Twisted, Chapter 23 (Simone, TC, Julian)
by evianfan84
Chapter 23
Simone knew that this day had been coming for a while. Paloma had offered
to come with her and help her but Simone knew she had to face this alone.
Her father deserved to know the truth about his daughter and hopefully they
could go from there. Besides, she had told everyone else and now it just
seemed mean to keep him in the dark.
“Hello, pumpkin. You hungry?” T.C. had just finished making dinner for
him and Liz when Simone had called about having a talk tonight. He figured
it would be best to talk around food.
“I think we should talk first, Daddy.” Simone placed her hand on his arm.
T.C. felt that feeling most people get right before the axe falls.
“Well, then, would you like to sit?” He wondered what was troubling his
daughter.
“Yes. Okay. I need to just say this because I do not want to stall or draw
things out. Daddy, I’m a lesbian.” She closed her eyes and waited.
“YOU’RE WHAT?!” His reaction was almost immediate. T.C. had his concerns
about his daughter’s sexuality when she was growing up but felt a bit of
relief with his anger when she showed an interest in that punk Chad.
“I’m gay.” She said, almost flinching away from her father.
“Honey, you must be mistaken. No daughter of mine is gay.” T.C. lowered
his voice and tried to add some sugar.
“Well, I am.” Simone was beginning to feel angry at her father’s reaction.
She knew it was a big shock but he had no right to scare her like this.
“No you aren’t. You are just confused because of that punk Chad and the
divorce of your parents. Its not too late to take it back, Pumpkin.” T.C.
tried to watch his temper he knew that his baby girl needed him to talk her
out of this.
“I’m not confused. I know who and what I am, Daddy. If you can’t accept
me then I guess we don’t have anything to say to each other for a while. I
love you.” With that Simone walked out of the house she grew up. She knew
she would return. She knew her father would take her back. Still, when she
heard the glass break against the front door after her exit, she felt a chill
inside.
She knew what her next plan of action had to be. She took out the card
he gave her and began to dial when she got in the car.
Julian opened his door and stood back as a speedy Simone waltzed right
by him and into his office. The help had been perplexed as to why Dr. Russell’s
daughter would be stopping by at such an hour but he reminded them that
they were not paid to ponder life’s questions.
“Well, Simone. The office is secure. Tell me, is this about Spike?” Julian
really did not have the time to go around killing people and hiding bodies
but he could not be seen making an empty threat.
“No. He’s stayed away. Jessica is off at some rehab/school or whatever.
This is about me. You said I could call you if I needed a favor. I need a
job and a temporary roof.”
“Done and done.” Julian was glad it was nothing, really. He would just
let his father assume that he was ‘keeping’ Simone and he did not care what
Rebecca thought. He was worried about Eve though.
“No questions?”
“You can tell me, but I’m not going to press.”
“You must really love my mother.”
“You have no idea.”
“Okay, I came out to my dad this evening and he’s in denial. I can’t stay
there.” Simone took the tea he offered. Never in her life did she think
that she would be sitting across from Julian Crane and confiding in him.
He just made her feel at ease Maybe it w as because she knew he had no room
to judge her.
“Well, that happens. He will come around, Simone. He loves you. I don’t
care for the man but I know that he loves his family.”
“Of course you ‘don’t care for the man’, he was with the woman you’re in
love with for twenty good years.”
“No need to be sour, Simone.”
“I’m sorry. So...what is this job?” Simone hoped to God it wasn’t the fish
factory.
“My personal assistant. You start tomorrow and you will be planning my
vow renewal ceremony. Meet with Rebecca put a smile on your face and lid
on your info about me and your mother.” Julian pretended to read something
on his desk while Simone nearly spit out her tea.
“What? No. No. No. I can’t do that. I’m not even out of college yet, Julian.”
“Ahh, you are getting comfortable. Around the public though, it’s Mr. Crane.
You will stay in college and trust me, the things I need you to do, don’t
require a degree. You’ll just run my errands and type my reports. I know
you can do that as you held that volunteer position at the hospital in the
records department for the past two years. You know how to do office work.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I checked your background after I saved your life. Oh! I also know about
Paloma. But that’s because I can read looks. You two had better be lucky
that the general population of Harmony is not that bright.” Julian almost
laughed as Simone tried to hold in her smile.
“So, are you ever going to tell me the details of you and my mom? I mean,
you love her…yet in a month you are renewing your vows to the…Rebecca.”
“I know. It’s complicated. You meet with her in the afternoon though. Bring
Sheridan in on this. You’re room is on the fifth floor.” He got up to show
her the door.
“Which one?”
“Pick one.” He smiled at her, immediately loving her. He kissed her cheek.
Simone placed her hand there and smiled, this was not going to be so bad
after all.