Neogtiations - Ch 3 - ...Lies

    Saturday afternoon was warmer than it had been since Elissa had come home and again, Bianca dragged her out of the house to the festival park.
 Isaac had asked if he could tag along since everyone else was out, Bianca had agreed on the condition that he asked Elissa no questions and let them all relax and try to have a bit of fun.
Once they reached the park, Elissa couldn’t help but smile at Bianca as she barked out what they were going to do to relax and have fun.
First they went to the haunted house, Elissa was never one for being scared on purpose, but she found herself laughing and squealing as mannequins of assorted ghouls sprang out at them from darkened corners with bad coloured lighting and too much fog smoke. They ran out of the horror house laughing and clinging to each other like they were teenagers without a care in the world.
Isaac had waited outside for them and Elissa couldn’t help but smile at him as she laughed holding onto her sisters’ shoulder.
“Now, apple bobbing!” Bianca announced next and trotted off over to the apple bobbing tank to join other Sims who were already enjoying themselves bobbing for apples.

    Elissa slowly followed Bianca with Isaac, he sort of walked half in front and half beside her, she paused noticing a beautiful blue flower, its bright violet blue petals almost seeming to shine in the afternoons sun light.
Without thinking she bent down and picked it up, it smell was light and airy, almost like a daisy but with a hint of lavender undertone.
She felt odd and realized Isaac was watching her, she felt her cheeks flush and a small laugh escaped her lips.
“Oh, sorry, I just...”
“No, it’s alright. You like flowers, and after everything that you seem to have gone through, it must be nice to be able to stop and appreciate the simple things around you.”
His eye shone like emeralds in the sunlight, Elissa had never seen anything like it.
She swallowed a hard lump in her throat and let the flower drop to the ground as his words sunk in.
“How do you know what I’ve been through?” She snapped at Isaac stepping forward to confront him, Isaac stepped back from her putting his hands up in defence. The moved shocked Elissa, the anger in her eyes faded, and she found that she was unable to bring herself to look him suddenly.
“No, I’m sorry... I just meant that... you kind of have it written all over you that you’ve been dealing with a lot lately. No offence, but you look like you could really use a good sleep.”
Raising her fingers up to one of her eyes, Elissa gently touched the slight puffiness that had formed underneath.
“Thanks, I guess.” She let her hand drop and saw Bianca waving them over, an apple in each hand and one in her mouth.
A small laugh escaped Elissa’s lips again; Isaac turned to see that she was laughing at and gave a small warm throaty chuckle himself as they walked over to Bianca.

********

    Bianca watched Elissa as she went to the car and got out some hamburger supplies they had bought with them, coming back and putting the meat onto one of the grills, Elissa cooked while Bianca and Isaac grabbed a table and waited.
“So fancy man, are you going to ride in a white horse and save the day for my sister or what?”
Bianca was blunt and Isaac was taken aback by her sudden questioning. She waited and her deep crystal blue eyes never left his face, though she was the youngest she had always been the more confident of the two.
Isaac gave a small laugh and shook his head.
“Is that what you want, some brave knight to rescue your sister, save the family fortune and everyone can live happily ever after, while the bad guy rots away in a dungeon somewhere?” Bianca couldn’t help but laugh as Isaac raised his hands with his answered question.
“Hmm, well, it would be nice... but no not really.” She smiled smugly, a mischievous smile that made her feel like she was ten. “Maybe just the beginning and the end though would be nice for everyone.”
“Burgers are almost ready guys...” Elissa called from the grill, Bianca jumped up from the table still smiling.
She had a feeling that Isaac knew something, but with her wedding coming up in five days, she decided not the give it anymore thought until after she got back from her honeymoon.

