Chapter Fourteen

The next morning, Aliya awoke with a feeling of dread. She wasn’t sure exactly why, but a sense of doom clouded over her, as if a storm were approaching but the skies were still clear. She mentioned the feelings to Anya while they waited for Jessica to come to work, and Anya frowned.

“It’s because I only have three days left,” Aliya said. “I’ve so used to having him in my life now, and it’s going to be hard to lose him.”

“Lots of things can change in three days,” Anya replied. “You know, I thought I would lose Makin and Anuis, too. We’re still together, and it’s forever.”

“Well, you’re a good person who gets rewarded for things. I, on the other hand, have led a less-than-stellar life. Maybe I’m being punished.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The door opened and Jessica came inside, carrying a pastry box.

“I brought doughnuts. I woke up thinking it sounded like a fantastic idea to eat my weight in sugar.” The three of them laughed, and as Jessica set the box on the desk, the door opened again.

“Anya, can I talk to you?” Phil, the agency owner, nodded at the other two ladies as Anya followed him outside.

When the door was closed, Aliya turned to Jessica, who was opening the box. She pushed it toward Aliya. “You choose first.”

Aliya took a chocolate covered doughnut from the box, ran her finger over the icing and thought of Matuse, standing over her and coating her body in chocolate. Her insides heated and she smiled as she took the first bite.

“Last night, my husband convinced me that if I allowed my resentment toward you to fester, that I was doing myself a disservice. I agree with him. Consider this little feast my way of saying I accept your apology.”

“Thank you.” Aliya thought she might cry out with relief. Instead she smiled at Jessica and took another bite. “These are delicious.”

“You know, a few years ago you would have never touched a doughnut. And now, well, not to be rude, but you’ve gained a few pounds. What’s changed?”

“I met a man who showed me the error of my ways, in more ways than one,” Aliya explained. “He’s been very good for me, I think.”

“Yes, I think you’re right.”

Anya came back in and they ate several more doughnuts before starting off to work. By the time the afternoon came, they had slogans to share with the owners, plus an idea for print and TV campaigns.

“We should use Luca for the model,” Aliya said. “She’s beautiful.”

“I agree,” Anya said. “A very good choice.”

“Who is this person?” Jessica looked between them.

“A friend of mine,” Anya explained. “She’s a BBW, and she’s very lush. She’d be perfect for the ads.”

Aliya smiled, wondering what Jessica would think if Anya told her the truth, that Luca was a Djinni used to spreading pleasure.

When the afternoon was over, Aliya headed for the elevators, her mind on what was going to happen tonight when she talked with Moreen. She wondered why Matuse was cutting this one so short. She thought they’d be done with the apologies by now and concentrating solely on pleasure, playing at the cave for the next three days.

She sighed as she pressed the button and waited for the elevator to come. Three days, including today. After tonight it was down to two. The sense of dread she’d felt that morning came back, settling over her and making her shiver.

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked around. A group of businessmen stood the receptionist’s desk, talking. There were six of them, and four were deep in conversation. Two were looking her over in appreciation. She smiled back, and then glanced back toward the elevator. Even though it was nice to know she was still attractive to men, somehow it didn’t give her the pleasure it once did. She didn’t want their appraisal, or approval. She wanted Matuse. Only Matuse.

She stepped into the elevator, surprised that she had it to herself. As the car descended, she expected it to stop, but it didn’t. It took her a few moments to realize the business suit she’d been wearing had changed to a new pair of jeans and a casual sweater.

“Matuse?”

The door opened and he was standing there, a smile on his face. He was dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt that hugged his muscular body. Paran stood next to him, looking bored. They weren’t standing in the lobby of the building that housed H&H, though. They were on a city street. People milled about, ignoring them.

Aliya stepped from the elevator and frowned. “Where are we?”

“Queens,” Matuse said. “Surely you’ve been here before.”

“Not in this area. Does Moreen live here?”

“Yes. But she’s at work right now, and we need to hurry before she leaves.” He took her hand and they started down the street.

She turned to look at Paran, who trailed behind them. “You seem morose today. What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.”

“He’s convinced something bad has happened,” Matuse said. “But I haven’t sensed anything.”

“I know something bad has happened,” Paran muttered. “But the person involved refused to admit it.”

Matuse came to a dead stop, turning angry eyes on Paran. “Enough. It’s none of your business.”

“Fine. But just remember what I said.”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Matuse replied. “We’re here to see Moreen, and nothing else.”

He started to walk at a brisk clip, trailing Aliya behind him. “Slow down.”

“No. We have things to do.” He finally stopped in front of a large building with a sign identifying it as the “The Parker Center for Teens.”

