‘Oh, you have?’ I sound surprised, but I’m not. Patrick has been delighted by the response Rococo union has gotten from the publicity of Lusso. I would prefer to forget about all things Lusso, but that doesn’t seem likely.
‘Yes, of course! Everyone’s talking about it. You did an amazing job. Would you like a drink?’
‘A coffee would be good, thank you.’
She smiles and sets about making drinks. ‘Please, sit down, Ava.’
I take a seat and pull out my client briefing folder, making a note of her name and address at the top. ‘So, what can I help you with, Ruth?’
She laughs and waves the teaspoon around in the general direction of the room. ‘Need you ask? It’s hideous, isn’t it?’ she exclaims, returning to coffee making duties.
Yes, actually, it is, but I’m not about to gasp in horror at the brown and yellow arrangement with faux brick walls.
She continues, ‘Obviously, I’m looking for some ideas to transform this monstrosity. I was thinking of knocking through and making it a large family room. Here, I’ll show you.’ She hands me a coffee and signals for me to follow her through to the next room.
The décor is equally as grim as the kitchen. She seems quite young – mid-thirties, perhaps – so I’m guessing she’s not long moved in. This place doesn’t look like it has been touched with a paintbrush in forty years.
After an hour of discussions, I’m confident that I know what Ruth is trying to achieve. She has good vision.
She walks me to the front door. ‘I will draft a few designs in line with your budget and ideas, and get them to you with a schedule of my fees,’ I tell her as I’m leaving. ‘Is there anything in particular I should allow for?’
‘No, not at all. Obviously, I want all the basic luxuries you would expect to find in a kitchen.’ She puts her hand out and I take it politely. ‘A wine fridge.’ She laughs.
‘Absolutely.’ I smile tightly, the mention of alcohol making my blood run cold. ‘I’ll be in touch, Miss Quinn.’
‘Ruth, please!’ she shakes her head. ‘I look forward to it, Ava.’
‘Of course, Ruth.’ I leave Miss Quinn, relieved that I’ve fulfilled all necessary pleasantries, for now, anyway – until I meet my brother tomorrow.
I drag myself down the street towards Kate’s house, hoping she’s not home so I can retreat to my room before she resumes mission perk-Ava-up.
‘Ava!’
I stop and see Sam hanging out of his car window as he cruises slowly beside me. ‘Hey, Samuel.’ I say on a strained smile as I carry on walking.
‘Ava, please don’t join your evil friend in the piss-Sam-off club. I might be forced to move out.’ He parks up and gets out of his Porsche, meeting me on the pavement outside Kate’s house.
He looks his usual laidback self, with ridiculously baggy shorts, a Rolling Stones t-shirt and his mousey brown hair a disheveled mess.
‘I’m sorry. Have you moved in permanently now?’ I ask on an arched brow. Sam has his own swanky apartment on Hyde Park with much more room, but with Kate’s workshop on the ground floor of her house, she insists on him staying at hers.
‘No, I haven’t. Kate said you would be home by six. I was hoping to catch you.’ He suddenly looks all nervous which is making me feel extremely uncomfortable.
‘Is everything okay?’ I ask.
He offers a little smile, but it doesn’t reach his dimple. ‘Not really. Ava, I need you to come with me.’ he says quietly.
‘Where?’ Why is he acting so shifty? This is not like Sam. He is usually so carefree and unapologetic.
‘To Jesse’s place.’
Sam must see the look of horror on my face because he steps towards me with a pleading expression. Just the mention of his name sends me into panic. Why does he want me to go to Jesse’s? After our last meeting, you would have to drag me there kicking and screaming. There is no chance in Hell I’m returning to that place – not ever.
‘Sam, I don’t think so.’ I take a step back, shaking my head. My body has started shaking too.
He sighs and scuffs his trainers on the pavement. ‘Ava, I’m getting worried. He’s not answering his phone and no one has heard from him. I don’t know what else to do. I know you don’t want to talk about him, but it’s been nearly five days’. I’ve been to Lusso, but the concierge refuses to let us up. He’ll let you. Kate said you know him. Can’t you just get us up there? I just need to know he’s okay.’
