What had she done?
Eve lay awake all night thinking of Roman’s lips on hers. Her body had come alive as if she had been dead all this time.
But after what he had done to her? After all the tears she had shed? Why did he still have that effect on her? She had destroyed her life just to get away from him, and now just one kiss had shown her that all the work she had done on herself was worth nothing. All her pep talks were bullshit.
By the time the morning came and she dragged herself out of bed to prepare for her morning shift, she was still kicking herself. But at least this was the end of it. He’d given his word that she wouldn’t have to see him again. Once the paperwork came from the lawyers, she could finally stop looking over her shoulder and live her life.
But she would still have that money in her account. The proof that she had sold herself. The proof that she had received money to let a man do whatever he wanted to her body.
Even if that had been what she had wanted, too. She had craved it. Her mind had done nothing but remind her of how much she had craved it, every part of it. It felt like that kiss had opened the floodgates to those memories that she had worked so hard to suppress.
Once she got to the care home, she plastered her usual smile on her face and got to work. Being a healthcare assistant was nothing like being a nurse but at least there she felt as if she was still on track with her life. It was only when she drove to her shift at the restaurant that the images from last night filled her head again.
Especially when she drove past the car park to find a free parking spot. But every spot seemed to be taken. Was there something happening in the area that she hadn’t heard of?
She ended up parking further away than she had planned and had to run to the restaurant so she wouldn’t be too late. She pushed the thoughts of Roman to the back of her mind. If she was more than fifteen minutes late she would lose an hour of her pay and that was the last thing she needed.
The teatime rush hadn’t started yet but the restaurant was already full. She rushed to the back and changed in record time before she went to join Pam and the other waitress on the floor.
“I heard it’s been like this all morning,” Pam said when they were waiting for some orders halfway through the shift.
She looked around. This wasn’t the usual crowd. Though she had only worked there a couple of months, she already knew who the regulars were. These people looked completely out of place, just as Roman had done.
“They’re looking for someone,” Pam continued.
“Who?”
Pam leaned over as she prepared to share her gossip.
“You were right about Me. Tall, Dark and Handsome,” she said. “He does have a woman somewhere.”
Her heart squeezed. Had Pam been looking Roman up on the internet? Had she seen pictures of him and Vivian?
“They always do,” she said with a fake smile as she filled her tray and then turned away from her gossiping friend.
She supposed she had to get used to that. It was Vivian today but it would be another woman before too long. Roman was insatiable, he probably got bored of his women quickly. He would have another and another, and if she followed that gossip, she would be the one to get hurt.
When she had finally served her last table she walked up to Pam to tell her she was going home. She was dead on her feet and needed to go and sleep.
Pam had the paper in her hand, and her face lit up when she saw her.
“What happened?” She asked.
Instead of answering, Pam pulled her to the back and shoved the paper in her face.
“It’s you, isn’t it?”
She frowned and snatched the paper.
“What do you mean it’s me?”
“In the picture. Just look.”
She looked at the picture and her eyes widened. She could only see her back view, but there she was in Roman’s arms in the middle of the car park.
‘Roman Ashfield’s Secret Girlfriend.’
Holy sh…
“I’d recognise that coat and that hair anywhere,” Pam squealed. “Why didn’t you tell me he was yours? Where the hell did you find a man like that? And does he have a brother?”
“It’s… He’s not…”
Shit.
Would Roman have seen this? A big part of their arrangement had been to keep everything a secret. But it was his face that was clear in the picture and his name plastered all over it.
He would hate this. Especially since it was Vivian he was seeing. And it was Vivian he proudly showed to the world.
“It says he’s moved here from London to be with his girlfriend, and you’re doing up a house to move in together,” Pam continued. “All those reporters suddenly make sense.”
What?
“What reporters?”
“Where have you been all evening? Didn’t you see their cameras?”
Had they found her?
She clutched the paper to her chest and stepped back from Pam.
“Please, don’t tell them anything,” she whispered. “None of it is true. I’m not his girlfriend.”
She rushed to grab her bag and coat without waiting for a response and didn’t bother to change as she went out the back way.
There was no way any of those people had been reporters, she would have noticed that. But even if they were, they didn’t know who she was. She was okay. All of this would blow over and return to normal.
It was already dark as she started to walk the distance to her car. Even with the street lights on, she kept looking back to see if anyone was following her. She had her coat bundled in her arms so they wouldn’t notice it as easily as Pam had, but that meant she was freezing by the time she got into her car.
It was fine. No one has seen her. By tomorrow’s shift, they would be gone.
As she drove home she noticed a car behind her that was keeping her speed and taking the same turns. Was she being followed?
She took a few turns out of her usual way, and the car still followed. It was a dark car with tinted windows so she couldn’t see anything when she looked through her rearview mirror.
Her heart started to pound. Was it true then? Was this a reporter? Following her to her parents’ house?
Her fingers tightened on the wheel as she drove aimlessly for a little while. She couldn’t take any of this to her parents’ doorstep. It would break their hearts.
With a shaky breath, she took a turn that would take her to Roman’s house. He would think she did this. He would blame her for getting his name in the paper like this. But there was nowhere else she could go.