to talk about it. It's not like Dorian to be so evasive," he explained.
"Perhaps Dorian is aware that some things should be left in the past," she remarked. He tilted his head slightly.
"No, that doesn't sound like him. But how would you know? You barely know Dorian," he stated in confusion.
"True enough," she conceded. He frowned. Something in the tone of her voice made him suspicious there was something more going on here.
"Is there something you aren't telling me?" he asked her.
"I don't want to talk about it," was her quick response.
"What are you hiding?" he wondered. She frowned.
"I'm not hiding anything. Don't try to interrogate me," she said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Why are you so defensive if you have nothing to hide?" he demanded.
"Because you wouldn't like what I have to say," she told him.
"Let me be the judge of that," he stated. He tried not to let his mind race over the worst case scenarios of what she might say to him.
"Fine," Ava conceded. She took a deep breath and looked up to meet his eyes before she continued.
"My friend Tom was visiting the other day because a modern art gallery in the City was exhibiting a retrospective of his work. Tom invited me to the opening gala last night. I found Dorian there because he claimed his roommate Rudy was doing some chemical experiment that smelled noxious and so he decided to go elsewhere that evening. I'm a subject of one of Tom's paintings and Dorian saw that portrait. I asked him not to tell you about it. That's it," she explained. He tried not to breath a sigh of relief that she wasn't leaving him.
"Why are you self conscious about posing for a painting? Unless it's a nude painting," he wondered.
"I wasn't nude. I was wearing a red sheet," she protested.
"So you let a stranger paint your semi-nude body?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, because I needed the money. Can you understand that?" she replied.
"Not really because I've never been into art. But it could be worse," he remarked.
"Yeah. After all, it's not like I'm secretly a criminal or that I am cheating on you," she responded. From the tone of her voice he could tell Ava was joking, but even so Kennex disliked the reminder of Anna. She saw his expression and frowned. Did Ava know how close to the truth she had come, wondered Kennex.
"Do you truly think that I am capable of such deception?" Ava demanded. He raised his hands defensively.
"I didn't say that. Don't put words in my mouth," he objected.
"Look, I understand that you encounter people who lie all the time. But that doesn't mean you can't trust me," she insisted.
"You wouldn't understand," he assured her. She folded her arms across her chest.
"Try me," she challenged him.
"I can't talk about it," he snapped. She stared at him a long moment before she looked away.
"Fine. It's getting late. You should get back to your place and charge your leg," she stated with resignation.
"OK. See you later, Ava," he replied.
"Good night, John," she concluded.
He nodded and left her place for his own. Not being open about his life had become a habit since waking up from his coma and he wasn't about to change that if he could help it, he thought. Kennex had learned to trust Dorian, but that had taken time. Dorian would never be what Pelham was to him but Kennex was grateful that Maldonado had put them together. Though he would never tell Dorian that, Kennex decided. If he did, he'd never hear the end of it from his partner.
The next day after his shift was over, Kennex headed over to Tom's art exhibition. It didn't take him long before he found the painting of Ava. She lay on her back on a black chaise lounge. Her legs were spread apart while her arms rested on either side of her head with her elbows bent so her fingers touched each other. There was nothing overtly sexual about the pose as a red sheet covered her body from her breasts to her knees and draped on either side of the chaise lounge. Ava's head was turned toward the right and her gaze was contemplative, as if asking the viewer what they thought of what they were seeing. Kennex hadn't been looking at the painting long when he heard someone stop beside him. He turned his head and saw Dorian who stood beside him.
"What are you doing here?" he wondered.
"What do you think of the painting?" his partner questioned.
"My opinion is rather biased, but I think it's beautiful," John remarked.
"Ava is quite attractive. But that is where the similarities between your current girlfriend and your ex-girlfriend end," stated Dorian as if he knew that Kennex was comparing the two women in his mind.
"I ran a background check on Ava before our first date and she was clean. But than again, so was Anna," remarked Kennex.
"Anna made an effort to specifically meet you in order to extract information. But your meeting Ava was different. It was a coincidence that she was kidnapped in your district of the City," Dorian said.
"You're probably right. But I just can't let my guard down entirely. The last time I did my entire team was killed. That can never happen again," he declared.
"It's only a matter of time before we find all of the members of inSyndicate," noted Dorian.
"I know. Anyway, I should get back home. Do you need a ride to Rudy's lab?" Kennex changed the subject.
"Well, if you're offering…," Dorian replied. The car ride to Rudy's was silent but it was a comfortable silence. Kennex appreciated that although Dorian was usually talkative he could also be quiet if he sensed that Kennex really didn't want to talk.
"Good night, John," Dorian replied before he got out of the car.
"Good night, Dorian," Kennex stated. Once Dorian had entered Rudy's lab, he turned the car around and drove back to his place. Once he got there, he decided to give Ava a video call before bed. The screen turned on a moment later and he saw Ava.
"Hey Ava, how are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine, John. But I owe you an apology for last night. I know there are things you can't talk about and yet I still pressed you for details. I'm sorry for being so inquisitive," she apologized.
"You're right that there are things I can't talk about, but you shouldn't apologize for asking. I'm glad that you want to get to know me better," he replied.
"So have you seen my painting?" Ava asked as she changed the subject.
"Yeah. You have nothing to be self conscious about. You're beautiful," he told her. Ava blushed and looked away.
"You're quite the charmer," she stated.
"Why do you do that?" he wondered. She looked back up to meet his eyes.
"Do what?" she asked in confusion.
"Why do you refuse to believe how attractive you are?" he questioned her. Ava sighed.
"As a child, I learned quickly that my dad cared more about his business than me or my mom. But what I didn't know until after he was killed is that he never wanted kids in the first place. Amelia told me after he died that my dad only agreed to have children in order to make my mom happy. But soon after I was born, my mom was diagnosed with postpartum depression. My dad had no idea how to raise me and so my uncle Thomas moved in with us and helped out until my mom felt better. My mom slowly recovered and began to take more of an interest in my life, but my dad never did. I suppose that's why I never really considered myself very attractive to other men. If I couldn't even gain the attention of my father, than I figured I had no chance of gaining the attention of any of the boys at school. Shortly after I started university, I was swept off my feet by Seamus. But when our relationship ended, I resolved to focus on my career instead. At least my teaching skills wouldn't disappoint me like a man could. I'd nearly forgotten what it meant to be in a romantic relationship by the time I put up my online dating profile. But even than, I did that to get Heather off my back so she wouldn't arrange another blind date for me. I never expected you to be interested in dating me but I'm glad you've stuck around so far," she explained.
"Looks aren't the only thing that matter to me, but I think you're very attractive inside and out," Kennex assured her. Ava smiled slightly.
"Thanks. You're a good man yourself," she replied.
"It's late. I should let you get some sleep," Kennex answered as he saw the time displayed in the corner of the screen.
"Good night, John," she concluded.
"Good night, Ava," he said. A moment later the call ended. Kennex walked to the bedroom. Ava's explanation made a lot of sense to him. From that point on, Kennex resolved that he would do his best to convince Ava that he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't about to emotionally abandon Ava like her father had, even though being vulnerable didn't come easily to him, he decided.