(See the first chapter for disclaimer, notes, spoiler, etc.)
Chapter Three: "Two Old Whores"
Olivia swallowed back a yawn and tightened the belt of her robe as she walked into the dining room. Exhaustion seeped into her bone marrow, weighing down her limbs. She winced at the sunlight streaming in through the windows as Gregory looked up, folding his newspaper closed. "Why are you up?" he asked as she slid into the chair next to him.
She shrugged her shoulders and tiredly reached for a piece of cantaloupe on his plate. She never slept well when he wasn't nestled against her. He knew that. But, that wasn't what he meant. "I have a meeting with Christopher to discuss the advertising revenue," she replied, swallowing the sweet fruit. "It's down eighteen percent."
He nudged his plate closer to her and leaned in, watching closely. "Do you feel up to it?"
"Eighteen percent, Gregory," she repeated, narrowing her eyes as she helped herself to his breakfast and reached for his toast. "Besides, I usually perk up around 10. I should be fine for the meeting."
A crooked smile came to his face as he watched her for a long moment. "Just...don't push yourself too hard."
She smiled to herself as he kissed the side of her head. "Oh, believe me, darling - this baby has no plans to let me push myself." When she saw his amused smirk, she leaned back in her seat and sighed. "It's as if you two are already conspiring against me."
"I prefer the term 'allies' instead of 'conspirators'."
She swat at his arm and shook her head as he scooted his chair directly next to hers. His forehead rested against hers as he placed his hand on her stomach. "Was it really just two days ago we were in Carmel?" she asked softly. When things were calm. When she could revel in the joy of finally sharing the pregnancy with him. When she didn't have to go out of her way to avoid Cole. When she didn't need to wonder why her son was avoiding her. She sighed and leaned against him as he nodded. "Let's go back," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly. "Everything was perfect there."
"Home isn't perfect?" he wondered quietly and she looked up. He gazed back at her, a hint of confusion mixed in with the patience. She leaned in and kissed him softly, letting his question go unanswered. That was the easier alternative than admitting that home wasn't perfect. Not at the moment. She felt his hands on her face, his thumbs rubbing against her cheekbones. "Dont worry, Liv," he murmured against her mouth. "I haven't forgotten about the Costa del Sol."
She nodded, watching him with wide eyes. "No, please forget it. I want our next trip to be to Italy. Oh darling, it's been years since we've gone."
With a wry smile, he reached for her hands and gently squeezed them. "Mason will be thrilled to hear I'm taking more vacation time."
She sat up, ignoring his quip. "Oh God, is tonight the night we're having dinner with him and Josephine?" He nodded and she groaned as she rubbed her face.
"Liv," he said, gently pulling her hands away, "we can cancel."
She shook her head. "No. Mason needs you more than you need him." She knew her husband's ego. He smirked as he traced a circle on her knee cap. She reached out and smoothed his tie, the navy silk a sharp contrast to his pale blue shirt. "It doesn't hurt to remind him of that every now and again."
With a final squeeze of her knee, he stood. "Reservations are at seven," he said, buttoning his suit coat.
She stood and looped her arm through his. "Plenty of time to find to find something in my closet I can still squeeze into," she said, walking with him through the house to the front door.
He turned, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "You'll look ravishing," he said softly, nibbling at her lips. Her heart skipped as he continued, "You always do."
She nodded slightly, basking in the adoration shining in his eyes. And, she had the lie to thank for it. Standing against him, snug in his embrace, she whispered, "I suppose you'll want to tell Mason about the baby?" She knew what his reply would be. Nothing thrilled her husband more than spreading the news of Caitlin and Sean's impending arrivals. It wouldn't be any different this time.
"Would you mind?" he asked and she shook her head. She couldn't deny him that happiness - that pure delight - to utter four words they never thought he'd say again. We're having another baby.
"Josephine will think it's terribly romantic," she replied, heavy footsteps on the stairs. She turned, still feeling the comforting weight of her husband's gaze on her as she locked eyes with Cole. She flinched and stepped back, pressing further into her husband's embrace. A dull hum filled her ears, drowning out the interrogating questions Gregory immediately began to throw at Cole. He wouldn't say anything to her in front of Gregory. Of that, she was certain. She knew Cole valued his life far too much. Instead, she withstood his critically inspective stare, feeling his eyes trail the length of her body until they rested on her stomach.
