Noah

I feel a soft body leaning against mine, her hair smelling like strawberries all over the pillow and framing the face of my little miss bigmouth. Oh, woman, stop giving me headaches. Yesterday one of her desperate ‘friends’ needed her help urgently, so Madison left the club in a rush, a car cut her off and hit her bike, she was knocked off and hurt herself. As much as I try to convince her to get a car, because it’s safer, the stubborn woman wants a bike and not just any bike, she chose my BMW S1000RR.

I was desperate when she called saying that she fell off the bike and needed a ride. The guys went with me and we found Madison with her clothes torn, knees filthy with blood and screaming at the driver who crossed her path. The cops were taking her in because of her sharp tongue. I was so nervous that I ended up talking more than I should and, of course, I forgot that I was talking to Madison, she simply showed me the finger in front of everyone. I smile thinking about it. She is stubborn, annoying, foul-mouthed, annoying, but I wouldn’t change a thing about her, maybe the aggressiveness of her words.

The Sunday we were at the country house, about ten days ago, Rebecka and Madison decided that the schedule should change. Becka said that, now that Madison has a social life, she wouldn’t have to stay cooped up in the Secret Garden. The Redhead will take the helm of the club in the afternoon and evening, leaving around 9 P.M., and Rebecka will take over from there.

It was also agreed that the dancers will only work from Thursday through Sunday. The club will be closed Monday and Tuesday. And, in Becka’s absence, Ramon will be responsible for closing down. Since the clientele is vast and demanding, there’s always a few exceptions, and the work ends up triplicating, leaving everyone exhausted. I was the first to agree.

I like having Madison here in my house, in my bed, where I can have her at any time, cared for and protected. She turns around moaning, probably in pain, throws her arms and legs over me. I caress her silky skin and, since it’s so white, the bruises of yesterday’s accident stand out along her body, making my anger rise, increasing the urge to go after the jerk who drove carelessly on the road.

I kiss her forehead and get out from under her without waking her up. I get up, it’s time to go to work. With the medication they prescribed her, she could sleep all day, and all I want is to stay here, making sure that this hard-headed woman is following the doctor’s orders.

After getting ready, I go down for some coffee and find Alyssa and Martha in the kitchen. I have to talk to them about Madison, if I know that one, she’ll wake up and want to go to work or meet some desperate woman. I sit in one of the chairs and Martha puts my coffee in front of me.

“Good morning, Noah. How’s Maddie doing?” asks Martha.

“She’s okay. She complained a little in her sleep, but never woke up.”

“She gave us a scare, that crazy woman,” Aly says.

“Tell me about it...” I reply, shaking my head, “Madison could drive us all crazy”.

Martha puts a plate of pancakes in front of me and says, “Madison is one of those special people who came into the world to fulfill a mission. Underneath her tough appearance, she has a pure heart. Wherever she goes, she leaves her mark...”

“Wherever she goes, she leaves her mark, and a trail of destruction,” I say, laughing.

“We can see the destruction she leaves behind,” Alyssa says, laughing, “Specially on you.”

“Before, you barely smiled, you were always in a bad mood, we rarely saw you at home,” this ‘before’ Martha speaks of is Carly, “But now, things changed. You’re always smiling, the house has a different vibe.”

“Before I forget, Martha, make sure Madison eats well. The meds she’s on are strong and I’m sure she’ll feel hungry later,” I get up and walk towards the door, “Have a nice day, ladies!”

I get into my car and drive away towards the Courthouse. On the way, I smile, thinking about their conversation, I knew exactly where they were going with all that, they were going to say that I’m in love. No, I’m not in love. At least, not yet. What Madison and I have is chemistry, but we’re not compatible at all. I like being with her, her presence brightens anywhere she goes. I don’t know if I could love her one day, we’re very different people.

I don’t fight against the idea of falling in love because, at some point, that’s going to happen anyway. We’re inevitably exposed to it, so why not live it fully when it finally happens? I’m the type to live in the moment, if I’m with someone, I want to enjoy every possible moment. This business of pushing people away out of fear of having feelings it’s really not part of my nature. It’s going to happen, it doesn’t matter if you want it or not.

I like that bigmouthed redhead, I’m going to enjoy every moment we’re together. She is a friend of my friends, they idolize her. My sister loves her, my employees adore her, and so do I! Madison is a glass of water in the desert.

I get to work, it won’t be an easy day. Full schedule, exhausting meetings with lawyers who don’t agree with each other, a prosecutor that insists on something that has already been proved unfavorable to the State. Harriet runs my Office very well, but I think she misses Madison, perhaps I’ll have to hire someone to help her.

