crystal clear to me exactly what kind of party this was and what was expected of the women who attended these events. I had already seen the exploitative nature of the Lappell when it came to the opposite sex. Now, I had to walk in to one of these parties, as a guest, being someone willing and able to do what it takes to get the job done.
Could I really do something like this? For Josh?
I went quiet as my mind ticked over. My morals were in full warfare battling with my need to save Josh.
“Well you see the dilemma we have then don’t you?” Delia then walked and stood next to her brother. “And the only person you could possibly go with to this party would be Clint. He isn’t elite Lappell, but I am, and since he is family and a Lappell member, he can attend on behalf of me. It’s one of our elite rules.”
All eyes then fell on Clint.
“Which means you’ll need to,” she paused and held up both hands making quotation marks in the air, “‘perform’ with Clint. In front of everyone. Is that something you are prepared to do Norah? Just so you can speak with Hamilton Brooks about the whereabouts of your so-called fiancé?”
There were not enough expletives for the verbal bombs going off in my head. I looked at Clint, who looked equally freaked out.
“Oh hell no!” Samuel blurted out, looking frantically from me to Clint. “No, no, no, no. Just, no. You cannot do this Len. Fucking no. I won’t let you.”
I looked to Tess for help now. She saw I needed backup. “Hey...Samuel. Why don’t we take a walk and leave Norah to discuss this some more? I think you need to cool down. It’s her decision alright.” I felt Samuel staring at me, shaking his head as Tess led him out of the room.
My attention then switched to Clint, who was pacing near the desk, his head down and his fist resting on his forward. I went over to where he was standing in the corner and leaned in to speak. “Are you going to be able to do this with me Clint?”
His eyes widened and then looked at me, almost shocked that I was asking him such a question. “Are you? I mean, with me?” he shot back.
“Yes,” I said sucking in some more air as I tried to sound confident. “I have to.”
I felt Clint’s fingers brush up against mine as he moved closer to my shaky body. A sudden rush of electricity moved along the tips, and I had to pull my hand away rather quickly. Clint noticed the pull of our hands too, staring down at where the spark had ignited between us.
He tried to muster some courage into his voice. “Then I will be right by your side the whole time Norah.”
So much for letting nature take its course.
I now wanted to be the obstacle, the roadblock, the unnatural element that was going to prevent Lenorah getting to the point she needed to be. I was absolutely against this idea and what Len was going to do tonight. She had managed to talk me down from calling her Dad and going completely ape-shit and hunting down this Hamilton fucker for putting her through this, but she did remind me it was ‘her’ choice and ‘her’ decision and that I had made it clear that I was here to help and support her and wouldn’t get in her way. It only compounded my hatred towards Josh further. He was the reason she was doing all this. He was the reason she was mixed up in the Lappell in the first place.
She assured me Clint would watch out for her at the party tonight, and that she wouldn’t do anything that she was fundamentally against. That there was no other way to get to Josh except to entertain this Hamilton Brooks douche-bag to try and find out what he wanted. I knew she was right, but it should have been me going with her tonight. It should be me keeping her safe. Me. Not Weston.
Since Delia had said it was like a scene out of Eyes Wide Shut, I couldn’t get that scene with Tom Cruise at that mansion, out of my head. It’s all I could imagine, and thinking that Len was walking into something like that, was hurting me to
Could I really do something like this? For Josh?
I went quiet as my mind ticked over. My morals were in full warfare battling with my need to save Josh.
“Well you see the dilemma we have then don’t you?” Delia then walked and stood next to her brother. “And the only person you could possibly go with to this party would be Clint. He isn’t elite Lappell, but I am, and since he is family and a Lappell member, he can attend on behalf of me. It’s one of our elite rules.”
All eyes then fell on Clint.
“Which means you’ll need to,” she paused and held up both hands making quotation marks in the air, “‘perform’ with Clint. In front of everyone. Is that something you are prepared to do Norah? Just so you can speak with Hamilton Brooks about the whereabouts of your so-called fiancé?”
There were not enough expletives for the verbal bombs going off in my head. I looked at Clint, who looked equally freaked out.
“Oh hell no!” Samuel blurted out, looking frantically from me to Clint. “No, no, no, no. Just, no. You cannot do this Len. Fucking no. I won’t let you.”
I looked to Tess for help now. She saw I needed backup. “Hey...Samuel. Why don’t we take a walk and leave Norah to discuss this some more? I think you need to cool down. It’s her decision alright.” I felt Samuel staring at me, shaking his head as Tess led him out of the room.
My attention then switched to Clint, who was pacing near the desk, his head down and his fist resting on his forward. I went over to where he was standing in the corner and leaned in to speak. “Are you going to be able to do this with me Clint?”
His eyes widened and then looked at me, almost shocked that I was asking him such a question. “Are you? I mean, with me?” he shot back.
“Yes,” I said sucking in some more air as I tried to sound confident. “I have to.”
I felt Clint’s fingers brush up against mine as he moved closer to my shaky body. A sudden rush of electricity moved along the tips, and I had to pull my hand away rather quickly. Clint noticed the pull of our hands too, staring down at where the spark had ignited between us.
He tried to muster some courage into his voice. “Then I will be right by your side the whole time Norah.”
So much for letting nature take its course.
I now wanted to be the obstacle, the roadblock, the unnatural element that was going to prevent Lenorah getting to the point she needed to be. I was absolutely against this idea and what Len was going to do tonight. She had managed to talk me down from calling her Dad and going completely ape-shit and hunting down this Hamilton fucker for putting her through this, but she did remind me it was ‘her’ choice and ‘her’ decision and that I had made it clear that I was here to help and support her and wouldn’t get in her way. It only compounded my hatred towards Josh further. He was the reason she was doing all this. He was the reason she was mixed up in the Lappell in the first place.
She assured me Clint would watch out for her at the party tonight, and that she wouldn’t do anything that she was fundamentally against. That there was no other way to get to Josh except to entertain this Hamilton Brooks douche-bag to try and find out what he wanted. I knew she was right, but it should have been me going with her tonight. It should be me keeping her safe. Me. Not Weston.
Since Delia had said it was like a scene out of Eyes Wide Shut, I couldn’t get that scene with Tom Cruise at that mansion, out of my head. It’s all I could imagine, and thinking that Len was walking into something like that, was hurting me to