Truth, стр. 91
“And what did you conclude from that?”
She contemplated her answer, as her fingers mindlessly played with the small buttons down the center of his silk shirt. Finally she spoke, “Well, it’s hard to answer. You see at first I thought you’d sent it. So, I thought you were adding insult to injury, you know, rubbing salt in my wounds.”
His embrace tightened, “And you thought I’d do that?”
“What else could I think? You set me up and left me.” Her emotion ladened voice trailed into silence. Closing her eyes, she remembered him at the jail in Iowa and saw visions of her prison cell. Her body trembled as she fought to contain the sobs within her chest.
“There are few people in this world whom I’ve cared about.” Tony’s voice had a faraway quality. “Few people whose opinion of me I value.” He lifted her chin and looked into her moist glistening emerald eyes. “I know you have reason to doubt me. Hell, reasons. But, Claire, you are one of those people.” She closed her eyes, and he continued speaking, “I need you to understand. I made promises, and I keep my word.”
She didn’t know where the words came from. It wasn’t something she’d been consciously thinking, yet they came anyway, “You made me a promise, on December eighteenth...”
He interrupted, each word coming slower than the one before, “Two thousand and ten, in our estate, to love you forever. I keep my word.”
His lips found hers and passion glued them together. It wasn’t fevered, like a wildfire roaring through the California Mountains. It was deep and painful; the kind of bond that yanks at your heart, until your only desire is to remove the pumping organ with your bare hands.
Abruptly, Claire stood. The room spun from her quick movement. Tony reached up and steadied her. She heard the honest concern in his voice.
“Are you all right? What happened?”
Claire picked up her shoes and smoothed her dress. “I’m fine. I want to go now.”
He didn’t argue, though his gaze never left hers. He reached inside his pocket and removed his phone. She waited while he spoke to Eric.
“Eric will have the car ready in the private garage in a few minutes.” Her expression must have asked her unspoken question about the location. In the past, cars were always outside. Tony replied, “If we enter the car in the garage, we can avoid paparazzi.”
“Oh, good idea. I need to use the restroom, and I’ll be ready to leave.” Claire turned to walk away and then turned back. “We? Tony I don’t need you to ride with me.” She paused, “I’d prefer you didn’t.”
“Then I will escort you to the car. If that is acceptable?”
Claire nodded and walked away; her dress swept the cool floor, while her shoes dangled from her fingertips.
Though considerably less tense than the earlier decent, the ride down the golden elevator was awkwardly quiet. Their reflections in the gold mirrored doors were much less polished than before. Claire’s eyes displayed signs of her multiple emotional breaks. Her lids were no longer painted to perfection and her mascara was gone. While freshening up in the restroom she cleaned the dark circles from under her eyes. If they’d planned on exiting through the lobby, she would have needed to redo a great deal of her make-up.
Tony’s jacket was gone and his tie hung loosely through his unbuttoned collar. His shirt contained clues to the location of her missing mascara. Multiple dark smudges stained the now wrinkled white silk.
When the elevator opened to the private parking area, Eric immediately opened the door to the back seat. Claire nodded to Tony’s driver and sat down. She heard Tony’s voice, “Ms. Claire would prefer to ride back to Palo Alto alone. Please call me when she is safely to her door.”
“Yes, Mr. Rawlings.”
Claire heard Tony say, “I can get this.” She then saw Eric move around the front of the car to the driver’s seat. Next, Tony’s face appeared in the opening of the door. She looked into his dark tired eyes. In his outstretched hand was her cellphone. She took it and placed it upon her lap.
“Thank you, Tony. Good-bye.”
“Don’t forget the news release.” His sturdy voice once again held his authoritative CEO tone, the one that gave orders and expected unquestioning obedience. She’d heard that tone for years, directed both at her and at others. Instinctively, the tone heightened her defenses, caused her neck to straighten, and eyes to blaze. She never liked that tone.
“How could I?”
“We will need to discuss it further.”
“I’m discussed out.” Later Claire would reflect on their candor in Eric’s presence. Sometime ago Tony’s intimate staff became part of the woodwork. Claire didn’t mean to say they weren’t people, but, on most occasions she’d forget they were even present.
“I can tell you’re tired. Go get some sleep. We can continue our discussion tomorrow before I leave for Iowa.”
Claire closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted was Tony in Palo Alto with Harry. “I have plans tomorrow. Call me after you’re back to Iowa.”
“This would be better discussed in person.”
She exhaled, “Let me meet you somewhere.”
His eyes returned her blaze. “Ten o’clock. Text me the location. Palo Alto is fine.”
Claire nodded. She didn’t want to meet, but the concession was better than having him at Amber’s condominium. “Tomorrow.” she replied.
“Tomorrow, Claire.” He closed the door.
Eric eased the Mercedes C-Class out of the underground garage and around the front of the Saint Regis Hotel. Along the sidewalk, under the bright lights of the canopy, were multitudes of people. Some had cameras while others only wanted to see the attendees of the gala, as they made their way to the line of waiting cars. Claire reclined against the soft leather seat, thankful for Tony’s discretion, and the tinted windows. No one seemed to notice the dark grey sedan as it made its way to US 101.
Once on the highway Claire turned on her iPhone. The time appeared, 12:13 A.M., where had the night gone? The screen filled with messages: 16 missed calls, 3 voice mails, and 11 text messages. She debated. Should she listen and read, or should she just call?
Sweeping the screen with her finger she sought her call log and tapped Harry’s name. Her heart beat rapidly as the sound of ringing filled her ears. Glancing forward she saw Eric’s eyes in the rearview mirror. She knew anything she said would be repeated to Tony as soon as she exited the car.
Harry’s voice sounded strained, “Claire.”
She took a deep breath, “I’m finally on my way home. I should be there in about an hour.”
Silence... finally he asked, “Can you talk right now?”
Her heart broke hearing the emotion in his voice. “Not really.”
“Is he with you?”
She imagined his clenched jaws and strained blue eyes. “No, I’m being driven by his driver.”
“And he can hear you?” There seemed to be relief in the knowledge Claire wasn’t currently with Tony.
“Yes.”
“I’ll tell Amber you’re on your way. Will you please come here first?”
Although she was exhausted beyond belief and didn’t want any more confrontations, Claire knew she owed this to Harry. “Yes, as soon as I can.”
“Can we work this out?”
She thought about the news release. Had he seen it? Were there pictures of her and Tony on the internet? What did he think happened? A tear fell from her eye as she replied, “I hope so.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She nodded into the phone as the connection ended. He didn’t say good-bye. She couldn’t remember a time in the past when he hadn’t said good-bye. Claire leaned her head against the seat and watched the lights of the highway. She thought about checking the messages and missed calls. Instead she watched the lights.
Power resides only where men believe it resides.