“Will you be sleeping in the bed?” she asked.
“No.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Opal, this is not going to be a conventional marriage. I did this to help you. I don’t want a wife.”
“But you said divorce.”
“You’re my best friend’s little sister, Opal. You’re too young, and to be honest I don’t want to have to deal with the problem of your virginity.”
The words stung, but she understood what he meant. He left her, and the tears had fallen. She’d somehow pushed him into this marriage, and he didn’t want to have sex with her.
Her wedding night passed with her alone.
****
The wedding night had been awful. The look of disgust on his face would stay with her forever. She took a bite of her sandwich and was shocked as tears fell from her eyes. For two years she’d lived in a world where she felt nothing. Moving out of her chair she went and picked up the latest magazine with Tony in it. A model on the front page looked tall, thin and beautiful.
Was it time for her to call it quits?
****
Tony sat outside the house he’d bought her. The kitchen light was on, and he saw the outline of her through the window.
The kiss they’d shared still tingled on his lips. The taste of her was glorious to him. Two years he’d thought about many things. His friendship with Richard. The fear he had about his past.
Tony came across as the happy-go-lucky kind of man, but inside he was anything but. His two friends only knew parts of his unhappy childhood. On the outside everyone thought he lived a really good life. Two devoted parents who gave him everything. When the doors closed and dad came home, his life turned into a different story. His dad made millions by day, being the gentleman he wanted people to see. When he got home, the gentleman turned into a monster.
His mother had been afraid and too scared to leave. She had taken the beatings and tried to protect him. Tony couldn’t bear to see his mother broken, and after a time he had taken as much as he could before his father would then turn back to his wife.
The good thing about Mr. Hunt was he didn’t go for the face. No one would believe his mother or him if he went anywhere.
As he grew the punishments had lessened until one day, Tony left. His mother refused to leave.
Staring at the picture of Opal he feared something of his dad remained inside him and would come out if he let down his guard. What if being a monster was inside him? Did she even know the precautions he took when it came to her?
For two years he’d had to fight his demons and come to the reality of why he married her. Opal had been part of his life for as long as he could remember. Since she was a kid, he’d grown up protecting her as much as he could. With the seventeen-year age gap, he’d never thought about her in any other way as a child.
When had his mind broken down the barrier? He looked at her, and he didn’t see a child. He saw a beautiful young woman, who shouldn’t be tarred by him.
Putting his car into gear he drove to his city apartment. Parking the car he went through the motions until he opened and closed his door. He went straight for his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot of his strongest whisky. Her scent clung to his clothes. The unique floral scent he’d always associated with her surrounded him.
He took the whiskey with him as he moved into his office. Tony laughed as he thought about the life he lived and his two friends. They all had offices at home. None of them were far away from work at some point.
His relationship with his own parents had turned into him running his dad’s business. He fired up the computer and opened the mail his housekeeper had graciously put on his desk. Some of Opal’s bills needed paying, and his mother’s health insurance had to be updated. The last letter contained the monthly updates his security team provided for him on his wife’s whereabouts with pictures.
She didn’t know he kept an eye on her. He imagined if she ever found out she’d pitch a fit. This was his way of trying to give her the independence she craved but also making sure he knew when something was going wrong in her life.
Once the wedding had taken place a switch had gone off inside his head, and he couldn’t stop himself from the possessive way he felt towards her. He fired up the computer and opened his email.
The file of her monthly activities he’d read later. An invitation to attend a charity ball was in his inbox sent by a business associate. Frowning, he read through the details. The charity event would take place on Friday night in one of the more expensive hotels.
He knew Wayne and Richard would be in attendance. Lifting the phone he dialled the number for Opal.
She picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Opal, it’s me.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
“A charity ball next Friday. I want you to come with me.” It had been some time since he’d asked her to attend an event with him. The only other times had been right after they were married.
“What time and everything?”
“How about I pick you up on Monday to have lunch and discuss it then?” He made arrangements to meet her at an Italian restaurant. When the call completed, he phoned his security and gave them an update on his plans for Monday. They would make sure Opal got to him safely.
Chapter Three
The weekend went by in a blur. She planted some flowers in her small garden and read a book in between wondering what Tony wanted to talk to her about. Usually, he made the arrangements, sent the dress over to her and then picked her up at the appropriate time. When Monday lunch-time came, she caught a taxi to the restaurant.
As soon as she entered the maitre d’ escorted her to a table in the back. Tony hadn’t arrived, but he’d left instructions for her. She sat down, picked up the menu. Most of the dishes were spelt in Italian which she’d never taken the time to learn.
Tony walked in fifteen minutes later. Her heart hammered in her chest. Whenever he was around she felt like a school girl with her first crush. Technically speaking, Tony was the first man she’d had a crush on.
He didn’t wait to be taken to his seat. He walked straight over to her, signalled a waiter and picked up a menu.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hi.”
She’d never known it to be so awkward between them. They usually conversed easily, the banter coming naturally. They’d gotten married, and now everything was different. How did she approach him?
“Do you want some wine, Petal?” he asked, using the nickname he used to call her.