He didn't say anything, yet she still felt horribly exposed.
Suddenly, Olivia felt her husband's arms loosen. She spun around, watching him. He was leaving. The disgust on his face was evident. He was no doubt less than thrilled to find Cole leaving their daughter's bedroom. "Gregory," she began, a tremble in her whisper. He was leaving. He was leaving her with Cole. Her heart began to thud uncomfortably in her chest, each beat seeming to shout LIE.
He glanced up, briefcase in hand. "Seven o'clock," he reminded her, one quick kiss to sustain her. She blandly nodded and watched him slip out, the slam of the door signaling his displeasure. She jumped, the noise echoing through the house. She closed her eyes briefly, her hand resting on the barely there swelling of her stomach. For a ridiculous moment, she wondered how she would have been able to hide the tell-tale sign of her pregnancy if she hadn't told Gregory.
Gregory.
This was for him.
This was for their family.
With a resigned sigh, she opened her eyes and slowly turned to Cole. His angry frown was an odd counterpoint to the sadness in his eyes. "We need to talk," he bluntly stated. "Now."
She shook her head, her gaze dancing to the stairs. "Caitlin is-" she began and he stepped toward her, furiously shaking his head.
"Gregory missed catching me the first time I snuck into your bedroom," he hissed, an angry flush rising in his throat. "I don't think we'll be so lucky if you force me to come back a second time!"
She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head. Despite his bravado, she knew he wouldn't follow through on his threat. The spectre of Gregory's reaction weighed too heavily on both of them. No, she needed to shield her husband from her sins at all cost. The knowledge of her affair with Cole and the question over the baby's paternity would wound Gregory in a such a way that he would never recover. She would be to blame for destroying her husband.
"Not now," she urgently whispered, hearing the echo of her daughter's voice in the stairwell.
"Midnight. The grotto." Of course. The grotto. The scene that birthed her sin. She hesitated for a moment before she nodded. No satisfaction graced him as he moved away from her, Caitlin's voice rippling between them.
"Morning," she sang, leaning up to kiss Cole's cheek before she turned to her. Olivia blandly smiled, receiving her daughter's kiss even as her attention was still drawn to Cole. Luckily, Caitlin didn't seem to notice the swell of tension between them. "What are you two whispering about?" she playfully asked, grinning.
"Your father," she lied, forcing a concerned expression. "Daddy was not happy to see Cole come down the stairs this morning."
Unsurprisingly, Caitlin's response was blasé. "I'm not a child," she replied as she turned away and reached for Cole's hand. She nodded, watching as the young couple exchanged a look before her daughter glanced back at her. "We've got to go. Cole's driving me to campus."
"Oh?" she asked, an uncomfortable sensation trickling down her spine. Was Caitlin taking summer classes? She suddenly couldn't remember. She touched the side of her head as Cole opened the front door. "Caity-"
"We should get going," Cole interrupted, watching her closely. "I've got an appointment later on that I can't miss and I don't want to be sitting on the 405 for hours." For the briefest of moments, their eyes locked and she couldn't help the lick of irritation that was no doubt visible in her expression.
"Right." Caitlin nodded, leaning in for a hug. "Bye, Mom."
She gripped her daughter, holding her close. "Have you seen Sean?" she whispered in her ear. His bedroom was empty when she checked it before she came down. Caitlin hesitated for a long moment before she shook her head. She sighed as her eyes fell away. "Darling, if you see him, please try and talk with him. Find out what-"
"I tried," she exclaimed, her blue eyes wide. "But, he just shut down and insisted he was fine."
"Do you believe him?" she asked, forgetting about Cole's oppressive presence.
"Of course not! But, he'll get over Tiffany leaving. He will. He just needs some time."
Olivia swallowed back the absurd laughter that bubbled up in her throat. Her daughter's innocent naiveté never ceased to amaze her. "Yes. Yes, of course. You're right," she lied.
"To Gregory," Mason grandly intoned, raising his flute of champagne for yet another toast, "for being ranked first tier by Chambers for the fifth year in a row."
Olivia beamed, catching her husband's eye over the rim of his glass. She reached out, squeezing his thigh beneath the elegant draping of the tablecloth. Her husband's brilliance still awed her after all these years. He put his flute down and covered her hand with his own. She smiled to herself, feeling his squeeze, as she heard Mason continue, "It's an immense distinction for you, as well as the firm."
