His Favorite Sin

1.2: A NEW LIFE

Present

The heady scent of vanilla and jasmine wafted through the air, like smoke in a closed room, enough to momentarily choke anyone who came into the bedroom because the culprit had repeatedly spritzed the fragrance on herself, hoping it would help mask her nervousness. Amy Winehouse’s soulful tunes played softly from the phone on the bed, but no matter how soothing she sounded, it couldn’t help calm this girl's erratic, beating heart.

Staring back at her reflection in the mirror, a pair of anxious eyes blinked back at her, restless, betraying her emotions. Cora had always been regarded as a conventionally tall woman, standing at 5’10, and many had complimented her, saying that if she were a bit slimmer, she could easily get booked as a runway model. However, she couldn't help but be conscious of her height and barely wore heels that were more than two inches high.

Tonight was going to be different, though. Her book agent, Tammy, had forced her feet into dark red stilettos that she could barely stand in, leaving no room for argument.

‘You need more color,’ Tammy had said because of the black dress she had on. The straps were thin, with the hemline almost touching the toe box of her stilettos. Dark hair, silkily straightened, like always, was slicked into a low bun at the nape of her neck, while a loose piece had been left to hang neatly at one side of her face.

She could only admire the work Tammy had done on her face as she stared at her reflection, a subtle application of light makeup with nude lipstick that gave a natural look. Her brown skin was radiant and glistening from the body oil Tammy had squirted all over her, especially on her arms and legs. Tammy meant business!

She felt her confidence rise, but that lasted only for a minute before doubt slowly started to creep back in. Tonight was a big night, a dream come true! But what if she messed it up?

‘Tammy? Is all this necessary, though?’ She turned away from the mirror to Tammy, who was busy on her phone and ensuring their table at the restaurant was still reserved.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’m just saying, do I need to be there? Didn’t we agree that I could remain anonymous while you handle everything else?’

‘Yes, but they asked for a meeting... with you. Remember, this deal hasn’t gone through yet, and tonight is our only night to convince them to take your book. We’re lucky they even agreed to this meeting.’ Tammy reminded, barely looking up from her phone.

She nodded, looking back into the mirror and mentally pumping herself up so her confidence could slowly return.

Tamara had worked hard to find a publishing company that would take her book, and honestly, she hadn’t thought Tammy would find one that would give her book a glance. She hadn’t believed what she wrote to be any good or even worthy of reading. There were times when she felt like a fraud and thought about just discarding it all. So, when Tammy burst through her door a week ago while she was sprawled on the couch, nearly giving her a panic attack from her abrupt entry, squealing excitedly that she had found a publishing company willing to accept her work, she couldn’t believe it. It sounded unreal, like she was dreaming, but Tammy made sure to pinch her real hard and confirm she was awake.

The company wanted a meeting with her, the author, and Tammy said to expect them to want her to discuss her book and essentially ‘pitch it’ to them, even though they had already read the manuscript. They also wanted to know about her, the author. She really didn’t see the need for this meeting. Did they want the book or not?

‘It’s only for tonight, Cora.’ Tammy had finally looked up from her phone and noticed the pale look on her client’s face. This was a night she had prepared for a long time, and she was going to help her client, who was also her friend, through it. ‘Just amaze them with your charm that you have hidden deep, deep, really deep inside and show them the passion you poured into this book.’

Cora narrowed her eyes in disapproval at Tammy’s playful jab.

‘Listen, once they shake hands and agree to publish, you can come home and continue to hide away in your little cave till you wrinkle into old age. