Pieces of Truth

Chapter 14

The Past - Two Months Earlier

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This was exactly what I needed right now. The wind in my hair, the sense of freedom all around me. The sound of the engine mixed with my accelerated heart rate made for an addictive combination. The purr made me want to close my eyes, get lost in the speed, and go on this ride for as long as it could take me. Nothing could take my mind away from the euphoria of this feeling.

“Yeeeeeharrrrrr!” Tess yelled, screeching long and hard, stretching both her hands outside the Lamborghini as I drove at top speed towards the Weston mansion.

My shoulders hunched over as my clear mind was interrupted by Tess’s excitement. I laughed. That didn’t last long.

“Did you just say yeehar?” I giggled, as Tess kept her hands stretched out the window.

“I certainly did! Remind me later to thank Clint for giving us this f*cking gorgeous car for the day, as well as access to his mansion. I can’t believe he just handed all this over to you, just like that.” Tess swiped away chunks of her red hair that blurred her vision as the wind swirled all around us.

“Well you are leaving for Europe tomorrow, and his whole family is away, and Clint is busy finalizing the details for our apartment in New York, so I thought we could have some fun. There is a lake behind his house. You gotta see his place Tess.”

Tess started flailing her arms again, enjoying the sensation of the speed as we continued to accelerate. “Sounds fantastic. I can’t wait!” she bellowed over the roar of the car.

We had been joy-riding for most of the morning, taking turns at driving and pushing the car to see how fast it could go. It was completely irresponsible of us, but then again, we were wild twenty-two year old girls - what would anyone expect.

“I want to have this car’s babies!” Tess screamed as I pulled a fast turn and brought us back around at top speed. If it wasn’t for Clint, I probably would have considered the Lamborghini Aventador as my next companion too. I giggled again as I pressed my foot hard on the accelerator. Tess only squealed more in excitement. She loved to let go as much as I did, and a fast car was certainly the way to do it.

“His mansion is just down this street. If you are hungry, we can raid the fridge, but the servants will offer to make us something I’m sure. They know we are coming!” I yelled at Tess.

I saw the large white gates which were the entrance to Clint’s family estate. We stopped abruptly at the gates. The gates’ surveillance camera turned to get a better angle of us. I smiled at the camera and the gates began opening. I didn’t even have to give them my name.

I smiled at Tess like I had won the lottery, and she beamed back at me as we made our way up the long driveway lined with the huge cherry blossom trees. I stared at the trees as my memory flashed back. They were my first introduction to Clint Weston and his wealth, although in that first meeting, I had made this same trip with Josh in a limo, and under very different circumstances.

I only continued to smile, with my head thrown back while Tess stuck her head out of the car window like an excited puppy, trying to take in all the sights and sounds.

When we finally stopped at the grand stairway entrance, we both climbed out of the car and Tess looked up. Her mouth was gaping open. She turned to me, arms both gesturing to the mansion.

“Seriously?”

I sighed gleefully, and took her hand, helping her to move forward. It was harder than I thought because her feet seemed planted on the ground. The mansion appeared to be a huge intimidation which Tess couldn’t get the courage to enter.

A man, dressed in a very stereotypical butler’s uniform, came striding down the stairs. I had been introduced a few times before to Barrett, the Weston’s head butler. He was tall and lanky, with pointy features and very short black hair. He stopped in front of us, welcoming me with a warm smile.

“Miss Rossi, how lovely to see you again. Mr. Weston has informed us that you and your friend would be coming over and he told us make sure you were both well taken care of. If there is anything you need, please press any of the intercoms you see on the walls and we will be right with you.”

I nodded to the butler in appreciation. “Thanks Barrett. I really wanted to show my friend Tess around the house, as well as the gardens and the lake.”

“Most certainly. We already anticipated that you may want to go out there so we’ve prepared some food and refreshments for you and your friend. They are waiting for you on the terrace just outside the main kitchen.” He motioned for another servant, who appeared out of nowhere to take my keys and park the car.

“You didn’t have to do that Barrett, but thank you.”

I took Tess’s hand and started to lead her away, her feet finally remembering how to walk. I don’t think she realized she had been standing with her mouth open watching Barrett.