********

    It was just after seven that they got back home again; Elissa made coffees, she took one and went out to the back porch to have it.
After a few minutes of quiet peace and listening to a symphony of crickets, the patio door opened and Isaac came out with holding a coffee of his own.
“Mind if I?” He gestured to the spare chair and Elissa smiled nodding at him.
He put down his coffee and as he sat down he stretched, Elissa sat forward and looked at him.
“You said you might be able it help me the other day, did you mean it?”
She watched as Isaac paused for a second in his stretch as he was caught a little off guard by her question, he then finished the stretch with a slight yawn and nodded.
“Yes, I’m surprised Donavin hasn’t picked up on the inconsistencies of your fathers’ last wishes.” He sipped at his coffee then placed it back on the table. “Which is where you come in, help with filling in the blanks for me.”
Elissa pursed her lips for a moment in thought and shook her head slightly.
“I don’t think I could, I already told Donavin what I know the other day. He can’t legally do anything to my families assets unless...’
“That’s where you’re wrong, if he contests the will, and wins, he could do anything he wants, including...”
“Don’t...” Elissa sat up straight pressing her back into the chair as she clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to be reminded of her doomed fate.
“Well, this is also where I can help you out...” Isaacs’ voice lowered as he spoke and his eyes darted to the door behind Elissa for a moment making her feel nervous and look to see if anyone was around for herself.
“How, what can you do for me if you’re working for that...?” Elissa paused to find a somewhat more, intelligent word that none she was already thinking of.
Isaac laughed; it was a warm soothing sound and made her smile slightly.
“I need you to tell me what you know about your fathers’ nectary businesses, do you know if they made money via any extra means other than selling the nectar produce they made. Anything come to mind?”
His emerald green eyes gazed at Elissa, as if pulling her in like a magnet.

    With a shake of her head, Elissa got up and paced a little along the patio.
“No.”
“No to what? No you won’t tell me or no you don’t know?” Isaac stood himself and came around in front of her as she turned and went to pace in the opposite direction, she stopped and averted her eyes from Isaac as he stood in her path and leaned on the door.
“I, I don’t know exactly what you asking, if you mean did my father smuggle anything...” Elissa felt her heart racing as Isaacs’ gaze hardened on her. He didn’t say anything but Elissa knew that he knew she understood what he was asking her. “No, I mean, I wasn’t there all the time so, if he did, it would have been when we weren’t helping out during school holidays.”
“And when you were older, did you or your sister work at his businesses?” Isaacs; voice was firm, not angry, but urgent.
Elissa’s eyes darted to the sideboard table inside for a moment then back to Isaac again, he turned his head and looked to where she had. The small sideboard table in the lounge room held two large gems that glittered in the lamp light. Everyone outside of the family thought they were just fancy cut coloured glass, but Elissa, Tabitha and Bianca knew otherwise.
He looked back at her and drew in a deep breath,  then shook his head rubbing a hand across his chin as a strange smile same to his lips.
“Of course... why didn’t I think of it?” Isaac went to go inside and Elissa stopped him by grabbing his arm and pulled him back.

    “Don’t!” She pleaded with him, her fingers gripping tightly on his arm, she was slightly surprised that under his jumper he was quiet muscular. She barely even had to grip hard as it seemed to be enough to make him stop.
“Why, because you’re father was smuggling gems and relics all over the globe via his nectary business. Extra assets that were wasted for decades, all pissed up against a wall by him and the likes of your future slug-to-be inside?”
Elissa drew in a sharp breath and stared at Isaac in disbelief, his gaze met hers in a heated fury that had made his eyes go a dark grassy green.
“He can’t access any of those assets until... until...” Elissas’ voice shook on her last word.
Isaac thudded his hand against the door frame and swore a few times shaking his head then looking at the ceiling.
“Again, I should have known. Lied to once by the sly bastard; why by the Watcher wouldn’t he be lying about other things to me. HA!” Isaac snapped his fingers, his green eyes lighting up with excitement. “Now that I know Donny boy’s being lying... Oh, this is brilliant!”
Elissa was not expecting Isaac to kiss her, but suddenly his arms had wrapped about her waist in a warm embrace and his lips were meeting hers in a soft, half smiling kiss; and for a heart stopping moment that stretched into a thousand years, they both melted into the warmth and happiness of each other’s closeness.
With a slightly shocked ‘Oh.’; Elissa stepped back breaking from the kiss and the surprised look on Isaacs’ face matched her own.
“I should um... you uh... goodnight.”
 Elissas’ tongue seemed to stumble inside her head as she tried to say something before she finally slipped past Isaac, through the porch door and half ran upstairs to her room, locking her door behind her.

