A WOMAN APART: Chapter 16 - THE PALACE II

by tarskeewee08

Layla walked into the dining area of the Palace. She felt brand new. Wearing a soft peach sundress with peach colored Jimmy Choos she stepped over to the bar.

Her long tresses fell across her head in ringlet curls. Paying extra attention to her makeup her skin was radiant. Tonight was dinner with Mom and Van. She felt so horrible in that tacky orange jumpsuit that she wanted to make sure her appearance was fresh and inviting. She decided to come downstairs early and have a drink to loosen up for a night with Lisa.

Walking to the bar she was pleasantly surprised to see Antonio sitting there nursing his drink. She sauntered over and leaned into the opening between him and the seat next to him. "Hello" she said seductively

Antonio put down his glass and soaked in the chocolate beauty that was so close to him her perfume assaulted his senses. It took several moments before he realized it was Evangeline's sister "Hello yourself"

Layla noticed his surprised look and how his eyes drifted to the opening in her sundress that revealed her cleavage. "Funny, I didn't expect to find you here. This place dosen't look like your taste" she said sitting on the stool behind her and waiting for a reaction.

Antonio saw the fiery look in her eyes. Layla Williamson was unlike any woman he'd ever met. He turned on his stool to her face her "Exactly how would you know my taste?"

Layla smiled enticingly and reached for his drink. He watched her pick it up and sniff it.

"Hennessy straight indicates to me that you're a urban dwelling type of man. Use to smoky night clubs featuring a Latin band to salsa the night away too" she said putting his drink back in front of him.

Antonio smiled "Very good, I'm impressed."
"Impressed enough to buy me a drink?" she asked drinking in the sex appeal that flowed off him in waves. She loved his lips most of all and kept finding herself staring at them each time he spoke.

He signaled for the bartender "The lady will have…"
"Chocolate Martini" she said not taking her eyes from his.
He smiled. "You and your sister are big on Martini's"

Layla looked at him intensely "How do you know my sister's drink preference? You two dated"

Antonio almost choked on his drink "No, but we're friends" he said picking up the napkin in front of him and wiping the spittle from his chin.

Layla smiled "Good"

"So what do people do in Llanview for fun?" Layla asked scooping up some peanuts and tossing them in her mouth.

Antonio looked at her and found her to be more attractive than he'd thought. Her spirit made him want to know her intimately and he had to admit that to himself "There's a club called Ultra Violet that your crowd hangs out at"

Layla looked at Antonio and frowned "My crowd?"
He laughed and drank more. "Just an observation based on your dink choice"

Before Layla could get into it with him she heard her mother behind her. "Layla?" Lisa called looking at her and Antonio frowning.

Layla turned around disappointed to see Lisa so soon. "Mom, this is Officer Antonio…?"
Antonio stuck out his hand "Antonio Vega" he said shaking Lisa hand.

Lisa smiled graciously "Hello Mr. Vega, I hope Layla hasn't embarrassed herself too much with you."

Layla glared at her mother for insulting her. Antonio found the remark harsh. "Actually Layla is quite charming" he said looking at Layla smiling.

She blushed and pushed from the bar. "Talk to you later Antonio" she said grabbing her drink and walking toward the dining area. Lisa looked at the exchange between the two of them and scowled. "Nice to meet you Mr. Vega" she said walking off before he could respond.

Antonio watched them walk to the hostess to be seated. The Williamson family had some interesting women. Before returning to his drink he saw Evangeline step in still dressed in her gray pantsuit from court today. She looked flustered as she hurried into the dining room. Antonio would love to be a fly on the wall near that table for the dinner conversation.

Evangeline saw her mother and sister just sitting down. She was ready to get this over with so she could go home and relax. Walking to the table they both looked at her as she approached. Evangeline took the open spot and sat down.

"Cookie, why didn't you change for dinner?" Lisa asked frowning at her.
Evangeline rolled her eyes and signaled for the waiter. "Bring me a dirty martini with three olives" she said

Layla smiled at her sister. She looked so wound up that the vein on her forehead kept pulsing unrepentantly. If she thought she was stressed now wait until her little boyfriend shows up.

"I asked you a question Cookie" Lisa said in a angry whisper
"Mom, what does what I have on have to do with us having dinner together?' she replied in an exasperated tone.

Lisa looked around nervously "We're dining at the Palace. There is decorum to adhere too. Even Layla knew that" she hissed

Layla rolled her eyes and let them scan across the dining room. Looking over to the corner of the restaurant she noticed a dark black man with long dreads staring at her. He winked and raised his glass. She ignored him and kept looking anywhere but at her mom and sister. She knew the drill with those two.

"I live and dine here quite often, so trust me I know the decorum" Evangeline said taking the drink from the waiter and drinking half of it in one swallow.

Lisa watched how she drank the martini and frowned "What's wrong with you? Since I arrived to town you've been on edge and it looks to be getting progressively worse."

Evangeline lowered her glass. For once Lisa was right. She was coming undone at the seems and loosing control. Layla looked at her and smiled. "Van looks like we have company." She sneered.

"Hello ladies" John said approaching the table. Lisa and Layla smiled but Evangeline didn't look up from her drink. John took the seat next to her. "Evangeline" he said looking for a greeting. She raised her eyes to his and he saw them darken with anger "What are you doing here" she said softly

Lisa looked at her daughter and smiled defiantly. "I invited him"
Evangeline looked at her mother perplexed. "Why?"

Layla sat back and waited for the explosion. John watched the two of them concerned about what was building.