“What is this place?”

“Just what it says, a center for troubled teens.”

He pushed open the door and they went inside. A large man came toward them with a smile. “Mr. Paran?”

“No. I’m Matuse. Paran is behind us.” Paran shook the man’s hand, then turned to Aliya. “Joshua Parker, this is Aliya Baban. She’s a friend of ours.”

She shook his hand, wishing they had filled her in on what was happening and given her some clue about what to expect. She glanced around but didn’t see Moreen. If she worked here, she didn’t work in the front part of the building.

“So,” Joshua said. “Tell me exactly what you’re looking for.”

“We’re looking for workers for our lamp factory,” Paran explained. “We’d like to employ some of your teens, to give them a chance to earn some money, learn the value of hard work, and obtain a skill.”

“I’m impressed,” Joshua said. “And I’m grateful. We have problems finding potential employers for our kids. They don’t want to take a chance on kids who have already proven they’re less than trustworthy. Why are you willing to take the risk?”

“Because, we believe everyone deserves a second chance, and sometimes, a third,” Matuse said. “People can be more than what they were born to.”

Aliya absorbed his words. Now that she thought about it, they were very much alike. Both fighting influences from their parents that weren’t perfect—from her mother who centered on looks alone, to Matuse’s father who wanted his son to be evil.

When she touched his arm, he turned to her. Their gazes locked. She wanted to take this chance to tell him that she loved him, but somehow it didn’t seem like the right place, or the right time. He gave her a shy smile, then they fell into step behind Paran and Joshua, who was now taking them on a tour of the facility.

They’d gone through two rooms, and were about to enter a third when Matuse said, “over there,” to her. She turned to find Moreen staring at her, her dark eyes full of malice.

“Go to her.” His voice was soft. “I’ll wait here.”

“Come with me.”

“No. I’m sorry, but you have to do this one alone. I won’t leave the room, though. Know that I’m with you in spirit.”

She took a deep breath and started toward the other woman, who continued to stare at her.

“Hi.” The greeting sounded lame, even to her. “How are you?”

“You’re joking, right? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Uh... me and my friends, we’re taking a tour. They’re thinking of giving some of the kids jobs.”

“Oh, do-gooders, huh? And you’re with them? What, did you get a heart transplant? Or did you just grow a soul?”

“Moreen, I—”

“Oh, please, Aliya. Don’t even bother. Nothing you have to say could possibly be of interest to me.”

“I’m so sorry. If I hurt you, I…”

“Get away from me.”

“Really, I…” Aliya felt as if Moreen had punched her in the stomach. “I am sorry.”

“Yeah? Who gives a rat’s ass?”

“Do you work here?” She was grasping at straws now, trying to find something to talk about. If Moreen worked with troubled teens, then maybe she would want to discuss it, talk about why she did it.

“Work here? No, Aliya, I don’t. This is called community service. This is what happens when you break the law, get arrested, and try to stay out of prison. You get to spend the next ten years on probation, talking to snot-nosed kids who are just like once were, trying to scare them straight. ‘Don’t be like me. Don’t do drugs. Stay in school.’ Get the point?”

“Moreen, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Why would you? After all, I wasn’t worth your time to spit on, was I? You branded me a slut, and everyone believed you.”

“I—I’m sor—”

“Go to hell.” She stormed off and all the breath left Aliya’s lungs. Matuse’s arms were around her quickly, pulling her close. Tears flooded her eyes, and she felt as if a crushing weight rested on her chest.

“It’s all right.”

“No, it’s not all right. I failed. There’s no way she’s going to forgive me.”

“You’re right, there’s not. But you gave her a heartfelt apology, and that’s all that matters. You did what you were supposed to do. It’s out of your hands now.”

“But what about her? She’s so angry, so full of hate. And it’s my fault.”

“This is where you must trust us, understand? And it’s not all your fault. She made her choices, and obviously, they weren’t always good ones. Paran will help her now.”

“What if he can’t?” The tears were flowing heavily down her cheeks. She felt as if she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Never underestimate Paran. It may not be the most pleasant of times for her, but he will use his skills, both good and bad, to help turn her around.”

“I want to go home.” She wiped tears from her face. “Please, take me home.”

He caressed her cheek. “We had plans for the cave. Don’t you want to go play?”

She shook her head. “No. I just want to go home.”

When Paran and Joshua came up, she turned her face away so they couldn’t see her tears. Paran and Matuse exchanged words she couldn’t hear. All she could hear was the poison in Moreen’s voice when she’d told her to go to hell.

Within seconds, she was at home, lying in her bed with Matuse spooned behind her, holding her close as she cried herself to sleep.