Page 52 of Allure
Marco’s gaze snapped toward her. His eyes a fiery pit of anger and bitterness she could feel swirling in the air between them. “Did we mean something to each other?” His tone was void of any emotion, but she felt it in his cold stare. She shivered under the weight of the nonverbal accusation hurled at her.
How much could they have meant to each other if she so callously threw it all away?
Syra knew bringing this up would cause tension, and she opened her mouth then shut it, unsure of what she could say. An apology seemed long overdue and, yet, not appropriate in the same breath.
Marco cut her off with a shake of his head. “Don’t. I don’t have the headspace for that conversation, Syra. At least not tonight.”
She opened her mouth again, ready to agree with him, though she knew they would eventually have to discuss what happened, when his phone started buzzing in the center console again. She watched as his jaw ticked and his grip on the steering wheel and her thigh tightened a moment before he loosened his grip on her. He let out a heavy sigh and easily pulled over to the side of the road. They idled for what felt like forever before he made a decision to move. He removed his right hand to reach for his phone, and she could see the narrowing of his eyes, and the roundness of his shoulders as he read whatever contents were on his screen.
Syra knew that look. She felt the sadness and aggravation seep off of him like a tidal wave, swallowing them both up. She knew what it felt like to see the messages on her phone that unsettled her—knew how just the sound of her phone going off could flip the switch on her mood, and she was watching it unfold with Marco. He’d been all teasing smiles and soft touches moments before his world barged in on them.
Marco threw the phone back into the center console and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. Syra waited him out, not sure if he wanted her comfort or just needed a moment to recalibrate. The fire in his buildings had him rightfully stressed, but this felt like something more. Something bigger was weighing him down; she just wasn’t sure what it could be.
“I’m sorry,” Marco’s voice was so low she barely heard him.
“For what?” She was confused by his apology.
He turned to look at her, his eyes falling to her legs before they made their way up her body in a slow, lazy caress before landing on her eyes again. “This was your first night at Orchard, and I’m being terrible company. I should be asking you how you’re feeling with everything but—” His phone went off again and his smile tightened. “This fire seems to have caused a huge mess for me and it’s keeping me up here,” he tapped his head, “even though I want to be present with you.”
She reached for him on instinct, grabbing his hand and interlacing their fingers together. She watched as surprise flashed in his eyes before he brought their joined hands up toward his lips and kissed the back of her hand. “Talk to me,” he whispered, like he was afraid if he spoke too loudly it would invite more bad in.
“Tell me about you and Asli,” Syra started. “Tell me how you guys read each other well enough to know how to move through business and I guess through what happened at Orchard?” She figured talking about his friendship with Asli would give him the calm he needed.
Their friendship in the past had come up a lot, and Syra remembered how relaxed he would get after they shared a phone call when he was away in Turkey. She had been envious of them then and was maybe even a little envious of them now. There was a layer to them that she could feel just being in their presence. She didn’t think there were any secrets between them, not even the non-consequential stuff.
Marco smirked before he dropped his hold on her and shifted to grab something out of the back seat. “Since you’re curious about Asli, I want to remember to give this to you.” He leaned back in his seat and pulled out a sketch pad and pencils. “I wanted to get you something so you could sketch for Sirens, and Asli said this particular brand was the best on the market. So, in a way, I guess it’s from both of us.”
Syra looked at the present with her jaw on the floor—she was sure of it. She could feel the paper beneath her palms, begging to be drawn on. The brand was top-of-the-line and expensive; she never allowed herself the opportunity to own it. She looked back at Marco who had eased them back on the road before she looked back down at the sketch pad, hoping and praying she could connect with her art again.
“Thank you,” her voice was harsh, and emotion clogged her throat. This was a simple thing—even if she didn’t read into this, and viewed this as a business expense, it was a simple gesture. But after having spent years with Joel—who ignored the small things, like her favorite coffee drink, her favorite flower, and what kind of food she liked to inhale when she had the munchies—it made little moments like this seem larger than life because it showed her who cared enough to pay attention.