"Could you imagine not having him?" she asked, looking into the older man's smug expression. She'd known Mason and Josephine Vickers for as long as she'd been in Gregory's life. She knew everyone at the table was aware Mason's law firm experienced new levels of prestige and recognition ever since he hired her husband fresh out of law school.
He chuckled and nodded his head, conceding the point. "Olivia, I've made it my mission to ensure that will never be a possibility." She smirked, reaching for her ginger ale as he continued, "No, nothing makes me more content than ensuring Gregory's continued presence at Erickson Vickers." He turned to Gregory. "Retirement from daily practice was an easy decision, knowing I had you watching over the L.A. office."
"It's true," Josephine said, smiling warmly.
Olivia watched Mason smile at his wife before he leaned in, fixing a firm gaze on her husband. "This was another easy decision for me. How does 'Gregory Richards, Senior Partner and Global Chair of Criminal Defense' sound?"
Adulation flooded her body, crystallized in the wide smile on her face. She turned to her husband, watching his stone expression. But, she could feel the way he firmly squeezed her hand, the only external sign of his reaction. "Well," he said, his tone even, "that's quite an offer." Another beat of silence went by and she leaned in, expectantly waiting to hear what he said next. She had no doubt he would accept. "Thank you, Mason. I'll have a decision for you at the end of the week."
If she was stunned quiet, Mason was stunned into stuttering disbelief. "Gregory," he began as her husband sat calmly next to her, "frankly, I'm surprised we aren't already ordering another bottle of champagne. I expected you would immediately accept."
She felt Gregory raise their joined hands to the table as he gave hers a gentle squeeze. "Well, Mason," he replied and she sat up straighter, knowing what was coming next, "a week ago, that might have been the case." He glanced over at her and she nodded slightly, feeling Mason and Josephine's curious gazes turn to her. "Olivia and I are expecting another child and," he explained, squeezing her hand again as he looked back at Mason, "that changes everything."
"How wonderful!" Josephine gushed as Mason cleared his throat.
"Yes, yes. Of course," he said and Olivia could see the irritation in his clenched jaw. He turned to her, a gracious smile painted on his weathered expression. "Congratulations, my dear." Before she could open her mouth to reply, he turned back to her husband. "Now, Gregory, we'll naturally give you as much time as you want to transition to the chairmanship. Hell, take a year. Eighteen months even! But, I want to know that you'll accept."
Her husband nodded as Josephine interjected, "You boys can discuss all of that tomorrow at the office." Olivia bit back a smirk, watching the way she lay a firm hand over her husband's. "Now, this news certainly merits more champagne. Doesn't it, Mason?"
He sat back and smiled graciously. "Yes, of course. This is certainly news to celebrate."
As he gestured for the waiter, she turned to her husband. With a question dancing in her eyes, she caught his gaze. Gregory glanced at her and winked, the only answer she needed.
Her husband was now the Global Chair of Criminal Defense.
But, his ego would make Mason wait.
Olivia's sandals dangled from her hand as she walked up the sand. With only the moonlight to guide her, she approached the narrow opening to the grotto. She wondered why she didn't feel afraid. Perhaps it was because slipping out of the house proved easier than she anticipated. Or perhaps it was because she knew she couldn't fail tonight. Far too much depended on this moment. Fear wasn't an option.
Her toes curled against the cold sand and she tried not to think of her warm bed. Of the warmth that came with sleeping in Gregory's embrace. Of the warmth that burned within her when Gregory's hands explored her burgeoning curves. She smiled to herself, remembering the purposeful way he stripped her of her cocktail dress when they got back from dinner. Her husband was never more turned on then the way he was after any kind of professional victory. Tonight had been no exception.
"Having a good night, Olivia?"
She jumped as Cole's disembodied question echoed in the cavernous silence of the grotto. She whirled around, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. He stepped out of the shadows, switching on a flashlight. She flinched, shielding her abused eyes, as he firmly stood the flashlight on the boulder between them. The light bounced and scattered against the rocks, bathing the space in a dim white light before fading away to the murky shadows. It just enough for them to see each other. "Not quite," she snapped, dropping her shoes into the sand. "I haven't been awake to see midnight in weeks."