Lisa lowered her glass and fixed her daughter with a heated glare "It's a celebration for Layla's release, time for family and friends to share. I think it's a perfect time for you to properly introduce or better yet explain your friendship with Mr. McBain"

Evangeline felt her heart pounding harder in her chest. She was sure everyone at the table could hear it. "My life, my friends, my job are none of your business" she said softly before picking up the glass and finishing her drink. She was loosing control and didn't want to do it here and in front of John again. She saw the waiter walking bye. Everyone at the table watched as she signaled for another drink.

John frowned and touched her hand "Do you think you should be drinking another so soon" he asked concerned.

Evangeline snatched her hand away and shot him a angry look "Don't tell me what to do" she said through her teeth.

Lisa watched amused "So John tell us how did you and Evangeline meet?"

Layla watched her sister shift uncomfortably and saw the burden of her ongoing pain returning. She should feel sorry for her. She should help her with mom. But she resented her even now. Even after she got her out of jail.

She loved when Ms. Perfect fell apart. Besides it was so rare that when it happened she had to relish in it.

John looked at Evangeline and saw her hand in her lap shaking and wanted to comfort her. He looked up at Lisa who seemed to be amused as well as Layla and became angry. Why were they treating her this way? Why was she putting up with it? Ignoring them both he turned to Evangeline "Let's go" he said to her.

Evangeline looked at him surprised "What?"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the table. "Let's go"
Lisa glowered at him "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.

He turned back to Lisa and Layla "Your daughter had a rough day and I'm taking her home." With that said he grabbed Evangeline's purse and forced it into her hand then pulled her out of the Palace. She looked back at Lisa who would have made a scene if it wasn't for where they were and felt relieved. No one had stood up to her mom for her like that since Dennis.

When Evangeline got in the car John looked at her tenderly "I don't know what is going on with your family but I wasn't going to sit back and watch them torture you. Please don't be upset with me"

Evangeline laid her head on the head rest of his car seat. "Take me home please"
John drove her in silence. She kept her eyes closed and if he didn't see the constant tremble of her hands he would have thought she was asleep. Pulling into her gated community he parked the car and waited for her to move.

"Evangeline?" he said softly
She opened her eyes and looked ahead of her "You can't have me John" she said softly.

He just looked at her

"You told me you wanted all of me not the shell of a person that I am. Well there is no all of me. This shell is all that's left"

John ran his hand through his hair and rested the other on the steering wheel "You can have love and happiness Van if you only opened yourself up to it."

Evangeline smiled still staring ahead. "I know that John, I've just decided I don't want it"
John looked at her sadly "When did you decide that?"
Evangeline turned back to him "Today" she said opening his car door.

John got out and came around the car to face her. "What about me. What about what we have. You telling me that you're going to walk away?"

"I'm telling you that you deserve better. I've done things. Hurt people. I'm not who you think I am" she said walking around him heading to the elevator in the parking garage.

John caught up and grabbed her arm. She didn't fight him, which made it worse in his eyes. Fighting with her he could handle. This resolve that she had on their love scared him. He felt her slipping away and was powerless to stop it. "I can't let you go. I can't do it"

Evangeline looked at him "What you saw today at the Palace was what I've lived with since I was 17. A bitter mean controlling mother and a selfish love starved jealous sister. They're my family. A family that I chose over Love when I had my shot at happiness. I deserve what I get from them. I have to live with my choice. Nothing you do or say can undo the past John. Let me go." She said walking to the elevator and pressing the button when it opened she stepped in.

John felt defeated he watched the elevators door closed. He didn't stop her because where she was in her pain now she couldn't be reached. But he would do everything in his power to find out the source of that pain and exorcize it from her.

He jumped in his car and sped back to the Palace.

Lisa finished her dinner and looked at Layla "Well I'm going upstairs. Are you coming?"
Layla drank her fresh martini she ordered. She thought maybe she'd go to the club Antonio told her about. "No, I'll finish my drink and come upstairs later"

Lisa looked at Layla "In the morning we'll go to Evangeline's office and get this family back on track"

Layla looked at her mom and laughed "Whatever."

Lisa rose shaking her head. Layla would always be a disappointment to her. She walked back to her room just missing John re-enter the Palace.

John saw Layla sitting at the table drinking. He walked over and pulled out the chair sitting down "We need to talk"

Layla lowered her glass and smiled "About?"
"Your sister, what else!" he snapped
Layla laughed "She kicked you to the curb. You thought that you were on some world wind romance and turns out you were nothing more than her bootie call"

John ignored her nasty comment "Who's Dennis?"
Layla's smile faded and she looked at him surprise "Evangeline mentioned Dennis?"

"Who is he! What was he to her! Why does she feel that she needs forgiveness from him?" he shouted at her.

Layla eyes teared and she looked away briefly "Because she killed him. She killed him as if she took that shotgun and put it in his mouth!" she hissed.

John recoiled from the statement and tried to absorb what she said. "What does that mean?"

Layla drank the rest of her martini and looked at John sadly "Evangeline will have to tell you this story it's her baggage."

John smirked "You don't fool me Layla. You torture your sister for a reason. Whatever the story is it's your baggage too"

Layla glared at him "Well you're the detective. His name was Dennis Hunt and he died July 1988. Find out yourself!" she said heatedly rising from the table and storming over to the bar.

John sat back. If he wanted to save Evangeline he would have to find out what happened to her and Dennis. He opened his phone and called his friend at the FBI.

"Yea this is Wess"
"What's up man its McBain" John said
"What's up Brother"
"Need you to do something for me. Name is Dennis Hunt and he died in Philadelphia in 1988 form an apparent gunshot wound. Need an address and any friend's names that live in that area still"

"Cool I'll have it in 20 minutes" Wess said hanging up. John got up from the table. Looks like he was going to Philadelphia.