‘No, Sam. I’m sorry, I can’t.’ I croak.
‘Ava, I’m worried he’s done something stupid. Please.’
My throat starts to close up and Sam starts walking towards me with his hands outstretched. I didn’t realise I was moving backwards. ‘Sam, please don’t. I can’t do that. He won’t want to see me and I don’t want to see him.’
He grabs my hands to halt my retreat, pulling me into his chest and holding me tight against him. ‘Ava, I wouldn’t ask, I really wouldn’t, but I need to get up there and check on him.’
My shoulders droop, defeated in his embrace, and a quiet sob escapes, just when I thought there were no tears left. ‘I can’t see him, Sam.’
‘Hey,’ He pulls back and looks at me. ‘Just get us past the concierge. That’s all I’m asking.’ He wipes away a stray tear and smiles pleadingly.
‘I’m not going in.’ I affirm, my stomach a knot of panic at the thought of seeing him again. But what if he has done something stupid.
‘Ava, just get us up to his penthouse.’
I nod and wipe away the rolling tears.
‘Thank you,’ He tugs me towards his Porsche. ‘Get in. Drew and John are meeting us there.’ He opens the passenger door and directs me into the car.
With John and Drew meeting us there, he must have assumed I would agree. I can’t blame the guy for being optimistic.
I climb in and let Sam drive me to Lusso at St Katherine Docks – a place I swore that I would never return to again.
Chapter 2
As Lusso comes into view, I start hyperventilating. The overwhelming desire to open the door and jump out of Sam’s moving car is hard to resist. He glances at me, an obvious anxious look on his cute face, as if he senses my intention to bolt.
Once we’re parked outside the gates, Sam comes around to collect me, keeping a firm grip on me as he guides us towards the pedestrian gates where Drew is waiting.
He’s dressed in his usual finery, all suited and booted, with perfectly styled black hair, but he doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable anymore. I’m more than shocked when he takes over Sam’s hold of me, though, pulling me into him and squeezing me hard. This is the first actual contact I’ve ever had with the man. To say he was stand-offish would be a major understatement.
‘Ava, thank you for coming.’ he says, holding me in his tight clinch.
I say nothing because I really don’t know what to say. They’re truly worried about Jesse, and I feel guilty and even more anxious now. He releases me and offers a small, reassuring smile. It does nothing to reassure me, though.
Sam points up the road. ‘Here’s the big guy.’
We turn to see John pull up in his black Range Rover, skidding to an abrupt halt behind Sam’s car. He slides his big body out, removes his wraparound sunglasses and nods in greeting. This is John’s usual wordless acknowledgment. Good Lord he looks pissed. I’ve only ever got a brief glimpse of his eyes – they are always concealed behind those glasses, even at night or inside, but the sun is shining now, so why he has taken them off is beyond me. Maybe he wants everyone to know how pissed he is. It’s working. He looks formidable.
I take a deep breath and punch the gate code in, pushing it open for the guys. I wish this was as far as I had to go. Drew gestures for me to lead the way, ever the gentleman, so I pick my feet up and start my walk across the car park in silence. I see Jesse’s car and notice his window is still smashed. My stomach flips. We enter the marble foyer of Lusso quietly, except for the thumping of our footsteps. My insides start churning, my breathing speeding up. So much has happened in this place. Lusso was my first major accomplishment in design. My first sexual encounter with Jesse happened here, as did my final encounter with him. It all started and ended here.
Clive looks up from his big, curved marble desk as we approach, his expression screaming tiresome.
‘Clive,’ I say on a forced smile.
He eyes me, and then the three ominous beings accompanying me before his eyes settle on me again. ‘Hello, Ava. How are you?’
‘I’m good, Clive.’ I lie. I am far from good. ‘You?’
‘Yes, I’m fine.’ He’s weary, no doubt after having a few heated encounters with the three men escorting me, and judging by his cold reception towards me, they were not pleasant.
‘Clive, I would be grateful if you would let us up to the penthouse to check on Jesse.’ I load my voice with lashings of confidence, but I feel anything but. My heart is speeding up by the second.
‘Ava, I have told your friends here, I could lose my job if I allow that.’ He flicks a cautious gaze to the boys’ again.