As we started to walk off, Tess turned to me again and behind Barrett’s back, pointed to him and mouthed silently, “Seriously?”

I giggled at her face and just nodded. I guess this was a very overwhelming place with its ostentatious size and wealth. I myself, was over-taken by the grandeur when I first came here too. Even being brought up with money, some people’s wealth could still take my breath away and Clint’s family’s wealth could easily suck all the air from my body.

As we made our way through the house, Tess stopped many times to take in all the glory that the mansion exuded with its extravagant fittings, magnificent decor and detailed structure. I couldn’t blame her. I had made Clint give me many tours through his home once we got back together. I had become very excited to learn more about the place Clint had grown up and what memories his home held for him. Clint didn’t talk too much about his childhood except to say that it was all very formal (whatever that meant) and that he and his sister were closer than his brother. His parents, although very supportive of our relationship now, weren’t the warmest of people. It was pretty obvious you had to fight for what you wanted in this house, especially if you wanted affection. Maybe that was why Clint was passionate when it came to love. Perhaps he was making up for something he didn’t get much of when he was a child.

When we finally reached the double glass-paneled doors that led outside, I raced up to them like a giddy schoolgirl, excited to show Tess what wowed me the most about the place. Although, I had seen the gardens the first time at night, and they were illuminated by thousands of different kinds of lights which made them look like a magical fairytale land. In the day, the gardens were equally captivating and beautiful, with a variety of different colors from all kinds of flowers and hedge work.

When Tess stepped onto the terrace and gazed out at the gardens, she immediately said, “Oh come on Norah, I mean…”

I cut her off. “Yes Tess, seriously!”

“Wow!” she exclaimed at the picturesque sight.

Yes, my sentiments exactly.

Our heads then turned to the delicious aroma that had grabbed our attention, and it wasn’t from the flowers but from the food on the outside dining area. Barrett and the other servants had laid out a selection of gourmet sandwiches, a jug of what looked like home-made lemonade, and a plate of different flavored macarons.

“Hmmm, that looks good.” Tess couldn’t peel her eyes away from the table.

I grabbed her hand. “Let’s go check out the lake first and then come back and have some lunch.”

We started our way down the garden’s stone staircase, and stepped onto the pathway in between the trees and hedges. “So are your parents cool with you just taking off to Europe like this?” I asked Tess as we made our way slowly along the path, admiring the garden’s beauty.

“Are you kidding? It was their idea. They both went to McLaren University too, actually most of their families went to McLaren, and many of them didn’t make it that far after they graduated. My parents ended up in Boston. My Dad’s an accountant, and my Mum’s in contract administration. All really boring hey. When they found out I got offered a job travelling Europe in advertising as head designer, they bought my airline ticket.”

Tess didn’t talk about her family much and suddenly getting all that background information told me that I should have asked her a lot sooner, but since we met, we didn’t go into much of each other’s past. We focused on the present. Tess knew about my Dad and had some knowledge of my upbringing, but she had no specifics. With that in mind, I had failed to ask her about her family too. I suppose it was because I was used to not asking people those kind of questions. I needed to change that about myself. Not everyone’s pasts were as haunted as mine.

“Really?” I asked, hoping she would give me even more information about her family.

“Yeah ,something about getting out, seeing the world. Making the most of my choices. Blah, blah, blah. You know how family can be.” Tess bit her tongue as she realized I didn’t know how a normal, regular family can be, considering mine had been vastly different to the norm.

I didn’t want Tess to feel bad, so I tried to be positive for her, although it didn’t come out that way. “They sound great Tess. Must be nice to have that kind of support.”

Tess noticed the sadness as I said it.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I’m pretty lucky to have parents like that, but believe me Norah, they can be overprotective too. Always warning me about everything and being super paranoid at times. They can be a real pain in my ass. Ugh!” Tess did her best to down-play her happy family for my benefit. I was thankful she tried to ease my sadness. Under that wild sarcasm, there was real thoughtfulness and compassion.

“Well, I’m going to miss you so much. You gotta make sure you get some time off and fly back to New York when you can.”

“Of course. You’re my best friend Norah.” She poked me in the ribs, our mood reigniting to fun and playful.