Marco shrugged, “It’s nothing. We both respect and love your art. Asli knows a little more about this stuff than I do, and we wanted to make sure you had the best so you can give us your best.”
She pulled the sketch pad up against her chest, and there was a permanent smile on her face until a loud yawn slipped past her lips.
“You’re falling asleep on me?” He smirked. His mood seemed to have improved a little.
“No,” she wanted to sound sure but another yawn took her by surprise. “Talk to me about you and Asli. That should keep me awake.”
Marco stayed quiet, and for a moment she didn’t think he’d say anything, and she felt her eyelids grow heavy, the car ride lulling her to sleep.
“He’s just a part of me and I him.” Marco’s voice had her eyes opening, and she watched him, ready to take it all in. “Asli’s like my right hand. I don’t think too much about it really. It’s unconscious, but I’m always aware of him when he’s in the room with me and even when he’s not.” He glanced at her before changing lanes. “You know how they say twins carry a close bond between them?” She nodded. “They can feel the other twin down to their emotions, and there’s a hollowness when they’re gone. It’s the same thing between us, at least, that’s the best way I can explain it.”
Syra nibbled on her bottom lip, pulling the suit jacket tighter around her shoulders, getting comfy. She wished she hadn’t been overexcited to get to Marco’s penthouse. She would have remembered to grab her duffle bag to change out of the dress and shoes she wore—her feet were killing her.
She mulled over what he told her about his relationship with Asli. It made sense from what she had witnessed of their friendship. “Is that why you share women too?” The question had fallen out of her so quickly, her voice echoed in the car.
“It’s part of it, yes. We didn’t always share women. When I lost my virginity and started dating, it was just me and the girl I was with. It was the same with him. I mean, he wasn’t shy around me, and if I was in the room with him while he was with a girl, he wasn’t waiting until I left.” He laughed to himself. “I think before we even turned eighteen I had seen Asli naked an unhealthy number of times. As soon as he discovered sex, he’d much rather be naked and buried deep in pussy than wearing clothes.”
Syra’s pulse jumped and she shifted in her seat. The phantom touch of Asli lingered on her skin. If she closed her eyes, she could feel his shoulders against the back of her thighs, could feel his fingers digging into her skin as he pulled her down on his face, like he couldn’t get his tongue deep enough inside of her. It gave her a jolt of energy but not enough to fight the sleep slipping into her bones.
“It wasn’t until we were both interested in the same girl in high school that we embarked on the sharing is caring policy. She was interested in both of us as well and even initiated us fucking her together instead of having to choose.” The car seemed to slow, and she found a warm pocket, despite her window being open. She thought the cold air on her skin would keep her awake, but she was fighting a losing battle.
“She was the catalyst that changed things for me and Asli,” Marco continued, his voice pulling her under. She wanted to soak in all the information, but she closed her eyes just to rest them a moment as he continued to tell his history with Asli.
“She made us see how much pleasure could be had, especially for the women we were with if it came from both of us. It wasn’t a smooth shift at first. We both had to get over our egos and work through any jealousy that came up. After a few physical fights and some long talks, we figured it out. After her it was rare if we didn’t share women. It started to feel natural to be with a woman like that…only if she wanted it, of course.” Syra listened as intently as she could until resting her eyes turned into a slumber. She felt the jacket she wore get pulled tighter around her before she felt his lips against her forehead. She wanted to wake up and keep him company, but a whispered, “Sleep, estrellita,” pulled her right into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.
Joel closed the trunk of his car and walked around toward the front to take in the wreckage. There was barely anything left but a pile of rubble and ash. The news crews and emergency personnel had finally left, but he was sure they’d be back soon. This story was too good to give up on, and now that they had a theory as to what caused the fire, he was sure there would be an influx of people here as soon as the sun was fully in the sky. Garrison Inc would be plastered all over every news and media outlet, and despite what people thought, there was such a thing as bad publicity. This would start to dwindle Marco’s power, and if it didn’t, Joel had other plans in place.
