Read Deceived - Part 1 New York for Free Online

Completely startled and shocked by the brutal
attack, I buried my face in my hands, and slowly melted down the
wall of the ladies room to the marble floor, as the Baroness
exited.

Chapter 5
     
    I was crumpled on the floor
inside Scalini’s Ladies room, for what seemed like an eternity,
though it had probably been not more than a couple of minutes, when
the soft whoosh sound of air being sucked in by an open door fell
on my ears. An elderly woman with white hair and wearing a soft
pink dress entered the restroom.
    “ Oh dear God child, are you
okay?” she asked while helping me to my feet. I was desperately
clutching the strap of my purse in one hand and I could see in the
mirror over her shoulder that my hair was all messed up. It must
have happened as I slid down the wall. I felt embarrassed and a
slight flush washed over my face.
    “ Yes, I slipped on the
floor. Thank you so much for helping” I replied.
    I stepped over to the
mirror to fix my hair and smooth my clothes, as I pondered how I
was going to get out of the restaurant without facing another
encounter with the Baroness.
    I took a deep breath and
peaked out the door to discern my route of escape, when I noticed
that Patrick was sitting alone.
    “ There you are,” Patrick
said relieved as I approached the table. ”Are you okay? You were
gone for a long time,” he implored his eyes searching mine for the
truth.
    I was still rather shaken
up by the bizarre restroom incident, but by no means would I let
Patrick see me defeated and weak. Instead I put on a happy smile
and said, “I’m sorry Patrick. It must have been the drinks that got
to my stomach. Where is the Baroness?”
    “ She had to leave. You do
look a little unsettled,” he said with concern in his voice. “Come,
I’ll take you home,” and with a firm hand on the small of my back,
he guided me towards the exit. I felt a wave of relief wash over my
body, triggered by his gentle touch, as we made our way to the
parking attendant. The night air had turned cold and a shiver
passed over my body. Patrick instinctively pulled me into his
warmth, and put a strong muscular arm around my shoulder. I
succumbed to his comfort and support as we waited for the valet to
bring around his car, my hands clenched in knotted fingers from the
anxiety of the secret I was now hiding.
    When the car finally
arrived, my nerves had settled and I was feeling more like myself
again. The valet regally held the passenger door open and I entered
with the air of a princess.
    “ A Jaguar. Very nice
Patrick,” I said as I slid comfortably into the sleek black leather
seats.
    “ Oh, you know cars. That’s
good. I love British cars. My next car will be an Aston Martin.
I've had my eye on one for a while now.”
    “ Are you sure you can live
up to driving James Bond’s car?” I fondly teased. In fact, I
thought to myself, he would probably look even more gorgeous in the
Aston Martin V-12 Virage, if that was even possible.
    “ Let’s get the Baroness’
account first, and then I will take you for a test
drive.”
    I could hear the excitement
in his voice, but the mere mention of the Baroness gave me sourness
in the pit of my stomach.
    “ Do me a favor and let’s
not talk about the Baroness any more tonight, okay?” I
asked.
    “ You got it, beautiful,“ he
obliged. “So, where may I have the pleasure of taking you tonight?”
he asked with an implied grin on his face. I looked over at his
handsome profile lit by the soft blue-green glow of the dashboard
lights. There was something sexy about the warm interior glow of
his sports coupe. Anticipation hung heavy in the air like anomalous
vapors on a lake. Sheepishly I peered over to take a longer
look and my heart nearly skipped a beat. I was enamored with his
compelling presence sitting there in the driver’s seat, poised like
a model with his hands on the steering wheel. He had the face of
Adonis and I was in his car about to have him drive me home. I
wanted him more