Fool Me Once (2 page)

“Gawd! Are you trying to be the new Jack the Ripper? What have these poor veggies ever done to you?”

Eva had been busy violently slicing vegetables and hadn’t heard James, her best friend and business partner, come in. She looked up at him confused by his question. He smiled and with a movement of his head indicated where the poor tomatoes laid, gutted and pitiful.

“Don’t worry doll, maybe the tomatoes and carrots don’t mind having a shot at being immortalized in history, what with you being the vegetable ripper and all” he said winking. “Dare I hope your present mood can be attributed to someone of the male specie?”

James was always trying to convince her to go out more, to date, get involved with men. If only for sexual gratification if that’s all she wanted. Eva didn’t date much and never dated the same man more then a couple of times, never got serious about anyone. James guessed her behavior was dictated by fear, by a past experience but he never knew whom what or why. So, to see her that rattled, he entertained the hope that maybe she was letting herself get emotional about things other then her catering business. He never understood how such a pretty young woman was so afraid and so closed up about personal relationship. It made him sad to see her waste her youth on nothing but her business. Sometimes he wished he could have liked her in more then just a friend’s kind of way just so he could have shown her what she was missing. But life wasn’t perfect and all he could do really, was be there for her if she ever came out of the emotional deep freeze she was stuck in, which he believe might be happening. He smiled a secret smile.

Unaware of the direction of James’ thoughts, Eva resumed the slicing and the cutting, easing off slightly on the violence and forcing out a laugh, that even to her own ears sounded fake and hollow. She was somewhat aware of her friend’s concern for her, and she felt the need to reassure him (if only she could reassure herself as well) she sighed. Finally she looked up and shrugged airily.

“Just trying new slicing methods,” she said, cleaning up the entrails of yet another tomato, poor victim of circumstances beyond its control.

“Are you sure you aren’t imagining some fellow’s heart being ripped apart?”

It always amazed her how well he could read her, she could never put anything pass him.

“Of course not! Why on earth would I do that?” she asked not quite meeting his eyes for fear he would realize how close he was to the truth.

“Indeed, why would you ever want to do that?” He answered her softly.

James had been her friend since culinary school. They had been paired off in the sauce class and had hit it off right away. James was… well James was James; it really was the only way to describe him. He was tall and although quite muscular, he had a grace of movement that reminded her of a big cat. He changed his hairstyle, not to mention his hair color every other week. Today his messy spikes were black and blue, a style that on anyone else would have looked overdone but that somehow worked on him. Back in school, she had even started to develop a crush on him until she figured out he was not interested in the fairer sex. If she had told that to her shrink friend, the diagnosis would have been that his homosexuality was the reason why she had felt a stirring of attraction towards him, because she knew she would never have to act on it, that unconsciously she had known from the beginning he would always be unavailable. Personally, she thought it was because although James was different, he was also very good looking and she felt extremely comfortable with him; to her psychoanalysis was just a bunch of BS. Not that she would ever say that to her friend. After the things have been straight and known between her and James, they had gotten very close, and he had started to assume the role of not only a friend but also an overprotective older brother, yeah as if she needed another one of those! However close they were; she had never told James about Jake, she never saw any reasons to do so, never had wanted to relive the entire humiliating and spirit-crushing episode. It was supposed to be the past, as in buried an unable to come and haunt you. Well the past sure had awakened and had come to bit her in the ass (oups, she was a lady, in her posterior). Damn arrogant bastard. (Guess maybe after all she wasn’t that much of a lady) Why did he have to move here? There were thousands of other place, why this one? Why now? She continued talking to herself, asking questions she had no answer for, forgetting all about the tall man standing by her, looking uncertain and more then just a little worried.

“You sure you ok honey? You look a bit flushed.”

“I’m all right James, just a bit out of sort. I will tell you about it someday, although not today, OK?” She smiled shakily, her knife easing yet a bit more on the vegetables, vain attempt to prove she was alright. She would have to convince herself first before convincing anyone else. Would she ever be all right again?

He looked unconvinced but did not press her, he knew how hard-headed she was and knew that once she had made up her mind about something it was easier to dance with an elephant on a balloon then have her change it. So he let it dropped and started working on pastry shells he would need for the small reception they were catering the next day; acting like the clown he was in the hopes to see a real smile illuminate her pretty face, he came pretty close a couple times, but still could see the turmoil in her eyes.

She had met Jake when she was eighteen years old, back when she still believed in prince charming and happy ending. She had been young and gullible, with a faith in love and people that had never been challenged. He idealism had sometimes wavered, but she had never lost her trust in people, never had lost her belief that that love existed and that it was wonderful. She had been naïve, very naive. But had she been more of a realist and less of a dreamer, she still would have fallen for Jake. How could she have not? She took a sip of her wine, her thoughts slowly slipping in remembrance, quite against her will. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the rush of memories to flood back, she allowed herself to relive the blend of love, anger, pain, mistrust and desire of that night long ago.

