Across the Pond Ch. 06

"Thank you." I took a deep breath and prepared myself for my father-in-law, I was not anticipating it would be a friendly chat. I picked up the receiver and tried to sound pleasant enough, but I knew this conversation would not likely end well. "Mr. James. Thank you for returning my call."

"Don't thank me, you smug asshole," he spat out angrily. "I want to know who in the fuck you think you are, convincing my daughter to elope?"

Clicking the top of my pen I tried to keep as calm as possible. "My relationship with Sydney can't come as a surprise."

"Your "relationship"? You don't even know her! I hear about you once and two days later you take her away and marry her in secret, you have every fucking nerve- "

"Jeremy Rosenthal," I interrupted him without haste, "Do you know the restraining order against him has expired and he is residing with his parents a mere twenty miles from Sydney's home?"

That gave him pause. "How do you know any of this?"

"I had a private investigator look into her shortly after we met. I personally put a tail on him when she's in Connecticut. That's how I know."

"Are you insane?" He sputtered suddenly. "Do you know what she'll do when she finds out you violated her privacy? How dare you -- "

"Mr. James, I love your daughter." I cut him off for the second time. Rude, yes -- but I'd had just about enough of his attitude for one day. "I married her first and foremost because I am so deeply enraptured with every facet of her being. Just as importantly, I married her to keep her safe. I have more than enough means for security and there are...certain protections I can afford to her by being her spouse. I travel often, and I need to know she is well taken care of when I'm away from her. So while I am sorry we married in such an abrupt manner I will make no apologies when it comes to being vigilant about her safety and well-being."

I thought perhaps we'd been disconnected until he cleared his throat. "I want a round-the-clock watch on her."

"The best. Former MI:6, they've been watching her for weeks."

"Surveillance at her condo and where she works. Eyes are to be on her at all times until I have another order of protection put into place."

"Already installed. I also have men tracking his movements, I'll receive an immediate report if he so much as sneezes wrong."

"Fine. I expect to be kept informed." He paused briefly, and I could hear the emotion in his voice as he referred to his daughter. "I swear to God, if you hurt her -- "

"I would rather die." My stomach hurt even at the thought of it. "However, allow me to express the same sentiment. You will apologize to Sydney for whatever it was you said to her. Don't you ever cause my wife to cry again or you'll answer to me."

"Fuck you."

"And the same to you. Good afternoon." I hung up and ran my hand down my face. Not the best start but he wouldn't have received anything I could tell him anyway. It would take time, if ever; and I can't say I wouldn't react the same if I were in his shoes. Resolving that there was nothing that could be done about it, I rang Sydney. Hearing the voice of my sweet girl was exactly what I needed at that moment. She immediately began speaking without preamble, another one of her quirks I adored. "Do you like the picture? It was the only one of, like, three I could find with our clothes on."

"Good afternoon to you too, love. Are you insinuating you've been secretly snapping photographs of me in the nude?"

"...no?" She responded with laughter in her voice, the honking of cars and other street noise on her end almost drowning her out. Upon first arriving to the office this morning I was met at the limousine by Toby who was unusually cheerful about showing me the blurb in the society pages about our recent nuptials. Even stranger was the entire building had been all a-twitter with excitement, everyone clapping thunderously for me when I stepped into the lobby. "Seriously, Max. Does it look okay?"

I took what had to have been my sixth glance at the paper on top of my desk. It had been taken mere moments after we said, "I do." She was looking up at me and we were both beaming at each other. It was a bit of an odd sight for me to witness, however -- I could count the number of publicly shared pictures of myself smiling on one hand. "You look radiant and I look happy. It's wonderful."

"Yeah, wonderful. The house phone has been ringing off the hook and we've been getting flower deliveries all morning, because apparently you're hot shit in London and this is a big deal. Our living room looks like the damn Botanical Gardens, I had to get out of there. But then there were a couple of paparazzi hanging around outside wanting to get a quote on how I felt about being the second Mrs. Holland. It was a little freaky."

