Temptation

Part 5

Eleanor was ready at exactly 3PM, waiting for Brendon sitting on the couch in the living room. After spending a happy moment with Heather, he was still with a fool smile on his face, his hair was no longer combed and his suit was slightly wrinkled at some points. As he met her, she was on the cell phone, but she managed to give him a cold, judgmental glance.

“I’m on my way, Leila,” she said, hanging up.

“Shall we go?” Brendon smiled.

The girl nodded, grabbing her purse and walking on. Brendon noticed the sleeveless shirt she was wearing and how she had carefully put her hair up on a plait that started from the root of her hair and went sideways, falling graciously on her naked shoulder.

“Isn’t a bit too cold today?” He asked; Eleanor simply ignored him.

She entered in the car on the back seat, making it clear she had no desire to engage in a conversation with her bodyguard. This, of course, did not discouraged Brendon, who started to cheerful talk about the weather.

“I mean, yesterday it was so cloudy!” he said, laughing as he observed Eleanor’s reaction on the rearview. “And finally today, the Sun has decided to come up!”

“Oh, will you shut the hell up?” She finally exploded. “You’re only this happy because you got laid.”

Brendon stopped smiling. “How do you know?”

“Any man with this stupid smile on their face either got laid or has a brain damage. In your case, I just assume it’s both.”

Brendon didn’t reply; he didn’t expect Eleanor to turn the table that way.

“What? Now you’re quiet? So typical,” she snorted. “Mind you, I wouldn’t get too close the Heather. She’s a cow.”

“Didn’t look like that to me,” he snapped.

“Of course not, you saw her from her back, didn’t you?” she said with contempt.

“Well, I might have an affair with her, so what?”

“As long as you keep your pants on while you’re in my house. Or I’d have to tell my dad.”

“Your dad wouldn’t be too happy to know about your night escapades, either.”

“Are you threatening me?” Her eyes sparkled. “Let me clear here, Mr. Sullivan; whatever I tell my father, he will believe me. I’m his daughter. He saw me going to bed and waking up in the morning. Even if you tell him that last night I was selling drugs behind the White House, if I tell him I did not leave my bed, he will believe me.”

“There are cameras surrounding your house.”

“Do you really think I’m that stupid? I’m way ahead of this. I know exactly where to go and how not to be caught by anyone or anything.”

Brendon smiled, triumphantly, and took from his pocket a small voice recording device. “Is that so?”

Eleanor turned pale. “You son of a bitch…”

“You flatter me.”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“Not at all. This is going to your father, without negotiation.”

“I thought we had a deal!”

“Me too, but you seemed too willing to break it just two minutes ago.”

She went silent, and Brendon could listen to her brain violently working.

“Can we keep the deal?” She finally asked, annoyed.

“Hmm,” Brendon teased. “I don’t know…”

“Look, don’t be a prick–”

“Since you’re asking so kindly, Ellie, then of course!”

“Don’t call me Ellie,” she replied coldly. “Only friends call me Ellie. I’m Miss Lightman to you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

They remained in silence all the way to the café. Eleanor grabbed her purse and tried to open the door, but it was locked.

“Let me out,” she demanded.

“I will be here in the car, waiting for you,” he reminded her. “It would be kind to let me know how long you intend to stay.”

“Good Lord! Now I can’t even have coffee with a friend without bothering about schedule, agenda and time?!” she screamed, for the first time genuinely hurt. Brendon turned to look at her, and he could see the pain in her eyes.

“I thought you were used to it,” he frowned, and his voice was no longer mockingly arrogant. “Being the daughter of a Senator, growing up like that.”

“It doesn’t mean I like it, it doesn’t mean I’m used to it,” she said. “Heck, I’m not. Everyone wants to know what I’m doing, where I’m going, with whom I hang out… I can’t have random plans, I can’t do things on the edge of the moment, I can’t even go to a café without thinking about when I have go home!”

Brendon didn’t know what to say. His own childhood had been marked by controlling parents and too much pressure on his shoulders, but nothing compared to what that girl had to go through. He sighed, sympathetic.

“Ok, I’ll tell you what,” he said. “I have a few things to take care of anyway. I will escort you to the door, I will stay here in the car for some time, just to make sure the place is safe, and then I will leave. Here is my number,” he handed her a piece of paper where he quickly wrote down his phone number. “Call me when you feel like going home, or if you feel there’s anything wrong.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise; she took the paper, still silent in shock.

“And have fun,” he added.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m trusting you to take care of yourself.”

He knew those words were all she needed to hear; the smile she gave was proof of it. Her whole face brightened up and she didn’t look like the cocky girl he had met, but a young, vibrant young woman.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He smiled, and as he said, he walked her to the door of the café. Eleanor gave him a last look and smiling before going in. Brendon saw a security guard standing on a corner, and discreetly walked to his direction.

“Buddy, I need your help,” he murmured. “The red-haired that just got in… Make sure nothing will happen to her. Pay attention if anyone approaches her, anyone suspicious, and if she leaves the place before I get here, give me a call.” Brendon passed the man a paper where he had written down his phone number, along with three notes of one hundred dollars. The man nodded.

“Thank you.”

His heart felt a bit lighter as he went back to his car, knowing that he was responsible for Eleanor’s pretty smile. He only had a couple of minutes to savor that sensation, before his phone rang; he took it off the pocket, alarmed and still thinking of Eleanor. But it wasn’t her, or any unknown number.

“Yes, Carl?”

“How are things in the Lightman house? Too much diapers for you to change?”

Brendon frowned. “It hasn’t been easy to deal with the girl, you know?”

“Really? I thought you, out of all men on world, wouldn’t have a problem!” Carl laughed. “But anyway, I want to know if you were able to access Lightman’s computer.”

“Yes, about two hours ago. But I couldn’t take a look at it yet, had to accompany Eleanor Lightman.”

“Do it as soon as you can.”

“I may have some time now,” he replied. “I’ll call you back shortly.”

He hung up, sighing, taking the flash drive on his pocket. Brendon wished, with a strength he didn’t know it was possible for him to have, that Eleanor’s father had nothing on him to put her life in danger.