He looked like he had been deprived of sleep, like when he had been in his office for days when business was bad.
“Jamie, I need to talk to you in private,” his tone was demanding.
“Is this not private enough for you?” she pointed around her.
He took a deep breath, “No. It’s urgent that we speak in a private room.”
“If you’re going to lash out at me about something, I’d rather not.”
Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose, “Jamie, please … I don’t have time for your juvenile delinquency.”
She threw her napkin on the table with a frustrated exhale, “Fine … we can talk in my room.” She stood up and walked out of the restaurant, Eddie followed.
“Ms. Knox, is there anything we can help you with?” Peter greeted her at the front of the restaurant, the staff had called him out of his office.
She smiled, “No, I’m going to my room with my guest now, Peter, everything’s fine.”
Peter glanced at Eddie, “And who may I ask your guest is? Mr. Love specifically instructed there’s no guest allowed in the Presidential Suites.”
“Your Boss knows who I am, and I’m not a guest, I’m her husband,” Eddie replied to him.
“Ex-husband,” Jamie added.
Peter looked puzzled, he kept his hospitality intact and smiled.
“We won’t be long, thanks Peter,” Jamie said, a signal for Eddie to keep it brief.
“Presidential Suite, huh? You’re sleeping with the bastard?” Eddie snarled in the elevator as he studied her from the back.
“No, Eddie, we’re not sleeping together … not every relationship involves sleeping together.”
“Then what exactly are you doing here?”
“I’m working.”
Eddie scoffed, “For Gabriel Love? Since when do you take orders from a rich man?”
Jamie gave him a sharp glance, “Since never … I’m organizing a turtle conservation that he funded, which is none of your business.”
“And sleeping in the Presidential Suite?” he whistled.
They were walking towards the room, she pushed in her codes, “What can I say? He appreciates people who work for him.”
They walked into the room and closed the door. She folded her arms in front of her, “What do you want? Why are you here?”
He looked around the room, admiring how extravagant the facility Gabriel had provided her with. “I want what you have on him.”
“What?”
“I want everything you have on Gabriel Love, you’re legally still my wife, you have the obligation to provide any information that can help me.”
She couldn’t believe her ears, “It’s not my fault I’m still legally married to you, you should’ve submitted those papers I’ve signed four years ago … as far as I’m concerned we have been divorced for four years and I’m not obliged to provide you with anything … and why would you think I have anything incriminating against him anyway? I hardly know the guy.”
“Bullshit! He wouldn’t threaten me to divorce you if you don’t have anything on him.”
Jamie was taken aback to hear that, “Threaten you? What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, I know you have something on him and you blackmail him into getting that divorce from me, and then he threatens me with what he’s got on me!” Eddie was pacing up and down the room.
She furrowed her eyebrows, “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about, what does he have on you?”
He shook his head, “Tapes … he got tapes … I want those tapes, if I’m going to get this divorce done, he’s gonna have to give me those tapes ’cause I won’t be blackmailed for the rest of my life for that!”
“What tapes?” she was in the dark about everything.
Eddie came over her and pushed her against the wall, “Sex tapes, Jamie … your perverted boss keeps tapes on everyone who sleeps in his hotels and one of these days I’m going to expose what he’s doing and drive him out of business … but I need those tapes first and you’re going to get them from him, I don’t care if you have to fuck his head off for it … I want those goddamn tapes!” he had his hand on her collarbone and his thumb pressed against her neck.
“Don’t push me! It sounds like you’re pretty much fucked, Eddie, if you don’t fall through with the divorce, he’s going to use those tapes against you … the only way you can get them is to divorce me, he’s good with his words, I’m sure he’s not going to use them if you keep your end of the bargain.”
Eddie was not a man of his words. Her impending divorce was the latest proof of it. If he gets his hands on those tapes, he will never go through with the divorce.
He banged on the wall next to her face, it startled her. “Well he’s not the only one who has tapes, now is he?” he leaned closer to her. Their faces almost touched. “You remember how we used to make videos, don’t you? Back when you were still excited when I ripped your panties off and ate you up?”
Her heart sank. He still kept all those videos of them having sex.
“I thought you’ve deleted all those videos?”
His hand was on her thigh, the other one still on the wall as he hovered over her. “And throw away the best high quality porn we’ve ever made?” His hand caressed her thigh and slipped between her front. “I still watch them sometimes, you know? I miss those days when you were always submissive to me … my obedient little pussy cat,” he slipped his hand inside her panty, she wriggled and pushed him away.
“You’re disgusting, … we were married when we made those tapes, we were happy … at best, those tapes are just going to arouse the police investigators … it’s not gonna do anything for you,” she walked away from him.
“Really? So you won’t mind if I make copies and send them to all your charity foundations? Or how about your boss? Do you think he’s going to like watching them?”
She tried to hold back her tears, she wasn’t hurt because Eddie was threatening her about the videos. “I really thought you loved me, Eddie … those videos were us making love in our honeymoon phase … I was deeply in love with you.”
He came after her again, “Then help me, get me those tapes, Jamie, for old time sake, for the love we had for each other … one last loving act as my wife … he’s going to run me over with those tapes if it gets out … I’m finished.”
She saw the desperation in his eyes, his world was crumbling around him. She remembered how much she used to love this man in front of her and how much he used to love her.
“What happened, Jamie? I watched those videos and wondered … what made you left like I never meant anything to you? Didn’t I give you everything? And then you just left … look at the mess I’m in now?”
She wiped the tears on her cheeks, despite how much they used to love each other, she also remembered how lonely he made her feel in that big mansion. How he tricked her into thinking it was the life she wanted for herself when he practically prevented her from doing anything she wanted. He did it in the name of love, when really he just wanted to have control over everything and everyone in his life.
He pressed his forehead against hers, “I missed you, baby, I missed the way we used to be … I miss making love to you.” His lips found their way to land on hers.
She looked away. She remembered how much she enjoyed his touches. His hands were on the small of her back, pulling her close to him. They slipped under her shirt and she felt his palms caressing her back.
“For old time sake?” He kissed her again.
“I can’t help you with those tapes … It’s over, Eddie.”
He was aroused by her, they haven’t been that close for years and he meant it when he said he missed making love to her. “I don’t care about the tapes … I didn’t know you still have this effect on me, Jamie,” he put her hand on his crotch, he was hard.
“No … I don’t want to do this, Eddie,” she tried to free herself from him but his grip was strong. She knew it was dangerous to be that close to him, given their history and how she was feeling at the time. Her hormones were taking over her common sense.
“You’re still my wife,” he whispered and tried to kiss her again.
She looked away, he kissed her neck and shoulder and laid her on the bed.
“No … I don’t wanna do this, Eddie,” she rejected him, but her body was slowly caving in on his touches.
He pulled up her skirt, ran his hands along her thighs.
She pulled his hand away, “Eddie, please, stop, I don’t want to sleep with you.”
He ignored her, he knew if he kept going, she would let him in. “You used to beg me to fuck you, Jamie … who’s been fucking you?”
“Nobody … Please, Eddie, stop it!” she shouted.