Her words echoed around them as he sighed and stepped closer. "Since you got pregnant," he suggested. She felt her lips tighten to a disappearing line as she grimaced. She suspected he would cut to the chase. "Since I got you pregnant."
She felt her hands mold into tight fists as he took another step closer to her, but said nothing. "You are not the father of my child."
"Oh, really?" he snapped and suddenly he was a breath away. "I find that hard to believe!"
She chuckled cruelly and moved away. "I don't care what you believe!"
She gasped when she felt his hands on her shoulders as he spun her around to face him. "That is my child!"
With an angry grunt, she shoved him away and felt her cheeks blazing. "It is Gregory's child," she hissed.
He folded his arms against his chest and she could feel the weight of his patronizing stare. "Really?" he skeptically asked. He slowly shook his head and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "We're really going to do this? You're really going to make me repeat everything you told me about your marriage?" She stiffened, her own words coming back to her as he began to recite,"Oh Cole, my marriage is broken. We're married in name only. He sleeps with other women." She narrowed her eyes, her body trembling as the volume of his voice rose with every statement until he reached his peak. "My husband doesn't touch me!"
Her head flew up as a familiar self-loathing churned within her. "ENOUGH!" she exclaimed. Her own voice swelled around them and she could hear the anger in it. Anger and panic. "My marriage was broken for many years, but it was never dead!" She gasped, feeling the heady adrenaline coursing through her veins. It was the same fury she felt before Gregory threw her down to their leather sofa all those months ago. This argument just wouldn't end the same way as that one. "Get the picture or do I need to spell it out for you?"
He fell silent and she brushed her hair back, trembling within her black sweater. "I need-" he began and she shook her head.
"Let me tell you what you need," she interrupted. "You need to forget about our affair. Forever."
"Oh, that I plan to do!" he snapped and she paused, wondering if he was finally going to see reason. "But, you can not expect me to just forget about that child!"
"I absolutely can!" she screamed, feeling a pinch in her throat. "Tell me. Do you harass all of your old flings by insisting you've fathered their children?" He faltered for a moment and she lunged for the opportunity. "My God, you must have dozens of little bastards running around Europe!"
He grabbed her arms and shook her, grunting her name. "Don't."
She laughed at his warning and pushed him away. "Don't what?" she asked, dripping with faux innocence. "Don't bring up the fact that your illustrious past makes it more than likely that you've already fathered several children?" He moved past her and stalked away, but she spun around after him. "You're more like AJ than you realize: breaking hearts and abandoning all those poor little children." She placed her hand on her stomach and took a deep steadying breath. "But, my child is not one of them. He-"
He turned around, his eyes falling to her stomach. "He?"
"-or she," she continued, fidgeting beneath his heavy stare, "already has a father. Gregory." He shook his head and her shoulders fell. "Cole," she whispered, unable to stop the blatant begging from creeping into her voice, "just...let it go. Even if - if - this was your child, what good would it do? It would destroy Caitlin. And, for what? So you could tell yourself you weren't like AJ? That you wouldn't turn your back on your child?"
"I love Caitlin," he sighed in a broken whisper.
"Then, if you truly do, you wouldn't want to hurt her." She stepped closer, the distance diminishing until he was near enough to reach out and touch. But, her arms hung heavy at her sides. "If she ever found out about you and I, that's the only thing that would happen." She watched as a myriad of emotions spun across the shadows of his face. "You're going to forget our affair. It never happened." A tense silence blossomed between them as he looked away. She held her breath, waiting anxiously and afraid to move until he curtly nodded. She braced her hand against the boulder, fearing she would crumble beneath the relief raining down on her. Her head spun and she briefly closed her eyes when her vision blurred. "I don't," she murmured as she forced her eyes open, "intend to ever discuss this again."
As she turned away, she heard him clear his throat. "My ability to forget our affair and...that child isn't free." She stopped short, her fingers twitching against her thighs as she slowly glanced over her shoulder. "You need to keep Gregory off my back."
She nodded without even thinking. Between her pregnancy and his new role with the firm, Gregory wouldn't have the freedom to devote so much attention to their daughter's love life any longer. "Anything else?"
"Tomorrow," he began, "Caitlin will tell you and Gregory that she's going to spend the fall semester in France. With me." She turned all the way around, her eyebrow arched. Caitlin had never expressed any desire to study abroad. Not until Cole entered her life. "You'll need to help Gregory see the value of her studying in Paris."