Before going into a hearing, I text her.

“As soon as you wake up, let me know.

I want to know how you’re feeling.”

 

Her reply comes right away:

“I’m very well and awake. Wanting you here to check these bruises... with your tongue.”

 

I smile and text:

“I can’t go into a hearing

with a hard cock, Red.”

 

 

“Come over and I’ll fix that, Your Honor.”

 

“Don’t do that...”

“Have a great work day, Handsome.”

 

I turn off my phone before going into the hearing. As soon as I walk in, everyone stands, and I feel powerful.

I spent the rest of the morning and the early afternoon in an exhaustive trial. After that, Benjamin calls me up:

“Good afternoon, Your Honor.”

“Good afternoon, Benjamin. How can I help you?”

“How’s Maddie?” He asks, worried.

“She’s okay. A few bruises, probably woke up a little sore.”

“Noah, remember that house I told you about?”

“Yes...”

“So, the guy contacted me again. He’s desperate to sell and is asking well below the market for it. That house is spectacular, a testament of modern architecture and is a bargain.”

“When can I visit the property?” I hear him talking to someone in the background.

“Whenever you want.”

“We’ll take Chris along and we can go on Saturday. Is that alright?”

“That’s great. See you later. Send Madison my regards.”

“Later.”

As soon as I hang up the phone, a get an email alert. Ben sent me something, I open it and see the pictures of the house. I just have one thing to say, if the house is like in these pictures, I’ll close the deal on the spot!

It’s the end of the day and I’m finally going home. Along the way, I realize that I’m singing. How long ago was the last time I did that? For some reason, I feel light and in peace. I know I’ll come home and there won’t be any obligations, no complaints. I’ll have my beautiful redhead, whom I want to kiss entirely. The voice of Rod Stewart and Amy Belle fills my car with I Don’t Want to Talk About It.

(…) I can tell by your eyes that you've prob'bly been cryin' forever. And the stars in the sky don't mean nothin' to you, they're a mirror. I don't want to talk about it, how you broke my heart. If I stay here just a little bit longer, If I stay here, won't you listen to my heart (…)

For some reason, my heart tightens. The whole thing about Madison being cheated on, being kicked out of her own family, to always be alone, it all goes through my head. I try to imagine the feelings inside her heart. It couldn’t have been easy, is not an easy thing to go through. I want to protect her from this cruel world, take care that nothing happens to her again, her heart was hurt enough for a lifetime.

I walk in the door and greet the girls sitting on the couch, laughing. I walk over to them, kiss Alyssa on the head and Madison on the mouth.

“I thought I’d find you sleeping, Red.”

She makes a face.

“I’ve slept enough for the whole week.”

“Noah, Madison was talking about leaving,” Alyssa says.

I look at Madison, she’s embarrassed.

“She won’t. At least, not while she’s injured,” I say, heading towards the stairs, “I’m going to take a shower and I’ll come down for dinner. I’m starving!”

And that’s what I do. I take a long bath, put some comfortable clothes and I come down to eat. I join them, who were already seated at the dinner table. I admire the fact that Martha is sitting at the table as well. Back at the penthouse, she’d always dine with me in the kitchen. We had a cook and a maid, Martha was in charge of my home life. But since I moved into this house, she refused to sit with us, I never understood why. I’m glad to have her sharing a meal with us again.

In the middle of dinner, Madison’s cell phone rings, she excuses herself and walks to the next room. We can hear her conversation with Rebecka. Weird. Did something happen? Today is Tuesday, the club is closed.

Madison comes back very serious and says, “Rebecka had one of her relapses, I’m going over there to give her some support,” she looks at me as if she needed my permission, “Is that okay?”

“Of course. But, you’ll only leave here with a driver,” I reply, very serious.

She nods, “I’ll change my clothes and take my medication before I go.”

Later that night, I sit in the living room to focus on some files. I look at my cell phone to see the time, it’s late and I haven’t heard from Madison. We still worry about Rebecka’s nervous breakdowns. We’ve already told her to seek help from a professional, the other day I heard Madison advising her to look for a man to have sex with. I shake my head thinking about it, only her would give such advice.

The doorbell rings. One of the maids comes to answer, but I tell her I can do it. I open the door to find Carly on the other side. This night keeps getting better and better. Looking more closely at her, I realize that she’s sad, there’s no spark in her eyes.

“Did something happen?” I ask, concerned. I take a step back for her to come in. “Come in.”

