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Amused, she looked at me. "What, you think the door was open by mistake? Or that I wasn't aware you were behind the window while I was naked in the pool?"
"And why all this?"
She pushed her lower jaw forward. "Because I wanted to, plain and simple."
The hint of stubbornness almost made me forget we were having a conversation.
"You never thought to mention it?"
Her casual shrug drove me crazy. "It's not as if you ever said a word, did you? So I've just stuck with my assumption that it's always been all about the watching. I like being seen. You like watching. Quid pro quo. No strings attached, no trouble, no drama."
Before I could open my mouth, she continued, "At first I was afraid you would use the information against me. Blackmail me or something. But when that didn't happen, when you just watched and paid, I realized there was no danger from you to my little secret."
My pulse jumped at her words. So she had felt the same way I had with the knowledge. That I watched her and she knew it had given her a thrill, just as it had given me joy to watch her. Only I hadn't realized it was less of a stalking nature than I had long suspected.
"I can assure you that I enjoyed every second of watching. Disgusted and nauseated are not words I would ever use in this context."
"Soothing." There was some mockery in that statement. "Now you know the reason. Satisfied?"
Actually, I wasn't. I didn't like the way Alexander had handled the situation, and in the back of my mind I was already thinking about how I would make him pay for saying such things to her. Disrespectful was just one word that came to mind.
"Not really, if I'm honest. He's incapable of understanding your needs and still wants you to take the blame."
"Which isn't really a surprise, is it? I mean, this is Alexander we're talking about. He's like my father. After all, he has to look his best. Flawless, if you will."
How well this plan would work out was to be seen over the next few days. Especially since I knew where he spent some of his free time– which made his reaction more than hypocritical and simply done to make Audrey look as bad as possible. While I said nothing about this, I did say, "If he wants you to take the blame so badly let's make up a lie together."
"A lie? Something that makes me look guilty when I'm not."
"Something that gives you control over what happens next."
Audrey shook her head. "I don't want anyone to know about what’s going on."
It probably had nothing to do with the fact that she didn't feel she could stand it. It was more that society was not ready for that kind of openness, and it ended up putting pressure on a person who had made no mistake.
"People won't believe that you suddenly got cold feet."
"Should I tell them instead that you talked me out of it? Last night?"
"Admittedly, I was almost afraid that might be it."
Of course, she looked at me as if I were impossible.
"Maybe I'll say I had emotional doubts and couldn't marry a man I didn't feel right with. I guess that wouldn't be too far from the truth. Or a version of that."
"Your father is going to insinuate that another man is behind all this. Then he'll want to meet him. Then you'll get caught up in another lie."
"How much does it cost to pay someone?"
"Promise me I can attend this dinner. I need to see with my own eyes how this is going to play out."
Casually, Audrey took another sip of alcohol. "Anyway, I'm surprised my father hasn't asked you to move in with us yet. The amount of time you spend at the mansion."
Matthew liked to have his assets monitored in real time instead of keeping track of the numbers digitally– which was completely ridiculous and more than unnecessary in my job as a banker anyway, but since he was paying me to do it most of the time, I'd be damned if I disagreed with him.
"Anyway, I shouldn't go too far with this. I don't want Alexander to get the wrong idea." Ideas I would like to knock out of his head.
"Back to the streams..."