    Getting changed and then sitting on her side table by her window, Elissa found herself absently touching her lips, she could still feel Isaac’s lips and the faint, sweet taste of the mocha coffee he had been drinking earlier still lingered too.
Her head swam as she crawled into bed and let herself fall back onto the soft pillow with a heavy sigh. She had no idea how long she lay awake trying to stop her thoughts rambling aimlessly in her head and the steady pounding of the rain on the roof sounded like a never ending applause; it wasn’t long before she drifted off in to a dreamless, but peaceful sleep.

********

    The rainfall had continued throughout the next five days and kept up its steady drumming well into Thursday morning as Isaac worked over some more paperwork that Donavin had asked him to look over.
Standing up and pacing the somewhat cramped floor space in front of the desk, Isaac couldn’t help going over the conversation he had had with Elissa only just past nine to ten hours ago.
“If you frown much more Zaccy boy you’ll make it rain in here.” Donavin half snickered at his own joke as Isaac paused in his pacing and faced him.
“I really must ask you, mostly out of curiosity more than anything Donny. Why after all this time are you so intent on forcing Elissa to comply with her father’s will?” As much as he wanted to add in; ‘Even though you walked away to begin with...’ Isaac wanted to keep what he knew close to his chest so that he could try to see what angle Donavin was aiming for.
Donavin raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at Isaac just before he continued. “All I’m saying is that, your papers are flourishing and your own estate holdings are bringing you in a tidy sum of simolians. You’ve had model girlfriends that were at your beck and call, why pursue this?”
Casually Donavin leaned forward on the desk and steeped his fingers, he glanced at Isaac and a small smile danced across his lips.
“You really haven’t noticed the ‘nick-knacks’ displayed about the house? A supposed copy of a Faberge Egg... coloured glass cut to look like precious gems?” Donavin scoffed and slowly shook his head. “There’s more too, and the only way I can get it is by marrying Elissa and seizing her families funds, then after we’re married, I will contest the second part of the will so that her family can’t stop me from accessing anything.”
The smile grew broad across Donavins face, like a snake uncoiling itself, Isaac could hear the metaphorical rattle of the tail as Donavin looked at him.

    A shiver ran through Isaacs’ veins, but he didn’t show it, his thoughts carefully running over what Donavin had just told him and he added it to everything else he now knew of.
“Donny, I don’t think I can stay here that long. I have other cases that I’m dealing with and I have to be back in Riverview by next month to oversee a case.”
The sudden laughter from Donavin made Isaac start slightly.
“This is why I want you to organise this little issue to be sorted out next week. Elissa’s sister will be away on her honeymoon, and their aunt is also going away on a business trip.
Isaac subconsciously kicked himself; he had forgotten about Bianca’s wedding and had no idea about Tabitha’s trip. He frowned slightly.
“You know I don’t work like that Donny.” His voice had taken on low tone of caution.
“I’ll double your pay, best deal you’ll ever likely to get in your entire life.” Donavin seemed unswayed for Isaacs’ conscious. “We can’t lose, Elissa can’t contest because she won’t get a lawyer to defend her in time and we can push the family out, I will then divorce Elissa half a year later on the grounds of her being unfaithful and receive her families fortune and business assets and you’ll get a nice cut, that’ll mean you can retire early and live out the rest of your days on Isle Paradiso in luxury. Easy.”
The metaphorical rattling and hissing was giving Isaac a headache, the walls of the office seemed to be closing in like a snare.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Isaac replied only so that he could get out of the office and away from Donavin.
He’d dealt with all types of cases over his career and the people that came with them, but this had turned into something very different from what he had expected when he first agreed to work for Donavin.
For the first time in his life, Isaac felt that he needed a very stiff drink.

********

    “Come on, the rain is going to make my hair frizzy.”
Bianca half whined and half laughed as Mitchell held his car keys in fist while he debated where they were going for the evening.
“So, we’re heading to the lounge right?”
“Yes, come on... I want us to celebrate with Beetle one more time before we get caught up with all of the wedding stuff for Saturday, and we’re all going to look good doing it; so hurry up.” She punched Mitchell in the shoulder and he pinched her on the arse.
Elissa rolled her eyes and got into the backseat of the car as soon as Mitchell unlocked it.
“Come on you two, you can abandon me when we get to the lounge. I think I need to have a stiff drink and be sort of alone anyway, this has been the longest week and a half of my life and right now I think I want to drink it from my memory.”
“Are you sure you’ll be alright if we wander off?” Bianca turned in her seat as she sat in the front passenger seat.
“Yes, really, I’ll be fine.” Elissa lied with a smile; the last thing she wanted was to ruin her little sisters’ fun night out with her stressful situation she couldn’t seem to shake.
She shifted, feeling slightly uncomfortable in her new skin tight evening gown, Bianca had insisted she change her wardrobe and had given away all of her old clothes she had gotten in France and brought her new ones for her new style.
As the car took off, the rain smeared across the window and the towns’ streets half blurred by from the fog, rain and slight speed of the car.

