The Imposter II (an alternate version), Chapter 4 (Evian)
by ejcrane
“I’m doing well, Gianna, honey…how are you doing?” Julian spoke into the
phone as he turned Eve and Julien’s picture over on his brother’s desk.
They talked a bit more, and then said their “goodbyes”.
Julian sat back in his chair and tried to work, but his mind was still
on Chad. Why didn’t he accept his gift? He could tell the boy liked it.
Was Eve right? Was he too hard on him?
Julian then pushed back his chair and stood, walked to the coat tree and
got his coat and left his office…
“Yes, Chad Crane…I need to uh, take him to a…a dentist appointment…”
A few minutes later, Julian could see Chad coming around the corner. He
also noticed the “eye roll” that Chad gave him. Julian laughed inside; he
was going to love this kid...
Chad reminded him of himself.
“Come on, son, or we’re going to be late…” Julian smiled and put an arm
around his son and escorted him out of the office.
“Late? Late for what? Where are we going?”
“I don’t know…what do you like to do, Chad?”
“Does Mom know about this?”
“No, and why should she? She’s busy at the hospital…anyway, you didn’t
answer my question…”
“So, you just got me out of school to do whatever I’d like?” he asked,
skeptically, “And then let me guess…you’re going to tell my mother that
I skipped classes, huh?”
“No,” he shook his head, “So, what shall we do first? Find an arcade and
play games until we get bored? Or, maybe go fishing? I was never good at
that, but it was still fun to do…” Julian went on…
“I could…could teach you, if you’d like? My father and I always went…”
Chad’s voice trailed off as he caught Julian looking at him, “What?” he
stopped walking and talking.
“I think that’s a great idea…let’s go!”
“I guess I should give this back to you…”
Julian wrinkled his brows as he reeled some line in. He then looked to
what Chad was talking about and was about to open his mouth when he saw
the picture of Gianna…
“You’re not my mother’s husband, are you?”
“What are you talking about, Chad? Of course I am…” Julian laughed, “Why
would you say a thing like that?”
“Well, for one, I’m assuming this picture is your girlfriend or something
more…and second, I wasn’t taking any money out of your wallet yesterday…”
Julian stopped what he was doing to face this kid.
“You weren’t?” he raised a brow.
“No, if I needed money, I could always go to mom,” he shrugged, “You saw
how easy it was for me to get money from her…anyway, I noticed how you were
a bit different when you got here. You acted nothing like him, so, I wanted
to see your driver’s license…JULIAN.”
“‘Julian’? No, no…you’ve…mista…”
“Save it; besides, Julien is left handed, and from the way you’re holding
the rod, you’re right. Don’t worry I won’t say a word as long as…”
“What?”
“…as long as you don’t hurt my mother. I know Julien doesn’t love her and
is probably with some other woman. I wish I could tell my mom about him,
but I know she would never believe me…she’d just think I was making up stuff
to separate them,” Chad sighed.
“You’re a very smart boy, Chad. And you have my word…I will never hurt
your mother…promise,” he stuck out his hand and Chad took it and they shook
on it.
“So…who is she?” Chad asked again, “She’s pretty…”
“My fiancée,” Julian smiled as his mind went back to that morning…and
the night before when Eve was riding him so hard.
“Julian?” Chad waved a hand in front of him, “Hello? I think you’ve caught
something!”
“Ohh, oh,” Julian shook out of his trance and began reeling in the line
once again.
“So, how long are you going to be staying with us?”
“I guess until my brother comes back,” Julian said, staring straight ahead
at the road as he drove, “You think Simone knows too?”
“Simone? No, and I won’t tell her…she has a big mouth.”
“And…Eve?” Julian shifted in his seat, feeling somewhat aroused just hearing
her name.
“Do…do you like my mother, Julian?”
“Uh, yes, yes, she’s very nice…”
“No, no…do you like my mother?”
“Well, what do you know…we’re here,” Julian said and pulled up to the mansion,
where an angry Eve was waiting outside.
“Uh-oh, she doesn’t look too happy…” Chad said in a sing-song voice.
The two got out of Julian’s car and faced a furious Eve.
“Chad, GO TO YOUR ROOM!”
Chad looked back at Julian and then headed inside.
Eve turned and watched the door close behind her son. She then marched
up to Julian and slapped him hard across the face!
“DON’T YOU EVER TAKE MY SON OUT OF SCHOOL WITHOUT MY CONSENT!”
Chad gasped from inside. He saw the whole thing through the downstairs
window.
