Read Online Infamous Desire by Artemis Hunt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Artemis Hunt
Ads: Link
morning, Ms. Turner.”
Alex gets up and offers her his hand. “Good morning, Madame Fournier.”
“Morning,” I squeak. The way she is sizing me up frankly intimidates me.
Madame Fournier holds up an iPad.
“Did you see the headlines today?”
Actually, no. I make it a point to avoid them these days.
“Which paper?” Alex says.
She shoves the iPad in front of our faces, and starts flipping the ‘pages’. “American ones. Chicago Sun Times. Chicago Tribune. New York Times.”
Uh oh. So they have gotten wind at home of what I’ve been up to.
I’m famous!
(In the wrong way.)
“Let me see that,” Alex says, taking the iPad from her.
Together, we peruse the headlines with dread. I expected the usual ones: ‘OUT TO GET HIS MONEY AND A PRINCESS TITLE’. ‘AMERICAN LASS SNARES HANDSOME BILLIONAIRE PRINCE’.
Well, they are all there.
And more.
My stomach clenches as I see two sub-headlines:
‘HOTEL MAID HAD SEX WITH THE PRINCE IN A PUBLIC RESTROOM,’ SAYS HER ROOMMATE, DEANNA SMITH.
‘HOTEL MAID QUITE THE SLUT WITH THE GUESTS,’ SAYS HER CO-WORKER, CASSANDRA PELICANO.
I must have blanched, because Alex says, “Liz, are you all right?”
The room spins a little, and suddenly, Alex is propping me up and I’m leaning against his shoulder. Deanna’s face blurs into Cassandra’s, their mouths opening and closing without sound.
Oh shit.
“No,” I say weakly, “I don’t think I’m OK.”
I’m definitely not OK.
In fact, I think I’m going to be sick.
I can take the name-calling from anonymous reporters. Even Alex’s relatives, who have every right to think I’m not good enough for their son or brother or cousin or whomever. But Deanna? And Cassandra?
How could they do this to me?
How?
“Liz,” Alex’s urgent voice filters through my head, “it doesn’t mean anything. They could have been misquoted.”
“That’s a very real possibility,” Madame Fournier says in a kinder tone.
I don’t honestly think anyone could have misquoted something like that without being sued. What Deanna said was true, of course. I did have sex with Alex the very first I met him in a public restroom. But I told her all that in confidence. Did she have to blurb it out to the press for her fifteen seconds of fame?
Worse still is Cassandra Pelicano’s statement. I have never, ever behaved the slut with any of the guests at the hotel I worked at. I have never behaved the slut in my college either. I haven’t even dated regularly until I met Alex.
I feel betrayed in the worst possible way. What have I ever done to either of them?
My knees buckle and Alex catches me.
“Here, Liz, sit down.”
I hear the scrape of a parlor chair being pulled and my buttocks are suddenly slammed upon its soft padded seat. My head still whirls.
“Don’t mind them, OK?” he says urgently. “Don’t mind them.”
Easy for you to say. You’re not branded the slut for sleeping around. You’re a prince. It just makes you cool.
It’s different for girls.
Someone shoves a glass of water into my hand.
“Drink, Liz,” Alex says. I can feel his warmth beside me.
Jasper was right. The best thing I could have done was go home before any of the headlines hit and forget any of it ever happened.
But I love love love Alex fiercely. With my entire body and soul.
“What do you suggest, Madame Fournier?” I hear Alex say. His voice is sober, all businesslike.
“That’s what I’m here for as the top Public Relations consultant in this country. We need to rebrand the two of you to become Moldavia’s biggest export.”
Chapter Two
I cry my heart out that night. I cry huge tears that roll down from my cheeks to my pillow. I cry for all the innocence I have lost and all the friends I thought I had.