    Coming into the lounge, Elissa paused for a moment by the staircase that lead upstairs, Bianca and Mitchell went straight to the bar to order their drinks and begin enjoy themselves.
She nervously rubbed her neck seeing the bartender eye her up and down with an approving smile and a seductive look in his eyes.
She heard footsteps coming down that stairs and went to move away but became stuck as an unexpected face smiled right at her, her heart thumped loudly in her ears, her mouth and throat become dry.

    Isaac came down from upstairs and on seeing Elissa he leaned on the centre pole of the stairs; she noticed he was careful not to lean too close so she didn’t feel intimidated. His consideration was a charming touch to the rest of him.
“Please tell me I can get you a drink and you won’t suddenly run away?”
Isaacs’ green eyes sparkled in the soft lighting of the room; Elissa felt that she had become frozen like a statue as she looked at him.
He was as handsome as any fabled hero from a fantasy novel and had an incredible sense of fashion without going overboard.
“I uh...” Her mouth felt even drier as she stumbled over her words, she smiled and nodded letting her arms drop to her sides as they walked over to the bar.
Bianca and Mitchell had wandered off outside somewhere, Elissa noticed that the lounge was empty downstairs, laughter floated down from upstairs and the music was turned on.

    After an hour or so Elissa had relaxed and was well into her third drink, she found that Isaac was an intense person who loved to challenge others and play devil’s advocate. He had made her laugh so much that her cheeks and sides hurt as well as twice she had tears of joy from laughing so hard at his obviously silly jokes.
Isaac stood up and held out a hand to her.
“What?” Elissa felt a little nervous as he stood before her and waited for her to take his hand and didn’t say a word.
Carefully she put her hand in his and stood up from her chair, he lead her over to the empty dance floor and slipped one hand smoothly around her waist while gently but confidently holding her other hand in his quiet large hand.
“Such a good waste of a dance floor and nice music if no one’s enjoying it, don’t you think?”
Elissa shook her head smiling at Isaac as they danced to the Darkwave music that filled the room.

    It only seemed like a few moments that they had been dancing for when the lights went off to the dance floor, Bianca and Mitchell reappeared from the outside area and headed for the door to leave and head back home.
“Really? It’s two o’clock already?” Elissa mumbled still letting Isaac dance with her for a moment longer.
“Yeap, sorry folks, time to go...” The bars staff closed up the bar and slowly turned off the rest of the lights allowing Isaac and Elissa have time to get off the dance floor and leave.
Outside, Elissa watched as Mitchell and Bianca drove off home seeming to forget she was suppose to be going home with them, the night air crisp and fresh now that the rain had stopped.
“I can drive you home if you like?” Isaac offered standing close enough to her that she could feel the heat coming off his skin onto hers.
Elissa turned to him and smiled shaking her head.
“Do you want to see a really nice place?”

 

    Just after two thirty, Elissa and Isaac arrived at Sombre Beach, a pleasant enough spot that had been one of Elissa and Bianca favourite places to play and hang out when they were younger.
Walking down to the fence line that was just before the sand, Elissa leaned on the aged wooden fence as she looked at the false dawns light shimmering on the water of the small harbour; Isaac leaned his back on the fence and looked at Elissa.
“Nice place, why did you bring me here though?” His voice was soft and low, Elissa sighed; feeling an overwhelming urge to cry at the haunting beauty of the place.
“No idea really, I thought you might like it and I didn’t want to go home yet.” She played with the brittle wood of the fence so she could avoid looking at him; Isaac heaved a sigh and shifted himself to get comfortable.
“You know, Mitchell told me you weren’t always so...”
Elissa gave a small cynical laugh and shook her head making her loose curls dance over her shoulders. “Pretty and slim...?” She knew her interruption had caught him off guard; she nodded looking at the ground, all traces of her brief laughter gone. “Yes, he’s right. I was always the slightly too chubby, homely girl that was everyone’s friend but not good enough to be anyone’s girlfriend. The one who, minded others bags at dances and babysat friends little brothers and sisters while they went out on dates.” She looked out over the water again but could still feel Isaacs’ eyes on her. “When I went to France, my cousin needed help with the tourist side of things in the nectary, so I helped out. Squishing fruit to make nectar the traditional way is what really helped, but I never thought anything of it until I came home and... Well, you know the rest.”
Elissa closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, she felt exposed and disgusted for some reason.
Every time she thought of Donavin and what he had planned her for, she felt like washing herself with a wire brush in a tub acetone.

