Page 5 of Julian's Curse

I didn’t know if he heard me because my words echoed back at me. Confident. Confident resonated in my ear; then the high pitch noise in the speaker became unbearable. Shoot, they really didn’t have much reception in Kauai; not where he was.

But Bradley was still there. “Lucie?” I heard him say my name. “I am calling on Wi-Fi, sorry if it’s cutting out.”

“I went off on a tangent anyway. Once a good friend in college told me that I was the type of person that would create a problem if there wasn’t one. Maybe that’s what I am doing here.” I talked myself out of any worries.

As I sipped on my lemonade, I felt a sudden burn at the corner of my lips. It was that familiar sting, the one I’d been battling for months now. I’d been dealing with a minor case of angular cheilitis ever since February, and it was starting to wear on me. My dentist had brushed off the tiny cracks at the corners of my mouth, blaming the dry climate or possibly a vitamin deficiency. I’d been trying to fix it by ordering more vitamins, but nothing seemed to work. The irritation was still there, stubbornly clinging on despite my efforts.

“I think you have a remarkable intuition.” He retorted. “I am driving now to Princeville, and I’ll lose signal. But Lucie, don’t be a stranger, as I said before.”

He cared. And I was so glad it was still the case.

“I’ll be in touch more often.” I promised.

The call dropped unexpectedly, and I wasn’t sure if he’d hung up or if he’d simply lost connection. Still, our conversation lingered in my mind, like a promise of friendship, and I liked that.

The burning now became so uncomfortable that I postponed eating the rest of my lunch and went to look for the lip balm instead. As I walked back toward Kali, I felt tense for no reason. I dismissed it as occasional anxiety and decided to focus on helping her with the set up.

She’d already been waiting for me, with a huge grin on her face. “Lucie, who is the gorgeous businessman who’d just came to see you? Boyfriend?”

I felt a sudden flash of heat in my cheeks because this was a loaded question. “I consider myself lucky to call him that,” I smiled.

Kali searched my face for clues, then she decided not to question me more. The curious crowd around us would eventually bring her all the answers she needed, I was certain.

I eagerly awaitedthe end of a hectic day at the office. As one of the last to leave, I gathered my belongings and headed towards the parking garage elevator. The sense of accomplishment from wrapping up a productive day and looking forward to an evening with Julian filled me with joy. My dark mood had vanished, now clearly stemming from past experiences, not from actual events.

Following my usual routine, I descended to the lowest underground level where a security guard had been waiting for me. After exchanging greetings, I assured him all was well and began walking towards my car. Once inside my Land Rover, I promptly locked the doors and scrolled through my phone to choose music for the short drive home. My new car felt like a tank, in comparison to my Miata, but I’d long since admitted that there was no other way for me to get on the road safely without a more substantial vehicle. After Niccolo’s attempt to kill me, I could appreciate being surrounded by this much steel, and sheltered from a stranger’s aim by bulletproof windows.

I’d exit the building through a maintenance exit as per usual—a tactic yet undiscovered by the paparazzi—As soon as I backed out of my parking spot, my new bodyguard Will Flenigan followed me in an Audi A8.

I lost myself in the lyrics of The Weeknd, still my most-played artist, but was quickly pulled back to reality by an incoming call.

“Hey, Sophie,” I answered it with a sense of warm anticipation.

“Lu, I figured by now you’d be off work,” she subtly reminded me that I took corporate life to an extreme.

“Trying to make a living, you know how it goes,” I reminded her that I still had pride. “My new car purchase is draining my bank account.” I was determined never to become a kept woman, even if it meant struggling with an unhealthy work-life balance.

“Julian must be going crazy, when you’re at the office 70 hours a week,” she nudged. “Amanda won’t give you a break, will she?”

“Ever since the launch of the app, I’ve been buried in assignments,” I shared with her “It’s rare for anyone to top Julian’s workaholism but I am managing.”

I could hear her sigh on the other side of the line. “Lucie, keep in mind that taking regular time off is good for the soul. Amanda is also taking advantage of your situation, I hope you realize that.”

In that sense she was probably right. Why wouldn’t she, though? She was a savvy businesswoman. She didn’t build an empire by not pursuing every avenue of growth.

“Sometimes it feels like work is my only escape.” I justified my decisions.

“Has the press been hounding you?”

Their attention had been relentless, like a thorn in the glossy rose Julian had gifted me as a symbol of our love.

“Yeah, we’re dealing with it the best we can. But maybe I wish that it wasn’t this intense. The other day a photographer rented the apartment across the street from us, then tried to climb on the roof of the building to get a better shot.”

“But he didn’t succeed at getting good pics?” She tried to cheer me up. “I’ve seen nothing of that sort online.”

It still felt surreal that when checking on me, my friends could just google my name.

“Yeah. With the way the place is designed, there’s no way to see anything through the windows.” Julian and I had just moved in together a month ago. It seemed like a natural progression of our relationship, given that we couldn’t imagine most evenings apart anymore, but it also felt that he’d had another practical motive. He still felt guilty over everything that happened and vowed to ensure my safety, so this arrangement gave him a lot more control over it.

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