Alex is beside me in bed, naked. Normally, this would engender that fluttery, hollowing feeling down there, between my legs, but tonight, I am just too upset. I have turned away from him because I don’t want him to
Alex gets up and offers her his hand. “Good morning, Madame Fournier.”
“Morning,” I squeak. The way she is sizing me up frankly intimidates me.
Madame Fournier holds up an iPad.
“Did you see the headlines today?”
Actually, no. I make it a point to avoid them these days.
“Which paper?” Alex says.
She shoves the iPad in front of our faces, and starts flipping the ‘pages’. “American ones. Chicago Sun Times. Chicago Tribune. New York Times.”
Uh oh. So they have gotten wind at home of what I’ve been up to.
I’m famous!
(In the wrong way.)
“Let me see that,” Alex says, taking the iPad from her.
Together, we peruse the headlines with dread. I expected the usual ones: ‘OUT TO GET HIS MONEY AND A PRINCESS TITLE’. ‘AMERICAN LASS SNARES HANDSOME BILLIONAIRE PRINCE’.
Well, they are all there.
And more.
My stomach clenches as I see two sub-headlines:
‘HOTEL MAID HAD SEX WITH THE PRINCE IN A PUBLIC RESTROOM,’ SAYS HER ROOMMATE, DEANNA SMITH.
‘HOTEL MAID QUITE THE SLUT WITH THE GUESTS,’ SAYS HER CO-WORKER, CASSANDRA PELICANO.
I must have blanched, because Alex says, “Liz, are you all right?”
The room spins a little, and suddenly, Alex is propping me up and I’m leaning against his shoulder. Deanna’s face blurs into Cassandra’s, their mouths opening and closing without sound.
Oh shit.
“No,” I say weakly, “I don’t think I’m OK.”
I’m definitely not OK.
In fact, I think I’m going to be sick.
I can take the name-calling from anonymous reporters. Even Alex’s relatives, who have every right to think I’m not good enough for their son or brother or cousin or whomever. But Deanna? And Cassandra?
How could they do this to me?
How?
“Liz,” Alex’s urgent voice filters through my head, “it doesn’t mean anything. They could have been misquoted.”
“That’s a very real possibility,” Madame Fournier says in a kinder tone.
I don’t honestly think anyone could have misquoted something like that without being sued. What Deanna said was true, of course. I did have sex with Alex the very first I met him in a public restroom. But I told her all that in confidence. Did she have to blurb it out to the press for her fifteen seconds of fame?
Worse still is Cassandra Pelicano’s statement. I have never, ever behaved the slut with any of the guests at the hotel I worked at. I have never behaved the slut in my college either. I haven’t even dated regularly until I met Alex.
I feel betrayed in the worst possible way. What have I ever done to either of them?
My knees buckle and Alex catches me.
“Here, Liz, sit down.”
I hear the scrape of a parlor chair being pulled and my buttocks are suddenly slammed upon its soft padded seat. My head still whirls.
“Don’t mind them, OK?” he says urgently. “Don’t mind them.”
Easy for you to say. You’re not branded the slut for sleeping around. You’re a prince. It just makes you cool.
It’s different for girls.
Someone shoves a glass of water into my hand.
“Drink, Liz,” Alex says. I can feel his warmth beside me.
Jasper was right. The best thing I could have done was go home before any of the headlines hit and forget any of it ever happened.
But I love love love Alex fiercely. With my entire body and soul.
“What do you suggest, Madame Fournier?” I hear Alex say. His voice is sober, all businesslike.
“That’s what I’m here for as the top Public Relations consultant in this country. We need to rebrand the two of you to become Moldavia’s biggest export.”
Chapter Two
I cry my heart out that night. I cry huge tears that roll down from my cheeks to my pillow. I cry for all the innocence I have lost and all the friends I thought I had.
Alex is beside me in bed, naked. Normally, this would engender that fluttery, hollowing feeling down there, between my legs, but tonight, I am just too upset. I have turned away from him because I don’t want him to
Similar Books
