The Turns Life Takes (Eve/Julian) - Chapter 11
by yhh
“Are you sure you can watch all three by yourself?” Kay asked again, as
she adjusted her suit one last time.
“Leave it alone. You look very professional and beautiful,” Eve informed
her. “And yes, I can handle the three of them. I watched you, Noah, Jessie,
Whit, and Sim, all by myself when your mom was busy so I think Marebelle,
Angelpie, and EM will be no problem.”
“Yeah, but you were much younger then.” Letting her tongue run faster than
her brain, Kay realized what she said. “Oh, Auntie- -“
Eve laughed. “I maybe older, but I’m also wiser. We’ll be fine. Are you
sure you want this job?”
Kay nodded. “I think it’s right up my alley. I get in the temp pool at
Crane Industries and Fox assured me the temps work all over the office so
I’ll get to see all the different aspects of the company. And when a position
opens up in a certain department, I can say yay or nay. And after a year
employment, they pay for you to take college classes and even consider your
class hours as part of your regular working hours. So I’ll be learning on
the job and in a classroom and getting paid for both.”
Kay had really thought this out. The little baby girl that had made her
ached to have another one was all grown up.
“My mom thought it sounded like a great idea, plus I have the added bonus
of never getting bored.”
“She’s right, you won’t. Now get out of here and knock ‘em dead.”
“You and the kids- -“
“Get out already. Wait,” Eve called out as Kay opened the door, “take my
car- -“
Kay’s eyes widened. “The Jag?”
“Yes, the Jag. The smooth ride will keep you in a positive mood.”
Not wanting her aunt to change her mind, Kay grabbed the keys, kissed her
aunt, and ran out the house.
Eve smiled and sent up a prayer that her niece liked the job and didn’t
wreck her precious Jag. Now what to do with three children under five? Kay
had been right, it had been a long time since she had to keep so many little
ones occupied and out of trouble. The park. The perfect place to keep them
busy. “EM, Marebelle, Angelpie, let’s go to the park,” she announced, walking
to the kitchen to prepare some snacks.
“EM, you have to watch out for your sister and your cousin, okay,” Eve
told the young boy.
“Yes, Auntie Evie,” he replied, before running back to the jungle gym.
This had been a good idea. She sat a little ways away from the stay-at-home
moms and the nannies and found a quiet little bench to enjoy her solitude,
catch up on her medical journals, and watch the kids all at the same time.
This was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Maybe she would take them
to McD’s for dinner, she’d call the girls and have them meet them there.
“Are these private musings or can anyone join in?” Julian whispered over
her shoulder, sending goosebumps down her back.
“No, please have a seat,” she offered, moving her things out of the way.
“How did you find us?”
“I thought to myself if I was a beautiful woman with legs that never ended,
full breasts, luscious lips begging to be kissed,” he paused to see if she
was with him and by the look in her eyes he knew he had her, “with three
kids to occupy for the afternoon, where would I go? The zoo was my first
choice, but security couldn’t find you- -“
“You had security search for us?”
“Well of course, how else was I to know if you were at the zoo or not?”
Eve grinned. “Of course, Mr. Crane.”
“The park was my second guess.”
“Good second guess.”
“I thought so.”
“But what brings you by? Did you need something? Did Stefan call?”
“No, to your last two questions. I was sitting in my office wondering why
the Chairman of the board was sitting behind a desk when I could be outside
enjoying the sunshine with a beautiful woman by my side, watching my youngest
children play happily,” he answered, taking her hands in his as he moved
closer, ending up right next to her.
Eve blushed. “It must be nice to have such power.”
Julian laughed. He loved her attempts to distance herself from him, from
their love. As time progressed, they became weaker and weaker. “Oh, really
Eve is that the best you can come up with. Besides, Dr. Johnson, I’ve seen
you reel your power at the hospital. Don’t play coy with me.”
“It is fun at times,” she smiled.
“That is it. And more than fun, it allows me the opportunity to do things
like this.” He pulled her face closer to his and kissed her softly at first,
then as he felt her token resistance drop, he parted her lips with his tongue.
“My mom has got to be somewhere around here. She wouldn’t sit too far away
from the kids,” Whitney said, searching for her mother in the sea of mothers,
nannies, and au pairs.
“Yeah, she should- -“ Fox paused, zeroing in on his father and Dr. Russell
locked in a passionate kiss. He knew it. He knew something was going on
between the two of them. As much as he wanted to savor this moment and rub
it in his father’s face, he couldn’t let Whitney see them. This would devastate
her. “Maybe she went to the restroom, why don’t you go look while I look
around here,” he suggested, hoping he sounded normal.
“I don’t think she would have- - oh my- - Fox, please, please tell me that
your dad knows another black woman with a haircut similar to my mom’s.”
Damn, he failed. “He knows tons, so let’s keep searching for your mom.”
He hoped, she would go along with the lie, but judging by the look on her
face no such luck.
“How could she? How could she do this to my dad? To our family? When did
my mom become Julian Crane’s whore?”
Time for damage control and quick. “Whitney,” he said, turning her away
from their oblivious parents. “We don’t know what’s going on.”
“Yeah, maybe they’re giving each other CPR,” Whitney said sarcastically.
“Or maybe those two people aren’t our parents at all,” he tried lamely.
Whitney rolled her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Why would her
mother- - how could she- - unless- - unless. She shook her head she couldn’t
deal with this now. “Fox, take me away from here.”
Looking for any way to help, he grabbed her hand and raced her to the car.
Slowly and with much regret, Eve pulled away from Julian. Resting her forehead
against his shoulder, she shook her head. “This is wrong. We can’t do this.
I’m married.”
“But you love me,” Julian declared.
“No, Julian, I’m sorry, but I don’t love you. I love my husband. I love
TC Russell. I’m very proud to be Mrs. Thorton Chandler Russell. I will never,
never be Mrs. Julian Linus Crane,” she said heatedly. Gathering up her belongings,
she ran away from Julian as fast as she could hoping to outrun her feelings
for him and her growing lack of feelings for her husband.
He started after her, but decided against it as he sat on the bench and
watched her and the children leave.
“Did you hear that, Kay? I told you nothing was going on between my mom
and Mr. Crane. Mom just confirmed it. He’s been bothering her,” Simone said
confidently from behind the tree near Julian, more confident than she actually
felt.
Kay saw what her Aunt Eve had said, but her body language and her eyes
said something completely different. Her Aunt Eve was feelin’ Mr. Crane,
but for Simone’s sake she wouldn’t say so out loud. “You were right, I was
wrong. Now let’s go before Aunt Eve starts wondering where I am in her car.”