She saw Isaac move out of the corner of her eye and felt him come around behind her, he leaned on hand on the railing so she didn’t feel trapped by him. His consideration for her was alien and heart warming all at the same time.
Elissa couldn’t help but half hug herself protectively, but didn’t move or flinch away as Isaac gently stroked the bare skin on the back of her shoulder, the skin on his fingers was slightly rough but not harsh and the warmth of his breath gave her goose bumps causing her to shiver slightly.
“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” He paused though the question was rhetorical. “How your thoughts, your laugh, your angry bursts that show the determination of your spirit all make you up to be very...”
She could feel his breath so close to her skin, which meant that his lips were very close.
“No, never...” She interrupted him so he couldn’t say the word she knew he was going to say, Elissa didn’t feel that word should be used to describe her.
Oddly though, a warm and welcoming feeling was beginning to grow within her mind and she couldn’t help but smile at the emotions she was feeling, even though she was trying very hard not to.
She heard Isaac take in slow deep breath; her smile grew slightly as she realized he was breathing in what she smelt like. Her shampoo, moisturizer and perfume all rolled up into what made her smell the way she did.

    Elissa felt Isaacs’ hands gently take her by her arms and he turned her around to face him, now he leaned both hands on either side of her and he leant in so close that his nose almost touched hers.
“Would you believe someone that told you they thought you were?” His eyes never left hers, the false dawn had passed and actual dawn was casting grey shadows of daylight across the beach.
Elissa went to speak but her lips refused to move, and she couldn’t seem to break herself away from Isaacs’ sparkling green gaze.
His body was warm against hers and she wasn’t sure how deal with what was possibly going to happen in the next few moments if she didn’t do something to stop what could be a heartbreaking mistake on both of their parts.
“Isaac I can’t do this, everything right now is too complicated... please, don’t.”
Elissa could see in his eyes that her words had hurt him. She was able to finally break her gaze away from his and bowed her head, Isaac put his lips to her forehead kissing it gently and let out a sigh as he the rested his chin against it, his stubble was slightly rough but not uncomfortable.
“It’s alright... wrong place in time. I guess it’s true what they say then...”
Elissa looked up at him. “What do they say?”
“If ifs and buts were fruit and nuts, we’d always have cake for tea.” Isaac gave a short laugh and Elissa smiled shaking her head, her loose curls dancing over her shoulders again.
“Very true... though for what it’s worth I’m...”
“Don’t... let me take you home. Maybe another time we can go out for dinner, do this properly?” Isaac gently pushed off the fence releasing Elissa from his half embrace and the warmth of his body, the warm bubbly feeling that Elissa had been feeling slowly fizzled and went flat making her feel ill for a moment.
In silence they walked back up the beach to where Isaac had left his car and in silence he drove her home. She never answered his question.