"I'm sorry you've been inconvenienced, little one. Let me make it up to you by taking you to lunch," I apologized, tapping my pen on a blank piece of paper out of nervous habit. It seemed I'd need to obtain security for her in London as well.

She waved it off, causing the anxious knot in my chest to loosen a bit. "Oh, it's fine. It's not like I'm Kim Kardashian, I'm the shiny new toy and everyone will forget about me in two days. But if you want to make it up to me I take gifts in the form of lingerie and vibrators."

"I see. You want to never leave our bedroom again, I understand." Her seductive hum was almost enough to distract from the commotion in my reception area. A quick glance through the glass afforded me the view of my ex-wife screeching loudly at the poor girl who answers my phones. "Ah...Simone is here belittling my receptionist."

My wife's silence worried me for a moment until her laugh burst through the receiver. "How fun for you. Go handle that, see you tonight."

What a saint of a woman, I truly didn't deserve her. "As soon as possible, we'll go to an early supper. I love you, sweet girl."

"Love you too, Boss." I ended the call with a heavy heart, certainly not wanting to end our conversation so quickly and feeling a foreign level of anger rise at the woman causing me to do so. I pushed the button on my phone that connected me to the speaker in the front office. "It's alright Anna, please send Ms. Delacourt back."

Simone flashed her a smug smile as if she'd won somehow before stomping into my office. "Maxwell, how could you?!" she wailed as I closed the door from the switch beneath my desk. "This is an absolute insult!"

I leaned back in my chair and rested my elbows on the arms, tenting my fingers as I acknowledged her. "What is exactly is insulting you presently? Global warming? The state of Parliament? Salon not having your preferred colour of nail lacquer?"

"Don't be cheeky," she snarled and strode over to my desk, pointing a sharp finger at my wedding announcement. "That! You married that...that woman from America and flaunting it all over the city! Your mother called me this morning in tears and I am the laughingstock of my friends. How could you be so cruel?"

I flexed my fingers against each other as I listened to her go on. When we were married I would have walked out to avoid the argument...but now, I had the freedom of not being bothered. "Simone, it is completely unbecoming of you to come in ranting and raving over something that, frankly, doesn't concern you in the least. But since you're so determined to have this conversation -- yes, I've remarried. It isn't cruel nor is it a reflection on you, I feel after many years I'm entitled to some happiness. Now you can either congratulate us or leave, either way you need to stop shouting at me and compose yourself."

She cast a glare that would have intimidated me in my younger years. She took a deep breath and smoothed down the front of her cream-coloured dress before attempting a different tactic. Humility. "You're right, Maxwell, it was the shock talking. You couldn't have rung me personally before exposing your "relationship" to the entire world?"

"My responsibility to inform you of anything in my life ended the day you signed the divorce papers and received your settlement. And you really should stop speaking with my mother, it's highly inappropriate."

"She's concerned for your well-being, as am I," she said with a false sweetness in her voice. "Honestly, darling. Did you have to marry someone who is so -- "

"Choose your next words very carefully," I warned her, casual bigotry not something she was unfamiliar with.

"...young. She can't be more than 23, 24? It's a little cliché, you taking on a trophy wife. And what is she, Jamaican? Those exotic girls are fun for a week or two but they're not the kind you bring home, let alone marry. The circuits are already talking about your barmaid bride and any respectable businessman will be laughing at you."

I quickly tired of the conversation, an overpowering desire to end it and return home to the only bright spot in my world. "I'm sure you're intimately aware of their topics of conversation as you've been shagging your way through the lot of respectable businessmen in the area."

It was a cruel remark to make, I knew it the moment the words flew out of my mouth. Simone's eyes widened so suddenly I almost laughed at how cartoonish she looked. "How dare you, you ungrateful bastard. You wouldn't have any of this if it weren't for me!"

