Abandoned but Not Alone (4 page)

“
Then say it with me,
”
Aviva yelled lifting her hands above her
head looking over at Hope who did the same.
“
Sister-friends forever!
”
They both shouted at the top of their voices as the majestic
golden gates slid back to allow them entrance.

~~~~~~~~~~

The women
were greeted at the front door by the butler Drake, who had white hair and a
scar running from his hairline to the corner of his right eye. He wasn
’
t a very tall or well-built man but he
gave Aviva the impression of someone who could take care of himself in a
fight.  She was unsure why she thought this, he had blue eyes that seemed to
flicker with a secret that others were not privy to. He always wore a polite
smile. It just seemed to her that the way he walked and carried himself spoke
of another life where being a butler was an occupation far removed from his
everyday life. The white hair also seemed out of place, somehow not matching
the age denoted on his face.

“
Good afternoon ladies, Miss Johnson, a
parcel arrived for you while you were out.
”
Extending his hand Drake indicated the parcel sitting on a
table close to where they were standing. Picking it up Aviva smiled her thanks.
Bowing his head in acknowledgment, Drake inquired if the women required
anything else. Both declined. Inclining his head, Drake made his way towards
the back of the large foyer, disappearing around the corner that led to the
kitchen.

Aviva
waited until Drake disappeared from sight before she began ripping at the
package that awaited her attention. When the contents were revealed she
screamed and clutched it to her chest in a loving embrace.

“
What is it?
”
Hope asked, picking up on her friends
’
excitement. Aviva looked at Hope from under her eyelashes and
whispered,
“
Shoes.
”

“
Shoes?
”

“
Shoes, yes ma
’
am, but not just any shoes, these are just about the most
fantastically, wonderful shoes you are ever going to see in this life or the
next and you need
–
I mean
need
to see them. Come with me... now!  I
’
ve got to
try them on. Oh-my-God, oh-my-God I think I
’
m hyperventilating,
”
Aviva
sighed rushing into the sitting room with Hope following closely behind.

Coming to a
sudden stop, Hope bumped into Aviva
’
s back. She
soon started moving again, looking around the room in search of a place on
which to place the box she still clenched to her chest. Finally spotting a
chair near the large patio doors at the back of the room, she hurried towards
it, while pulling the remaining wrapping paper from her precious package.  Hope
made a sound as though preparing to speak. Aviva shushed her with a finger to
her lips and slowly, reverently, opened the box removing its content and
placing it gently on the upholstered chair.

Aviva
slowly raised her hands to cover her mouth; while Hope crossed her hands over
her chest in wonder. They stayed in their respective stances for a full minute
gazing with admiration at the shoes. Hope turned her head slowly and looked at
Aviva who also turned at the same time. They rushed at each other, throwing
their arms around the other, jumping up and down, spinning around and screaming
at the top of their lungs.

Jason and
Steve, who were standing on the balcony, heard the women
’
s screams and sprinted in the direction
of the commotion. Tearing the patio doors open Jason, followed closely by
Steve, charged into the room already in fighting mode. Coming to a halt they
saw the two women holding onto each other, spinning around in circles,
screaming at the top of their voices.

“
What is it?
”
Jason roared, scanning of the room for danger. Steve who was
behind him followed the direction of the women
’
s gaze and saw the shoes resting on the chair. Coming to a stop
adjacent to the chair Steve braced his legs and folded his arms across his
chest; rolling his eyes he stared down at them a smile lurking on his lips.
Shaking his head Steve remained quiet as he awaited Jason
’
s reaction when realization finally set
in. Switching his eyes to Jason, Steve watched his reaction as he finished
scanning the room, his eyes finally landing on the shoes resting on the chair.
For a full six seconds Jason
’
s eyes
moved from the chair to the women and back again in confusion. His expression
changing when realization finally dawned.
“
Are you two going to tell me you're carrying on this way, over a
pair of shoes?!
”

Aviva and
Hope stopped screaming at Jason
’
s roar.
They still held onto each other but now their mouths were hanging open, their
eyes wide with astonishment at the picture Jason presented. He looked as though
he were ready to do battle, his legs wide and arms extended and fisted in a
fighting stance.

Aviva
thought; '
he
’
s going to
fight the shoe
’
immediately clamping her hand over her mouth, suppressing her laughter as she
met Jason
’
s gaze.
Jason raised one eyebrow as though awaiting confirmation of their behavior. His
confirmation was silence. He narrowed his eyes at Aviva, who was frantically
trying to think of a way to defuse his obvious annoyance. Breaking eye contact
with him, she looked at Hope for help. Hope shrugged; she was on her own.

Looking
back at the irritated man, Aviva decided the best way to defuse the situation
was to engage him in conversation.
“
Aren
’
t they the most beautiful shoes you have
ever seen?
”

Jason
blinked twice in disbelief, uncertain of what he was being asked; it sounded
like,
‘
blah, blah,
blah, blah in the world
’
. He looked
even more confused than he had moments before, if that was even possible. Aviva
took the few steps that brought her to Jason; gripping him by the forearm, she
spoke to him in a soothing voice.

“
It
’
s okay, we
’
re all
friends here, you can admit that you love the shoes, no-one will think any less
of you.