“Thank you, Noah. Always a gentleman. I’m sorry to come by at this hour, but I had to talk to someone.”

I point her the couch.

“What happened?”

“Things are not going well. I can’t find any work, I had to sell the car and get a cheaper one.”

“Did you talk to Senator Richard?”

“Yes, I did,” she smiles a little, “He said there’s no room for me. Can I pour myself a shot of whiskey? I just came from my parents’ house, I need to process a few things.”

“Sure, I’ll serve you,” I say, getting up.

“No thank you. If you don’t mind, I prefer to prepare my own drink. Do you want some?”

“While you get yours, I’ll get me a beer.”

Having Carly here showed me how dislocated she became from this place. Clearly, she doesn’t belong here anymore. Interesting. I go back to the room and she’s standing, looking at the gardens through the window. She turns to me.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you for what you did for me. You gave me that apartment and the car, that’s what is keeping me alive right now. Thank you!” she says, raising her glass for a toast.

Right then, my phone rings, I see is Madison and I answer it.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” her voice is soft and conveys peace. I leave the room, so she won’t find out Carly is here. Madison could start World War III over it.

“How’s Becka doing, Madison?”

“Better now. She’s sleeping. I called to let you know I’m spending the night here, to make sure she’ll be okay. As soon as the dust settles, I’m going home.”

“I hope you mean here. And, how are you? Still feeling a lot of pain?”

“I’m still a little sore. I’ll be better tomorrow.”

“I’ll miss you, Madison.”

“Me too, Noah. Good night.”

“Good night, little girl with fiery hair,” I hang up the phone. I know it’s selfish, but I wanted Madison here with me.

I go back to the room where I left Carly. She’s sitting on the couch, looking at the glass in her hand. Your breathing is irregular, how much has she had to drink? I finish my beer.

“I’ll talk to Chris, Carly. Maybe he knows someone that needs help. You’re a very qualified professional, it shouldn’t be so difficult to get a new job.”

“Christopher hates me, Noah.”

I suddenly get dizzy.

“Don’t push it, Carly,” I try to keep a coherent conversation, but my tongue is heavy, and I’m feeling very tired, “Excuse me, but I have to go to bed. I’m not feeling too good. We’ll talk another day, Carly.”

I’m so tired! It’s all getting ... foggy. I struggle to climb the stairs, I try to turn my head to the side, but even that is hard to do. I feel that there’s someone here, I just can’t see who it is, I need to get to my bed. The last thing I remember is...

I wake up with a fucking headache, as if I had been drinking all night yesterday. Speaking of yesterday, what happened? I sit on the bed and feel someone beside me, I turn around and see Carly. Oh, no, no, no! I lower the sheet a little and see that we’re both naked. Shit, no! What have I done? How the fuck did I get in bed with her?

Madison...

My chest tightens to the point of suffocating me. I go to the bathroom, turn on the shower, and I let the cold water fall on me to wash away the agony I feel. I go back to the room and see Carly finishing getting dressed.

“Good morning, my love,” she comes towards me with open arms.

I raise my hand, stopping her.

“What happened between us?”

She puts her hand on her chest, acting like she’s offended.

“Oh my, Noah. You hurt my feelings. You said you missed me, you kissed me, and you asked us to remember the old days. I-I thought we’d get back together.”

“Less drama, Carly. I don’t even remember what happened, which is very strange. Anyway, this cannot leave this room under no circumstance. We’re not getting back together, we did not remember anything, I don’t even remember what happened yesterday, no way I remembered anything with you.”

I need water urgently, and something for this headache that doesn’t go away. I go down the stairs, Carly follows right behind me. To make matters worse, I run into Alyssa and Martha in the living room. The two of them stare at me with a question mark on their faces, I shrug, I have no idea what to say.

I thought the woman was gone, but she sits in the chair to my right side, for breakfast. My headache gets worse. Alyssa sits on the other side, staring at me with sadness in her eyes, and I know what she’s thinking: Madison. I rub my chest; a hint of pain begins to bother me.

“Good morning, Aly,” Carly says in a good mood. But my sister is silent. “I guess I’m not welcome in the Lancaster Clan, huh? I’ll be on my way,” she leaves, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the night, honey.”

I close my eyes and place two fingers on my forehead to try to stop the pain. Why can’t I remember what happened? Could it be that I drank too much? I remember drinking only one beer...

“I should ask what happened before I draw any conclusion. But from what I saw just now, my conclusions are accurate. I didn’t expect this from you, Noah. If it was anybody else, I wouldn’t be surprised. But you... You were always my role model for honesty.”