Help Gregory.
Force Gregory.
It all meant the same thing.
She watched him for a long moment before she nodded slightly. She and Cole were more alike than she ever realized. They were just two old whores trading all kinds of favors for payment.
Olivia closed the gate softly, her bare feet lightly padding across the stone patio. It would be just perfect that she forgot her sandals in the grotto. As she reached into her pocket for the house key, she looked up and gasped. The lights in the living room were on. "Damn," she sighed, her step faltering. She inhaled deeply and forced herself forward. As she neared the house, she saw Gregory through the windows. He was pacing the living room in his robe with the portable phone to his ear. Caitlin sat on the armchair in her pajamas, watching him with rapt attention.
As she turned the handle of the door, she saw him spin around. "Never mind, Bette," she heard him say as she walked into the house. "She's home." He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the sofa. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked as he crushed her against him.
"Gregory-" she gasped, his arms like iron bands around her body.
"Do you know what I thought when I woke up and eventually realized you weren't anywhere in the house?" he bellowed. "Christ, I woke the children up out of a sound sleep, hoping they would know where you went!"
She pressed her hands to his chest and leaned back, watching him closely. His eyes were manic and he was breathing heavily. He wasn't angry so much as he was terrified. She had scared him."I'm sorry," she began, lowering her eyes. "I didn't think you would wake up."
He hugged her back to him, the urgency from earlier gone as his panic began to subside. She leaned her head against his chest, feeling the way his heart still pounded. From behind them, she heard Caitlin murmur, "Daddy, I'm-"
He nodded, though he didn't turn around to look at her. "Go back to bed, Caitlin," he sighed.
Olivia looked over his shoulder, watching their daughter all but run from the room. "I'll tell Sean that you're back," she said as she disappeared upstairs.
Her husband sighed deeply, his hand running over her hair. "What the hell were you thinking leaving the house in the middle of the night?" he asked, his voice flat.
She peeked up at him and shrugged. "I couldn't sleep," she lied. "I just went for a walk on the beach. I thought the fresh air might help settle my mind."
"A walk on the beach," he blandly repeated, shaking his head. He loosened his arms long enough to cup her face and press a kiss to her forehead.
A tidal wave swept over her, drowning her in the emotion of her conversation with Cole. She was lying through her teeth to her husband, but her sobbing was the truth. She lowered her face, tears streaming down. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry!" she cried, feeling him brush away her tears. It was true. She was sorry for everything. She came thisclose to destroying her husband and her family. She fell against him, crying into his chest as she hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry!"
"Liv," he sighed, gently nudging her face up, "it's alright." She shook her head even as he nodded and insisted, "It is."
"I just...," she explained, choking on a sob, "just had so many things on my mind that-"
He crouched down so he was at her eye level. "What things?" he asked with a frown.
She sniffled and shook her head, feeling his eyes poring into hers. "It doesn't matter," she bashfully whispered as his hands slipped to her shoulders.
"Is this because of the chairmanship?" he asked, searching her face. She shook her head even as he continued, "Because I'll have to travel to all the offices over the next year?"
She blinked back tears and cupped his face. "I'm not worried about that," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
He stood tall and sighed, gazing up at the ceiling for a brief moment. "I'll be here when the baby's born in October," he finally said when he looked back at her. "I wouldn't miss that."
He thought this disappearing act was his fault. That he somehow caused it. That he was the one to blame instead of being the blameless victim of her beautiful lies. She shook her head and stood on her toes, kissing him deeply. Her arms went around his neck as he responded, wrapping his arms around her. "I know," she murmured against his lips.
"Liv-"
"I believe you," she whispered, her fingers dancing against the back of his neck. "And after," she continued, "the baby and I will go with you on those trips." A smile came to his face as he quietly watched her. She smiled back at him, feeling reborn in the face of his pleased expression. "But, darling, promise me one thing."
He didn't hesitate. "Anything."
"Don't visit the office in Rome until the baby and I can come with you."
His laugh was music to her ears. This was for him. This was for their family. She let him lead her upstairs, profoundly grateful for him. For his love. For the family he gave her.
For the first time in months, she felt as if their family had a chance. A real chance.