”

At her
comment, Steve's eyes bugged and he spun around to face the patio doors; his
shoulders rising up and down in silent laughter. Hope maintained her original
position but was now looking backwards and forwards between Jason and Aviva
with wide eyed wonder.

Jason was
not amused; their screams had frightened the living daylights out of him. He
had thought they were facing some form of real danger, here in his house, and
they had only been looking at a pair of shoes
–
shoes for goodness sake! Jason felt the vexation in him
bubbling to the surface. Ready to inform Aviva of his total lack of interest in
her shoes, she beat him to the mark.
“
I know, it
’
s alright, I was lost for words too
–
please
…
you don
’
t need to
say anything, just enjoy their beauty.
”

Jason
couldn
’
t believe what he was
hearing, was she nuts, what the hell did he care about her shoes? Aviva thought
Jason looked as though he were going to have a fit. His face was turning an
angry shade of red and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her not to
give in to laughter. Ensuring that no trace of her true feelings were visible,
Aviva adopted her most understanding expression and squeezed his right bicep. 
“
Don
’
t worry; it
’
s alright
for big blokes like you to like women
’
s shoes.
Believe me, many do, they just don
’
t like to
admit it.
”

Taken
aback, Jason's eyes widened in disbelief
–
was this woman for real, he had admitted no such thing. Aviva
couldn
’
t take any more;
turning her back to Jason she rushed over to the couch and sat down, her face
buried in a cushion to muffle her laughter. Taking short breaths and almost at
a point of controlling her laughter, she recalled the look of horror on Jason
’
s face as she told him that it was
alright to admit a liking for women
’
s shoes,
and she started pounding the cushion she held with a fist, hysterical laughter
exploding from her like an erupting volcano. The sound of Steve
’
s and Hope
’
s laughter was soon joined by the baritone of Jason's mirth. 
Well at least he had a sense of humor.

“
Okay, you got me
–
what is this, payback because I didn
’
t save you from the dreaded
…
spaaa?
”

“
No
…
but now I come to think about it, I still need to get you back
for that.
”
Aviva said
once she managed to get her laughter under control.

“
This whole shoes thing weren
’
t payback enough for you?
”

“
Are you kidding, I wasn
’
t even thinking about payback and for
your information, I would never use my beautiful shoes as a means of exacting
restitution for your most ungallant conduct of this morning. Oh no, for that my
beautiful shoes will not be involved.
”

Jason
looked at Aviva with a big grin on his face.
“
So how was the spa?
”

“
The place was a complete dump, and the
people who work there must have been trained by hammer handed torture artists who
wouldn
’
t know their way
around the human body from cutting up a slab of meat.
”
Aviva answered keeping a straight face.

“
Ma'am
”
, I can assure you my establishment is one of the best, if not
the best in this whole city!
”

Without
missing a beat Aviva changed from complainer to praise giver.
“
My bad, you got me, the place was totally
amazing, it was one of the best experiences of my life, they took very good
care of us.
”

Jason
couldn
’
t take his eyes from
the enchanting minx laid out before him on his couch. His eyes held hers for a
moment and then began to move slowly down her body. He took in her dark skin
with its milk chocolate hue which glowed with a gold undertone. Perfect brows
arched over eyes that were big and slanted up at the corners to give a cat like
appearance. Her nose was difficult to explain it was neither small nor large,
it flared at the nostrils and it fit her face perfectly. Her lips kept pulling
his eyes back to them again and again. They were full and luscious and the most
enticing shade of natural burgundy he had ever seen on a woman. When he looked
at her full lips he imagined how they would feel and how they would taste. His
eyes wandered down to her chin that was small and looked incredibly stubborn,
ready to jut out at the smallest provocation and stand her ground.

His eyes
continued their downward journey to her neck which was long and slender; as his
eyes alighted there, he wondered if her neck was one of her erogenous zones.
His eyes moved again, down to her shoulders, which were narrow and square, upon
which locks of jet black afro curls lay.  Then on to her breasts which were
large for a woman of her size. Jason was a breast and butt man and those
breasts, without a doubt could hold his attention. Continuing on, he took in
her flat stomach and tiny waist, down again, to the flare of her hips which
looked wide and accommodating. He couldn
’
t see her legs and feet as they were hidden, confined within
wide leg linen trousers and ballet pumps. As his eyes began to move up her body
he realized her breathing had changed; her chest was rising and falling in a
way that fascinated him. His eyes traveled up to meet hers once again; she was
no longer laughing, instead he realized he had her complete attention and what
she saw in his eyes, was no laughing matter.

Their eyes
locked, Aviva
’
s heart
started a rapid tattoo as Jason tried to convey his thoughts while looking
deeply into her brown orbs. Flooded with an unexpected feeling of excitement
she broke the contact, unable or unwilling to accept what Jason
’
s look expressed. Aviva pushed the
cushion aside and rose quickly to her feet, excused herself in a mumbled tone
and made what she hoped was a dignified exit out the door. The word
coward
popped into her head,
‘
hell yeah
’
there, she admitted it, she was actually
running away in an attempt to distance herself from the look in his eyes, a
look, that for a moment felt as though it would overwhelm her.