I don’t have the courage to look at my sister. To face her disapproval now only makes the tightness in my chest get worse.

“Alyssa, I don’t know what happened. Last night, she came in and said we needed to talk. You know me, you know I don’t usually go back on the decisions I make, much less in Carly’s case. I really don’t know what happened. We drank something, and I can’t remember anything else, just waking up next to her...”

“How could you do this to Madison?”

“Alyssa, I respect Madison, I never meant to hurt her. But we’re adults and we know where we stand. She said it herself that she had nothing with me, that we were just getting to know each other. So, whatever happened, it has nothing to do with her. Take it easy.”

My sister gets up angry and throws her napkin on the table.

“That you’re an idiot, I already knew, but a bastard, that’s news to me. Have a nice day, Your Honor.”

“Alyssa! I forbid you, and anyone else, to tell Madison what they think they saw here.”

I look at Martha, that stares at me with a face as ugly as mine.

“Don’t worry, Noah. No one will cross the path of the Almighty Lancaster,” my sister says, leaving the room.

I turn to Martha.

“Change the sheets of my bed. I have no idea what happened, and I don’t want to take any chances.”

I head for the Study until I get better, then I’ll head to the Courthouse. I distract myself checking my e-mails and I hear a noise at the door. I look up and see Madison coming towards me, as beautiful as ever and a bit sad. She kisses me and sits on my lap, putting her arms around my neck and pulling me towards her. I welcome her tongue in my mouth with pleasure. The image of Carly in my bed this morning cuts through the mood.

I take Madison off my lap gently, kiss her forehead, each side of her face and I look into those beautiful green eyes. They are so clear that I can see Sincerity stamped on them. My chest tightens, and my head hurts. I don’t deserve Madison, she’ll leave me.

I can’t stand thinking about it. I kiss her forehead, pick up my briefcase and head to the Office. I admit, I’m a coward. I should have told her, but I couldn’t, not now, not looking into her eyes.

I throw myself at my work and, every free moment I get, I go through what happened last night, over and over again, but I simply can’t remember anything. Carly wouldn’t drug me. Would she? No. I know her well, she wouldn’t stoop so low. It’s hard to understand how I ended up fucking her. I haven’t thought about her in a long time, it was clear that we don’t have any more chemistry and that our compatibility was also questionable. I just don’t know...

I leave the Office nine-thirty at night and make my way to the club. I know that, by then, Madison went home already. I don’t have the guts to face her, to tell her what happened. I’m feeling dirty, unworthy of having her around.

I get to the Secret Garden and head straight to the private room. Ramon serves me a generous dose of whiskey, bringing another soon after. Christopher shows up, but soon he’s gone again, and I’m standing there, staring at nothing, trying to find a way to go back in time and prevent what happened. I give up when I realize it’s impossible.

****************************************

The days passed by quite slowly, torturing me every night. I’ve been overworking, drinking too much, and sleeping too little. I tried to convince myself that I owe no satisfaction to anyone, I’m single, Madison said we’re just getting to know each other, we didn’t have any kind of commitment. The problem is, I can’t convince myself.

The guys and I met up early to check out the Beach house I plan to buy. But I couldn’t even drive, I haven’t shut my eyes ever since that cursed night. Madison can see there’s something going on, last night, before she went to the club, she told me she’d go to her house after, and that we’d talk later. I wanted her to go back to my house, into my arms, but I couldn’t dare ask for such a thing.

We’re finally here. Leaving the main road, we go into a secondary dirt road, at least it was in good conditions. The path is flanked by beautifully manicured shrubs. From afar we could see a tall white wall, the closer we got, the taller it looked.

The gate is automatic, but you can see the security cameras and face recognition system. I just know I’m going to have to hire a private security firm. As soon as the gates open, we can see a path of tall palm trees leading up to the house, which is surprisingly beautiful. On the outside, it seems to be two-story home, much of it is glass, modern architecture. Seen from afar, it’s like two separate buildings, interconnected by a room at the base.

Benjamin parks the car in the garage, which is also a separate building, but connected to the main house by a hallway. We go into the house through the garage and the first room we see is the kitchen, very beautiful and elegant. We go through two living rooms and head straight to the bedrooms, they really caught my attention. All of them have balconies facing the ocean, but the master suite is magnificent. The double doors provide the room with the view of the beach, the deck-shaped balcony has a hot tub, a couch, a table with two chairs and a small garden.