8 years ago…

She urged him to explain as she surreptitiously wiped angry tears from her eyes. She wanted to know why she had caught him in a lip-lock with Shelley Harrison. She knew he would never be able to come up with a plausible excuse, knew that even if he cared to try, he wasn’t that smart. Although she knew that he probably didn’t care to try, she desperately wanted him to deny everything, to be able to come up with some fancy reason as to why he was kissing another girl. She had been dating him for three months and she rather liked him. He was considered the cutest boy in school, was the quarterback of the football team, and he was very popular. He really was the high school dream boyfriend, and although she really didn’t think herself shallow enough to go for appearances only, she hadn’t been able to say no when he has asked her out to the movies one evening. But now, she found herself confronting him about his infidelity on the crowded main street. He had said he had football practice that night, but she had found him coming out the movies and kissing none other then Shelley Harrison, head of cheerleaders, perfect tall, slim, baby blue-eyed bimbo. Shelley had never liked her; she was always making derogative comments, snide remarks, about those less fortunate in their physical appearance. The comments had thinned down a lot when she had started dating Ben and had been accepted, if barely, in the popular crowd. Not that being accepted in the cool click had been the reason why she had been dating Ben that long, not really. She really liked him, well used to anyway. Right now, she wasn’t really sure how she felt about him, actually hadn’t been for a little while. But no matter what her feelings were at that precise moment, she felt he at least owed her an apology or an explanation for treating her this way. She looked at him through the rain, pushing her hair out of her eye as she did so. She took in his tousled blond hair, his arrogant stance, and his self-satisfied expression and suddenly she couldn’t hold back her temper any longer.

“Why? Why did you feel the need to go kiss another girl behind my back, kiss Shelley?” She shivered at the thought. “Why couldn’t you be men enough to tell me you weren’t interested in dating me anymore?” She took in a deep breath.” I thought you liked me”

He had the nerve to laugh at that comment, a laugh that chilled her more then any wind or rain ever could.

“Oh come on Eva, did you really think I would pass up the chance. I’m only a man honey, and really I mean no offence, but you couldn’t keep any red-blooded man away from a babe like Shelley. You are cute and stuff but Eva look at yourself. You can’t compare to Shelley. You have great potential but you hide it behind jeans and baggy sweaters. You never try to make yourself look better; you never made yourself up to make me proud to be with you. And as if that wasn’t enough, you don’t even put out!” He looked disgusted.“ I thought that to make up for obviously lacking in certain area, you would at least…” he made a lewd gesture “ but you are so uptight, chastity belts could learn from you. You barely allow me to kiss you, let alone touch you…a man has needs and I have from good authority that Shelley knows exactly what those needs are.” He added smugly as if he had had first hand experience of her abilities.

Shaking like a leaf in the cold wind, Eva lifted her chin bravely and looking squared at him she forced herself to ask the question that was nagging at her.

“If that’s what you think of me, why did you ask me out? Why didn’t you break up with me as soon as you figured out I wasn’t going to spread my legs in gratitude? Why bother with me at all when you could have had Shelley?” She hated that her voice wavered and almost got plaintive. But as soon as she heard his answer, she wished she had kept her mouth shut and just walked away with the remaining shred of her dignity.

“Simply because Shelley wasn’t available, and I didn’t think you would be that hopeless. You are a funny girl and you seem to know stuff, but as girlfriend material, frankly you suck. Maybe you’d be ok for a lesser man…maybe.” That had been his closing remark. He left, turning his back on Eva, and went back to Shelley who was waiting for him by the theatre doors. They had left arm in arm and Shelley had had the gal to wink at her.

Her pride had gotten hurt that day, very hurt, and she had vowed to make Ben swallows his words. She had by then realized her feelings for Ben had been superficial, had been nothing more then a silly schoolgirl crush, a desire to be accepted in the popular crowd, but that didn’t lessen the fact that she still needed to make him regret his decision so she would have the pleasure to turn him down. She couldn’t fault his reason for dating her, hers weren’t any better, but the way he had spoken to her; that she could totally find fault with. She would show him she was more of a woman then Shelley Harrison ever would, she just hoped she would find a way before the Christmas dance which was only 2 months away. She was going to make him beg, and then she was going to tell him he wasn’t man enough for her. She had never thought she was vindictive before, but she had needed to do this. It was a matter of pride! Plans started forming in her subconscious the following week.

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“Josh is coming home tonight Eva, could you make sure you are home for dinner on time for a change? He is bringing one of his friends along.”

Her mother was wiping her hands on the neat white apron tied to her still slender waist. With her cheeks flushed from the heat, the perpetual smile on her face or the amazing sparkling blue eyes Eva had inherited, she could easily have passed as Eva’s older sister.

“Mum c’mon, I had planned to go to the mall with Alex. She was going to show me the dress she is going to buy for the winter formal. Why do I have to be here for dinner, it’s not like Josh would care if I wasn’t here!”