Page 59 of Sex, Lust & Lingerie

CHAPTER 35

Gloria

The Range Rover sped down Sunset Boulevard, passing one McMansion after another. It was all one big blur. My head was spinning, my heart racing.

“Where to, Ms. Long?” asked my trusted driver Tyrone.

“I don’t know,” I murmured as I called Kevin’s cell.

It rang and rang. Pick up, Kev! Please pick up! Finally, on the fifth ring, I heard the voice I so desperately needed to hear.

“Oh, Kev! I’m in deep shit!” My voice was frantic.

“I know. Victor secretly met with the Board this morning and convinced them to ask you to resign by the end of the week. I’m sorry, Glorious.” He let out a defeated sigh.

His words went in one ear and out the other. My position at Gloria’s Secret didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Not Victor, not Vivien, and not even Jaime Zander.

“Oh, Kev. It’s something way worse!”

“What are you talking about? Glorious, are you ill?”

“Boris Borofsky’s here, and I’m positive he recognized me.” The words flew out of my mouth.

Kevin was shocked into silence. One word ended it: “Fuck!”

“What should we do?”

“Hurry back to your apartment and start packing. I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.”

I was randomly throwing anything I could get my hands on quickly into a large suitcase on my bed when I heard footsteps running up the sweeping stairs. Kevin. He was the only one who had keys to my condo and could access it. I ran into his arms as soon as I set eyes on him.

“Oh, Kev, what am I going to do?”

“I’ve arranged for the corporate jet to secretly take us out of the country this evening.”

Us?“You’re coming with me?”

“Glorious, we’re in this together. I could never leave you.”

So, we were going to be on the run again from the Russian monster. Fugitives. A tear escaped Kevin’s eye. It was rare for him to cry.

“Kev, what’s the matter?” Panic sounded in my voice. I needed him more than ever to be strong for me.

He collapsed onto the bed. “Glorious, this is all my fault. I should have never made you steal the money. Boris should be after me, not you. I’m the one who shot him.” His body crumpled into a heap of despair.

My poor beloved Kevin! He was guilt tripping. I plunked down next to him, and now it was my turn to brush away tears. “Stop it, Kev. You didn’t force me to do anything. I agreed to it. You saved my life. If it weren’t for you, there would be no Gloria’s Secret. We paid back the scumbag. Look at all we’ve accomplished together.”

Kevin’s watery eyes met mine. “But now, we’ll have nothing.”

“That’s not true. We’ll always have each other. We both have money now. We’ll build something new. Hey, I’m out of a job anyway tomorrow.”

“But we’ll always be on the run. That will never stop.”

I squeezed his hand. “As long as I run with you, there’s always tomorrow.” My own eyes grew teary. “I mean that, Kev.”

“Thanks, Glorious.” He gave me another hug. We stayed in that embrace for a long minute until Kevin said, “Come on, let me help you pack.”

“Where are we going?”

---