We headed through the gardens, stopping to admire some more of the hedge work and then we finally came to the mooring. I tilted my head, a bit shocked. The mooring was presently occupied by a boat. A schooner to be exact.

“Oh goody, he has a boat too.” Tess picked up pace as we got closer to the mooring, and closer to the schooner. This was the first time I had seen the boat. Clint had told me that his family had one, but that his brother had been using it for his vacation time. He must be back, although obviously not at home or Clint would have warned me beforehand.

“Can we jump on and check it out?” Tess was already half leaning over on the mooring and on the edge of the boat, ready to climb on. I looked around to see if anyone was watching. The boat just appeared to be sitting there. I figured we would only stay up top and look around. We wouldn’t go down below, and Clint did tell me to have fun.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t see any problem if we check out the deck.”

“And the wheel. I want to see the wheel.”

I giggled at Tess, who was acting like an over excited kid about to play sailor. I waved her on as I followed her onto the boat. Both our feet thudded loudly on the timber deck. It surprised us just how loud we were and we both froze like we had been caught out. But after a few minutes of waiting for someone to tell us to get off, we started looking around, touching the leather cushioning and playing with the big wooden wheel.

“You were right about the lake Norah, it’s gorgeous!” Tess looked out from the head of the boat.

Tess walked right up to the edge and looked down at the water, stretching her arms from side to side and tilting her head back.

“If you are about to yell, ‘I’m king of the world’, I’ll push you over.”

Tess righted her head and grinned at me. “Damn, you know me too well!”

I pulled her down from where she stood. “OK, we’ve had a look, so let’s go back up to the house and get something to eat.”

Tess moved out of my grip and started shaking her head. “Ah no, no, no, no. I don’t think so.”

I looked at Tess, confused. “Ummm, why not?”

“Because I’m leaving Norah, and this is our last day together for God knows how long. We can’t end it by having tea on some snooty rich person’s verandah saying to each other, ‘Oh my, what delicious sandwiches’. F*ck no! Not having it.”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. “OK, what do you suggest then?”

Tess bit her lip mischievously and looked down at the lake again. “Skinny dipping.”

I coughed, shocked. “What? Are you crazy!”

In Tess’s best convincing voice, she said, “Oh c’mon Norah. We are all girls here. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. And after that car ride, don’t you want to keep the party going? Just look at the lake, it’s calling our names.”

I stared out across the lake. It did look mighty inviting. Did I really care if the servants saw us naked? Ummm - NO!

I giggled back to her. “Yeah, let’s do it!”

We started to strip off our clothes, tossing them onto the deck, until we were staring at the water in nothing but our panties.

Tess turned to me first and looked at my chest. “Nice Norah. Very nice.” I almost choked, but it was no time to be bashful. I looked then at her breasts. I felt I had to return the favor. There were round with very nice nipple definition. It’s funny, that even when you don’t feel any attraction, you can still admire something beautiful. I liked that women can do that. “Yours too Tess. Very nice, very...round.” We both nodded at one other, appreciating each other’s bodies, laughing as we did. I did not see the day playing out like this!

“Alright,” said Tess. “Now that the awkward part is over, let’s get naked. Ready Norah?”

I bit my lip in anticipation. “I’m ready.”

We both started to grip our panties, ready to pull them down, so we could jump into the lake, but a man’s voice caused us both to freeze, mid panty drop.

“Damnnnnnnn,” the low masculine voice said from behind us. We instantly pulled our panties back up, and covered our breasts with our hands. We both turned at the same time to see a blond haired guy in his late twenties, leaning on the ship’s wheel, staring at us.

“You know, I really, really didn’t want to stop that, but when I heard your name, I knew I couldn’t let you go all the way.”

I had already guessed who this was. He was the spitting image of Clint, but a few years older. He had the same blue eyes, blond hair and defined jaw. This was obviously his brother. I had to retrace my memory for a name. I knew Clint had mentioned him before.

Think Norah, think.

“Leo?” I said, hesitantly. He grinned, and came walking towards us, his eyes on both of our hands that barely covered our breasts.