"You're right. My need to avoid your abusive and manipulative ways thrust me into the long hours and endless travelling to accrue such wealth. Now Sydney and I will enjoy the fruits of that labour. Thank you ever so much for that." I stood and buttoned my jacket, my stare never shying from hers. "You've said what you've apparently needed to say and now I'm taking the afternoon off to spend with my wife. My wife, Simone. Do remember she is such because I see the wheels in your head spinning some convoluted web of revenge. I'm telling...no. I am warning you. You come anywhere near her - if you dare to even breathe the same air she does -- the gossip in your little women's group will be the least of your worries."

She took a tentative step backward as I rounded my desk as if I'd ever been the one to lay a hand on her. Her face contorted into the icy mask I'd known and once thought I'd loved. Foolish child I was. "I still have love for you, Maxwell. You're making a mistake and I'll make you see so in one way or another. I'm not afraid of anything you could do."

I flashed her a sardonic grin, one I've seen Sydney give to those who were not worthy of her time. "Oh, you need not worry about me -- but I guarantee your underestimation of my wife will be your undoing. Now if you're quite finished with your tantrum, leave, or I'll have you removed by security."

She spun on her heel and crossed to the door, pausing briefly before turning to me with her hair masking her face. "You're beyond damaged, not fit for normal people. You have always needed someone to put you in your place and I look forward to the day you realize that person is me. Enjoy your little wife for the time being. It won't last. I'll make sure of that." She flung the door open and walked out, leaving me to contemplate her words. It seemed as if a storm was advancing on all sides of my relationship with Sydney and I wasn't sure how well we'd weather it, but I was ready and willing to surge into it with her. Together.

***

IX: A Place Like This.

"I can't believe you read the hell out of that bitch!" Sydney clapped in an exaggerated manner, waving her chopsticks around excitedly. "Did she die? Tell me she died."

I reviewed my ex-wife's reactions while chewing through a bite of sesame chicken. After my impromptu disaster of a conversation with Simone I was in the most irritated of moods; not because I was particularly affected by her threats but because I was annoyed of still having to deal with them even though we were no longer together. When Sydney arrived home shortly after I did she all but dragged me out of my funk and into the kitchen, where she'd ordered a plethora of Chinese food. To her, junky food fixes everything, and I certainly couldn't deny it was effective. "She may have had a mild stroke, if that counts? I can't imagine why she would be so displeased at learning of our wedding."

Sydney swung her legs back and forth against the counter on which she was perched. "Who knows. Maybe getting our wedding announcement faxed one hundred times to her office at the League really embarrassed her."

I stilled my movements, stunned by her statement. "Sydney, you didn't."

She looked back up at me with a livid glare in her eyes. "The first flower delivery we got this morning? Roses. Black. Dead. And she was so bold as to sign her name. She knew about this before the release went out and she showed her ass thinking I was just going to roll over and take it, so yes the fuck I did. I'm assuming your mother is the one who told her, and she also sent over some half-assed, passive-aggressive bullshit note talking about how nice it must be for me to have married someone so well-off, how lucky I should feel to be part of the family. I'm not gonna start the problem but I'll damn sure finish it, and I'm not the one to fuck with right now." She jumped down and angrily stormed out of the room.

I took two more bites of my food as I tried to navigate through what she was truly upset with. The thing about my wife is, what's she's outwardly upset with and what she's inwardly upset with usually aren't the same thing. As bothered as she may have been with Simone showing up to my office it wasn't necessarily jealousy, because she's more possessive than anything and she knows I'm not to be tempted into doing anything nefarious. The note she referred to must have struck a nerve and I would be having a very serious conversation with Mother over it -- but I still didn't think that was entirely it. My mother's reactions were to be expected, however...