Julian rolled his tongue around in his mouth as he rubbed his stinging
cheek.
“Don’t you EVER lay a hand on me, woman!” he grabbed Eve’s arm and squeezed.
“Ow, Julien, you’re hurting me!” she tried to wriggle it away from him.
His jaw tightened as he glared at her, and then shoved her away from him.
“Excuse me, while I go get some ice for my cheek,” he gritted through his
teeth.
Eve rubbed her arm and watched as her husband walked in and slammed the
door behind him. Julien had never grabbed her like that; even when they’d
argue…why today?!
She walked in and saw Julian kneeling before their daughter…
“Daddy! What happened to your face?!” Simone asked, worriedly.
“Ah, well, mommy didn’t like the way daddy looked and h-h-hit me,” he sniffed
and began sobbing, his forehead resting against her little shoulder.
Chad stood next to his “stepfather” and younger sister and smirked.
Simone’s eyes then met her mother’s.
“Mommy, I am not talking to you until you apologize to Daddy!” she shouted,
“Humph!” and she turned her body so now that she was not facing Eve.
“Yes, Mom, that was uncalled for…I am very disappointed in you,” Chad added
in a serious tone, trying to sound as adult-like as he could.
He too, then turned his back on her.
Julian then stood and looked down to his kids and smiled.
“Humph,” Julian imitated his daughter, looking to Eve and turned his back
on her, “Why don’t we go in and see what lovely meal Pilar has made for
us?” he suggested excitedly, “And why don’t we invite Pilar to sit with
us at the table, since she’s been slaving away over a hot stove all day…”
“YAY!”
“Great idea, Dad!”
What the hell?! Julien now had Chad on HIS side?! How the hell did that
happen?!
Julian then turned his head and met Eve’s eyes. And while she glared at
him, he stuck his tongue out at her and then looked forward again.
Eve walked into the dinning room and walked to the chair next to her son,
but he placed his hand over the seat.
“Sorry, mom, Pilar’s sitting here…”
“Ohh,” Eve simply said and then walked around the table to sit next to
Simone.
“Sorry, mommy, Penny’s sitting there,” Simone pointed to the chair Eve
chose.
Eve looked down and Simone’s doll was sitting there.
“Oh, okay…” Eve said and went and sat down at the other end of the table…alone.
Chad laughed inside. This was a funny prank they were playing on their
mother. While Chad was having a good time, Julian couldn’t help but feel
bad…
Well, hell, she shouldn’t have slapped him! He was just trying to bond
with Chad…
“Honey…” Julian spoke, and saw how Eve picked up her head, thinking he
was speaking to her, but he was addressing little Simone, “Why don’t we
switch places…” he grabbed her bowl of soup and switched it with his.
“Why, Daddy?”
“Because,” he looked to Eve as he spoke to his daughter, “I want Mommy
to sit next to me…will you, Eve?” Julian asked politely and stood, holding
out the next chair out for her.
Pilar, Chad, and Simone awaited Eve’s response.
“I guess,” she shrugged as if she didn’t care and moved her bowl to the
place Julian indicated was hers.
“Now, darling,” Julian sat facing her chair, his knees touching the left
side of her chair, “Why don’t we both be ‘adults’ and apologize to each
other…” his hand turned her chin towards him and then traveled down to her
lap, then to her knee, and then up her thigh, underneath her skirt.
Eve jumped when she felt his warm hand on her thigh.
“Now, what do you say?” he squeezed the flesh beneath his hand, “Sorry?”
Pulling his hand from under her skirt, Eve spoke out of the side of her
mouth…
“Not in front of the kids, Julien…”
“You didn’t say, ‘sorry’…on the count of three…okay?”
She nodded and waited for him to count.
“One, two, three…(sorry)” was Eve’s response, while Julian commented Pilar’s
cooking, “Well, this is was delicious…”
“Ugh…I hate you!” Eve scooted her chair away from her husband, “You did
that on purpose…”
“And you loved it,” he scooted his chair closer to hers and turned her
face to his and kissed her softly, “I’m sorry too, Eve…” Julian smiled sincerely.
Eve smiled too, and everyone admired the couple. Especially Chad.
Sorry, Gianna…but you’re not getting Julian back. If I have anything to
do with it, he’s going to stay with us forever…but how…I’ve got to come up
with something…and SOON!
Pilar couldn’t help but notice how Julien was a different person. First
he picked her up and was very excited to see her the other day, and now he
invited her to eat with them? Yep, there was something different about him…but
she couldn’t seem to put her finger on it.