“The one and only, and you are Norah, Clint’s girlfriend, right?” He pointed at me, making sure he had identified me correctly.

I nodded. He stopped walking when he got close to us.

“I’d shake your hand, but somehow I don’t think this is the right moment for formal introductions.”

I shook my head, now turning red in embarrassment. “No, not the right time for that.”

Tess then blurted out, “I’d love a formal introduction,” and she dropped both her hands and held out her palm for a handshake. Leo’s eyes of course went straight to Tess’s nipples, that were hard, and already saying hello.

“Tess!” I said, scolding her for such forward and unladylike behavior, but who was I kidding.

“What Norah? I’m going to Europe tomorrow. I’ll probably never see this guy again. I don’t mind if he checks out the goods. And this is pretty f*cking funny, don’t you think?”

I tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help myself.

“F*ck, how am I going to tell Clint about this?” I got out between laughs.

Immediately Leo’s face changed to hard and almost angry. “I’d prefer if you didn’t mention to Clint that you saw me. I only stopped to get some extra supplies, and this afternoon I’m heading back out. We really don’t have to complicate things.”

Complicate things?

“I don’t know Leo...” I was unsure why he was acting like this. What was the big deal if Clint knew he was here or not? They were family after all.

“Look, just forget you saw me, and I’ll forget I saw those beauties,” and he pointed to my chest. Seems like Leo did get a bit of show before he made us aware of his presence.

Would it really matter if I told Clint that we had seen him? It’s not like we discussed anything important, and after all, I’d had enough drama in my life the past month.

“Sure OK. Nothing to talk about anyway,” I agreed. The last thing I wanted to do was start some kind of family argument. I knew all too well the stress of family.

Leo looked relieved as I said it. “I’ll head back down into the boat and give you two some privacy to get dressed.” He then turned to Tess. “Unless you want to join me?”

I made sure Tess could see my disapproving look, and even though I saw her actually contemplating his offer, she shimmied her chest a little and said, “No, maybe another time.”

Leo walked over to the opening of the cabin, so he could go down below, and started climbing in. Before closing the door, he popped his head back up.

“Norah, can I ask you something?” He watched me and I smiled back.

“Sure.”

“What’s it like being with Clint? I only ask because you are his first serious girlfriend, and Clint hasn’t been serious about anyone before. When he is serious about something, he usually...takes it all the way.”

I didn’t know what Leo was saying or implying. His question felt like there was a lot behind it; none of which he could talk about. He was asking for something, reassurance I think, about his brother.

“I’m not sure what you are asking Leo. Clint’s a very devoted boyfriend. Is that what you want to know?”

He didn’t seem satisfied by my answer, but didn’t follow up with any more questions. “Oh, that’s good to know,” Leo simply said.

I wasn’t convinced that was all there was to it. It made me want to question him further, find out what he was really asking about Clint. “Why are asking Leo?”

Leo scanned the gardens and looked over to the house, probably wondering if any of the servants knew he was there. He looked at me again, clearly considering what he should say. Finally he decided it was OK to give me a response. “Well, Clint has always been a bit...umm how do I say this...intense. Usually if he is serious about something, nothing can get in his way.”

Talk about a million questions in my head right now. Could Clint’s brother be any more vague with his statement? Intense. Yes, Clint was determined and passionate and everything the word ‘intense’ would define. I couldn’t understand why Leo was making it sound like a warning, but it was as if he was holding a banner above his head saying, ‘Watch out!’

“Being intense is not a bad thing,” I pointed out. I loved Clint and wanted to defend him.

Leo mouth’s frowned as he gazed at me. “Isn’t it Norah?”

Leo’s eyes looked over to Tess again. “Nice to meet you Tess. Very nice.” Tess held her shoulders back and smiled proudly.

He lifted his hand to us, gesturing good-bye. “See you round Norah. I have to admit, you certainly are memorable.”

His head disappeared down below and I scrambled to get my clothes that were scattered all around the deck of the boat.

Tess stood in the same spot, just watching as I quickly got dressed. She cocked her head to one side, staring at the cabin door Leo had vanished through.

“Clint’s brother seems...nice,” Tess said, her words dripping in sarcasm.

I sighed. I could think of a better word.