Loving Blackmail

Ch. 2

Eva Thorpe

I am rooted to the seat next to Ruxin, my limbs frozen in panic. I'm going to be punished by Cindy and Susan no matter what choice I make. They told me to stay in the background, to not approach anyone, and above all to keep my mouth shut. Ruxin approached me, he isn't the type of person you can ignore.

"Maybe I should go with them." I state, standing up. If I stay here it will only worsen the harassment I'm bound to receive. "Cindy you can take my seat." I offer, gaining their attention. Cindy quickly returns to Ruxin's table, her mother close behind her.

"Sit down, Eva." Ruxin orders, his tone leaving no room for discussion. He grabs a hold of my arm and gently pulls me down into the seat. I look up to Susan, her teeth are clenched together and her eyes are narrowed down at me. Cindy's face is pinched together in outrage and I know she is deciding which procession of mine to destroy first. Neither of them say a word in protest. Apparently, Ruxin intimidates even them. 

William comes up behind Susan, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Eva, I swear I didn't know Susan had already booked the table when I invited you." He apologizes sincerely, clearly upset that I couldn't sit with them.

"It was a mistake William, I will be fine." I say. I know Susan did it on purpose, but I honestly don't care.

"I've asked her to dine with me." Ruxin says. My father looks stunned, only now noticing the intimidating man sitting next to me. Even my father can't look him directly in the eyes. What is it about Ruxin that makes everyone stand at attention?

"Oh! thank you, Ruxin. This is very generous of you." William replies happily. I swear, this man is as blind as a bat when it comes to judging a person's character. Just look at who he is married to. I've known Ruxin Novak for an hour and I can already tell he wants me. Definitely not in a friendly way, but an 'I want to lick every inch of your body repeatedly' way.

Ruxin doesn't bother to respond.

Breaking the awkward silence, Susan claps her hand on William's arm. "I feel so terrible about this! I know how much you wanted to spend time with Eva tonight." She says, faking sadness.

"I have the rest of my life to spend time with my daughter. You shouldn't feel bad, like Eva said, it was an honest mistake." William tries to council his wife, sympathetically patting her arm. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

I hear Ruxin grunt beside me in disbelief and without thinking I lightly punch his leg. I give him my deadliest glare and motion for him to shut up. Ruxin smirks in return and I roll my eyes at him. He is going to get me in so much trouble with Susan and Cindy. If they think for even a second that I told him how they treat me they'd burn more of my deceased mother's things right before my eyes. They have already burnt two of my mother's pictures all for allegedly flirting with Cindy's boyfriend, Edward Kennedy. When he ended things with her she blamed me, which couldn't be true because the only time I have ever spoke to the man was when he introduced himself at a Prescott family dinner.

"The first course is being served, please return to your table. I will take care of Eva, there is no need to worry." Ruxin states, tired of the conversation.

I smile reassuringly at William, "I will see you after dinner. You still owe me a dance."

"You bet kiddo." He smiles back in relief before walking away with Susan and Cindy.

"You punched me!" Ruxin accuses me once they're out of ear shot.

"You were going to get me into trouble! Do you always say exactly what you're thinking?" I ask in exasperation.

"Actually, I very rarely speak my mind. What do you mean, trouble? With Susan and Cindy?" He questions curiously.

"It's nothing." I quickly respond.

"Answer me."

I shake my head desperately, "Please, just leave it alone."

"I will find out." He warns me. The waiter has arrived with our salad and for the moment he is done interrogating me. Set in front of me is a small salad arranged in a perfect circle. Why must people with money do everything with a certain precision? It is a salad for God's sake, not brain surgery.

"They have something on you." Ruxin interrupts my inner monologue. I choose not answer him, and quickly begin to eat. "Whatever it is, it must be big." He continues, not giving up. Christ, this man does not take a hint! Before I can shoot him another one of my deadly glares I am approached by Stella Mayberry.

Stella is a friend of Cindy's and the keeper of my mother's memories. Susan didn't trust that I wouldn't search for my things and run off with them. Not that she was wrong, that is exactly what I would have done. Moving to New York was the biggest mistake I have ever made, a decision that I have regret for the past two months.

"Eva, how are you? I wasn't aware that you came, not until I talked to Cindy a few minutes ago." She greets me like she would any other friend. The idea of Stella and me as friends makes me want to laugh, but I keep my composure.

"Fine." I answer curtly.

"Cindy asked me to remind you that I have a few of your old things you left at my house. Personally, I think such old things need to be burned, but she insisted that you'd want them." Stella says smiling, but it comes out cruel and deformed.

I inhale sharply at her thinly veiled threat. They weren't being very discreet, meaning they must be beyond furious with me.  "Please, don't burn them. This wasn't my fault" I whisper, begging her to understand. But you can't reason with the devil. Or, in my case, devils.

"Honey, you know what you need to do." She replies, like an adult reprimanding a child. My fists clench in anger until I am filled with desperation and hopelessness. Slumping forward in defeat, I stare blankly at the table.

"Mr. Novak," Stella turned to greet him. "You are looking well as always." She winks at him before turning and strutting away in her tall stiletto heels.

"Excuse me." I murmur. My throat is dry and my voice is raspy. I try to hide my shaking hands in the folds of my dress. Ruxin doesn't say a word in response, and I'm too much of a coward to make eye contact with him. I stand up and all but run from the ballroom.

I remember the day Cindy and Susan found out about my greatest weakness and their greatest weapon. While I was unpacking my things the two women barged into my new room, shouting out insult after insult about my mother and me. They called my mother a home-wrecker and a whore. They called me an unwanted bastard child. My mother didn't know William was married when she fell in love with him. It wasn't until after she became pregnant with me that she found out about Susan. She left William and she never contacted him again.

My mother passed away three months ago from ovarian cancer and while I was sorting through her things I came across a mass of letters bound by a rubber band. The note attached to them read, 'Eva, these letters are from your father. He knew about you, but I couldn't have him in my life. It is up to you if you want him in yours. – With all of my love, mom.' I still haven't brought myself to open the letters. I remember how shocked I was when I found picture of William and my mom together, happy and in love. But I would give up all of the letters and pictures in the world if I could just have my mother's locket back. Inside of the locket is a picture of a young William and a picture of myself as a baby. If anything were to happen to that necklace I would be devastated.

The doorman opens the door for me and I stumble out of the building. Nausea churns my stomach and I take deep breaths to prevent myself from dry heaving. They're pissed, they're going to destroy something tonight. Something important. The necklace flashes in my mind and I shut my eyes tight as another wave of nausea washes over me. I sit down on a bench trying to hold back my sobs. I don't even know my way home. Three hours later, I've managed to pull myself together, William and Susan are leaving the party and I make my way toward them.

"I thought you went home Eva!" William exclaims, worried.

"No, I was just getting some fresh air, I don't feel well." I try to ease his worries.

The car pulls up to the curb and the chauffer opens the door for us. William slides in next to me, acting as a buffer in between Susan and I. Worn out from tonight's events, I lay my head on the cold glass of the window, trying to hold myself together. Cindy is with Stella I bet. I am about to lose another piece of my mother and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Another rush of tears fill my eyes and I struggle to hold them back until I am alone.