This is L.o.v.e. like it should be

LI. Are you seeing now?

It was early night on a Friday. Ava and Phoebe were walking down a street, clad in black clothing from head to toe. "This is so weird...", Ava repeated to herself. The black clothes, of course, had been Phoebe's idea.

"We look like widows", Phoebe was whispering and giggling like a teenager, leading the way as they walked.

"At least one of us is having fun..." Ava thought.

"Follow me, hurry up. There's a small park across the street from the building in Julien's photo, we can hide there."

"A park? You know this city like the back of your hand, don't you?", Ava asked.

"You have no idea. My family was.... Well, let's just say growing up I would rather walk around the city for hours than to go back home."

Oh...", Ava was quiet for a while. "Do you mean your family was...?"

"My family was nuts, let's leave it at that.", Phoebe cut Ava off. "Just hurry up, lady, move that beautiful back of yours and let's go."

As usual, Phoebe was right, there was in fact a park across the street from the building. They reached the park and picked a spot with a clear view to the entrance of the building and stood there for a while, waiting to see something.

Ava was still confused about why they needed to hide like that, but Phoebe was insistent on it. She seemed to know more about that building than what she was letting on.

Ava was about to voice her concerns, when a black car pulled up and stopped in the front of the building.

A valet opened the door and a girl stepped out of the car. She was clearly beautiful, but something about her didn't seem to match the elegant dress she was wearing. The way she climbed out of the car, her posture, it just didn't quite add up.

"There's something off about that girl.", Ava whispered.

"It'll make sense in a moment...", Phoebe answered, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

Ava swallowed hard. It was already making sense. Phoebe's behavior, the lack of elegance of the girl, the secluded place.

Ava heard another car arriving.

"Now, hun... It's now...", Phoebe said in a tense tone, worried about her friend.

Ava looked up, alarmed by Phoebe's tone.

"Oh, no, it can't be...", she exclaimed.

It was Julien's car. He got out of and gently took the lady by the arm, as he handed his car keys to the valet.

"Will you be needing anything else tonight, mister Bardi?"

"No, you can have the night off after you park my car in the garage. I'll be just needing you in the morning, in the meanwhile, I'll be well entertained.", Julien looked at the lady, who was leaning over to plant a kiss in Julien's cheek.

Ava's head was spinning, her legs gave out and she sat on her knees, holding her head between her hands.

"I know seeing the truth for yourself is painful..."

"What truth? Maybe it's just one of his apartments.", Ava asked. "We are rushing into conclusions... And..."

"And?"

"And he tried to reconnect with me a few days ago..."

"An apartment he kept hidden from you. Hun, there's talk on the streets about this building and for what it's used for..."

"What is this building used for?"

"For what you just saw. Casual encounters with foolish women."

Ava was unsure of what to say or think. A million questions were running through her mind, but none of the arguments or theories she was trying to think of would explain what her eyes just saw.

But it couldn't be true.

"Hun, stop looking for excuses to feed your self-illusion.", Phoebe said.

"It's just hard to breathe...", Ava said and, ignoring everything around, she stood up and walked away. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything, as the walls of denial she had built up came crashing down.

Phoebe watched her friend leave.

Ava clearly needed some time alone, and Phoebe, proving again what an amazing friend she was, understood that without needing a single word.