The bathroom is gigantic, and as luxurious as the bedroom. Next to the bathtub, there is a window overlooking the beach. The sink extends from side to side, occupying the entire wall opposing the bathtub. Everything is white with details in black. On the bathtub wall, there are some opening, like a closet. The wall is made of glass and wood, and beside it, there is a door to another environment, in fact, the wall is nothing more than a box for the shower, which has two huge showers. It really is spectacular.

The house consists of six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, employee’s quarters, enough room for a battalion. Three living rooms, an indoor garden, a game room, gym, and so forth. One of the living rooms, has double doors to the pool and nothing prepared me for that view.

We head toward the extensive external area. We walk to the Olympic-size pool with a waterfall in one of the corners. The other side of the pool, and of the entire area, is a cliff that gives to the most stupendous view of the sea, flanked by stones and woods. In the far-right corner, away from the pool and near the garden, there is a ladder with glass handrail and each step was carved with mastery in the stones. We went down to a small stretch of private beach, the only ones with a view to this place is the people at the house.

The water is crystal clear and calm, no waves, like a lake. The rocks that surround it make everything amazing. The plants, the flowers, everything... The silence is a blessing, the singing of the birds is a musical of the finest quality. This is heaven. Further to the side, they added a construction with some sun loungers and chairs in a small covered space. If we hadn’t paid attention, we’d miss it.

We got back to the house and sat down on the couch. Yes, this castle comes entirely furnished. Alyssa and Madison are going to love this place.

Madison...

My on-going headache persists, and now it becomes excruciating. The images from our last fuck, they torment me. I haven’t touched her ever since that macabre night with Carly. I didn’t think it was right.

“Noah?” I look around and see my two friends, serious, staring at me. Christopher goes on, “You haven’t looked okay for a few days now, but today you look even worse. What’s going on?”

I take a deep breath and say, “Tuesday night, Madison went to Becka’s, and I woke up on Wednesday morning, in bed with Carly.”

“I swear I heard Carly...” Ben says, moving on the couch.

“I thought you two were over, Noah,” says Chris, with a serious face.

I run my hand through the hair and reply, “And we are. In fact, I have no idea what actually happened. Carly showed up late at night, wanting to talk, saying that life wasn’t easy. She went in, had a drink and, in the middle of our talk, I felt drowsy and went to bed. I don’t remember anything else, just waking up in my bed next to her.”

“What about Madison?” Christopher asks.

“Rebecka had one of her nervous breakdowns and she spent the night there.”

Benjamin, wondering, asks, “You had too much to drink?”

“No, not that I can remember.”

“There’s only one explanation,” Christopher says, “she put something in your drink.”

“I’ve thought about that, but it’s impossible. I drank a long neck and it was close by the entire time. Also, I don’t think she would stoop so low...”

“This week a gang was arrested for tempering with beers,” Benjamin says, looking at us, “They mixed chemical components to the liquid...”

“To what end? Poison the world?” Christopher asks with mockery.

Ben explains:

“Now we know it began on the outskirts of town, they meant to exterminate another gang. But there were many reports of people getting sick all over the state, so we found out that they were selling the contaminated beer at a cheap price. You could have been a victim of chance.”

“Did you tell Madison?” Christopher asks me.

“No. And I’ve been avoiding her ever since.”

Christopher goes on with his questioning, “Why?”

“I don’t know...” I take a deep breath, “I don’t think it’s right to smear her with my dirt.”

Benjamin gets up and pulls out a bottle of vodka from somewhere. He opens it and hands it to me.

“Madison won’t forgive you. She’s been cheated on once before and, just look what it has brought to her life. Maybe, if you had told her right off the bat, you could have the benefit of the doubt. But, knowing Red like I do, your chances have been reduced to nothing.”

“What are you going to do Noah?” Chris asks.

“I don’t know...”

He goes on, “Do you like Madison?” I nod yes. “So, enjoy it while you can or let her go. Because, either way, you’ve ruined anything you two could’ve had.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” I say hopefully.

“We’re talking about Madison here, she was cheated on, and her reaction to it made her be rejected by her own family. Do you really think she’ll give you anything besides her foot in your ass?” Benjamin asks.

“I should have prevented myself...”

Chris cut me off, “You should’ve never let Carly inside. From the moment you did, anything could’ve happen. After all, you were together for two whole years.”

“I wish nobody found out about it. It’s enough to have Alyssa and Martha judging me.” They stare at me, waiting for me to finish the story. “When I came down stairs the next morning, Carly was behind me, and my sister and Martha were talking in the living room.”

They both say, at the same time, “Fuck!”

I get up and walk towards the double doors, “Changing the subject, I’ll take the house. I need a place to get away when I need to. But I have one condition.”