I followed where she'd fled, up the stairs and into our bedroom. I found Sydney faced away, standing in front of the large window overlooking the miniscule garden below. I went to her and stroked her stomach underneath her shirt. "What do you call a microbiologist in an orchestra?" She didn't answer. "A cell-ist."

To my immediate relief, she laughed. "You're an idiot." She held onto my forearms tightly and sighed. "No one's happy we got married."

"Not so. I'm pretty pleased about it." I knew that wasn't what she meant. I may not care about my family's feelings on the matter, but she was a much better person than I. "I have to let you go back to Connecticut, don't I."

She leaned back against me, though I could still feel the rigidity in her muscles. "I can't settle here until...I'm not saying I need their blessing, but it needs to be better than this. Is that okay?"

"I won't ever say I'm happy for you to leave and I can't pretend to fully understand, but if it's something you feel the need to do I support you. But -- and I don't say this to be a pessimist -- I want you to be prepared that they may never accept me."

"They will. They don't have a problem with you, it's me they're mad at. I'm not saying I need their unwavering approval, I just need them to not hate me anymore."

"As if they could hate you." I kissed the side of her neck, the savory scent of her skin momentarily distracting me from making her feel better. "I'll arrange a flight out for you in the morning and join you as soon as I can. Perhaps meeting me might make the adjustment a bit easier."

"Okay, but your insurance policy better be in place. My dad might kill you and I've become accustomed to this extravagant lifestyle now."

"After four days? How fancy my little one is." She giggled so sweetly and turned around in my arms. I couldn't fix everything, but I could comfort her the best I could.

***

X. Easily.

"I officially hate this stoop and I want to move."

"And they say I'm the dramatic one." I tried to balance my hold on my wife and the umbrella in my right hand. It hadn't rained the entire time she returned, I saw it as a sign and it fit my melancholy. "Most guys would be happy to get rid of their wives for a couple weeks."

"Weeks?" I frowned. We hadn't discussed an official timeline, but weeks? "No. No, I don't like the idea of you being gone so long."

Sydney set her chin on my chest and looked up at me, no doubt at the scowl I was wearing. "I don't like it either, but you don't know how long it takes my family to forgive someone. You think I'm impossible when I'm pissed? Try that times three."

I dared not to think about it. Still... "Angry or not, weeks isn't an acceptable timeline."

She rolled her eyes and took a step back, setting her hands on her hips and adopting a defensive stance. "Do you really want to fight about this before I leave?"

"Did you really think I was going to be so easygoing about it?" I argued.

"I can't put a timeline on their feelings, Maxwell."

"Create one, Asydneya, before my patience wears thin."

"You know what..." I could see her gearing up for a row and I was prepared to have it out with her...but then she dropped her hands to my shirt, grabbing and pulling me to her to my surprise. She gave me a soft kiss instead. "I'm gonna miss you too, babe."

I curled my arm around her and brooded considerably. "I apologize. I hate being away from you."

"I know, but just think -- when I get back, I'm here to stay." She had a point, and though it wasn't by much I did feel a bit better about it. "And no sleeping at the office. Just because I'm not here doesn't mean you can revert into obsessive work mode. Toby is going to call twice a day to give me a progress report so be nice."

"Fine. And just because Mr. Patrick has returned doesn't mean I want to hear of you gallivanting around town all hours of the night."

Her smile lit up the air around her. He'd been released from his stint at the rehabilitation center and it didn't take a mind-reader to know how excited she was, I knew she missed her friend. I at least felt a little more at ease knowing Allen and Rhodes -- the security team I hired, that I would eventually need to discuss with her -- would make sure she was as safe as possible. "Stop pouting, Dimples! I left some boobie photos for you to jerk off to in your nightstand."

".... then get the bloody hell out of here, already." She laughed and kissed me so serenely it was like I floated to heaven and back in the span of twenty seconds. We expressed our love for one another several times before she left my arms and bounded to the limo, the last view of her blowing a kiss to me from the backseat as Sodhi pulled away.