********

    Finding herself suddenly laying awake, Bianca sat up in bed and yawned as she let herself lazily stretch. She saw it was nine thirty and hurriedly jumped out of bed knowing she had to go and see the catering service to make sure that they had everything ready to be set up in the back yard for the coming Saturday.
After washing her face in the ensuit that joined her and Mitchells’ bedroom, she heard a faint sob coming from the direction of Elissas’ room.
Quietly Bianca went across the upstairs hall to her sisters’ door and gave a small knock.
“Beetle... you ok?” She opened the door and peeked in to see her sister sitting on the floor between her wardrobe and fireplace curled up in a ball, her head buried in her knees.
Bianca came into her sisters’ room and after shutting the door she rushed to Elissa and was looking at her face t check for bruises or any sign of injury.
“Oh sweetie, what happened? I’m gunna kill him if he...”
“No... No... Nothing like that...” Elissa managed to get out between the sobs that were wracking her body, she covering her face as another wave of emotions made her begin to cry uncontrollably again.
Feeling confused, Bianca half hugged her and gently touched her face.
“Then what happened sweetie?”
Elissa looked up at Bianca and gave a sniffle; her sunset coloured eyes were puffy and red from crying. “I think I pushed him away, we were down to the beach talking and watching the sunrise, he said I was beautiful and I... I...” She began to sob uncontrollably again leaving Bianca to sit and figure out what her sister was going on about.
After a moment Bianca put Elissas’ odd sentence together and laughed stroking her sisters’ hair.
“Oh you big dummy... I’m sure if Isaac has at least one brain cell, he’ll understand that you’re not ready... especially when you have to sort out everything else first.”
“You... you think so?” Elissa looked up at Bianca from behind her hands.
Bianca was reminded of when they were kids and Elissa thought she was in trouble for eating an entire jar of plum jam, and then threw it up on their mothers’ new carpet. Her eyes were wide and unsure, Bianca knew Elissa wanted her to tell her it was going to be alright and nothing bad was going to happen.
“I know so; give him a chance though if he does ask you out. Now, go shower you smell like off nectar, I’ll need you to help me set up the arch and the chairs for Saturday.” She kissed Elissas’ head and stood up. “I’ll be back from the catering place around two; will you be alright to help out?”
Elissa nodded taking off her high heels and removing the flower pins from her hair as she sniffled slightly.
“Thanks sis.” She smiled up at Bianca from the floor; Bianca smiled back then blew her a raspberry as she closed the door behind her.

 ********

 

    Taking some time to herself since the house was quiet, Elissa went sat in the lounge room to read up on a cake book to make sure she had the right recipe for the wedding cake.

As well as setting up the backyard, Bianca had begged Elissa to make the cake and at the time being so excited, Elissa had said yes; now that she was looking at the cake Bianca had in mind, she felt like she was being asked to rebuild the Eiffel Tower to scale with tooth picks.

Isaac came in and plonked himself down beside her, he hadn’t gotten changed yet and she could feel him watching her as she tried to keep reading, after a while it became slightly annoying but at the same time she felt like giggling at what he was doing.

A slight smile touched her lips.

“Ah ha, I knew I could make you smile if I stared at you long enough. Now, will you answer my question from earlier? Can we go out for dinner sometime?”

Elissa clenched her jaw and forced herself to stare at the page she was trying to read, as much as Bianca had given her a pep-talk on giving Isaac a chance, she still didn’t feel ready, and especially not only a few hours since he had asked her the last time.

Half in humour and half in anger she slammed her book closed and set it aside getting up and went into the kitchen to make herself a strong cup of coffee.

 

    Isaac got up and followed right on her heels, being slightly frustrated and not watching what she was doing; Elissa accidentally grabbed too far down the handle of the coffee maker and the searing hot metal burnt her fingers causing her to cry out in pain.

“The Watcher be damned!” She cursed, holding her fingers.

“That was my fault...”

“Your damn right it was.” Elissa snapped not realising her had taken her hand in his. “Why can’t you just...”

She was cut off as Isaac very gently pressed his lips to her fingers to kiss them better, the warm pressure took away the pain; as he softly removed his lips, he blew ever so slightly where the moisture remained on her fingers to cool the burn.

“Better?” He asked between the cool breaths of air he still gently blew on her fingers.

Elissa nodded feeling dumbfounded, her throat was too choked up for her to speak.

“Uh huh.”

The kitchen clock struck one and Isaac carefully gave her fingers on more soft lingering kiss before letting her have back her hand.

“I have to go to a meeting in Sunset Valley but I should be back before Saturday for your sister’s wedding; everything is being sorted out, as promised.”

Before Elissa could say anything, Isaac was out the front door, shutting it behind him.

Absently she put her fingers to her lips and smiled, again the warm bubbly feeling began to come back that she had thought she’d lost.

Humming a happy tune Elissa went outside; a slight skip was in her step and an subconscious smile on her face as she went about setting up the chairs and wedding arch.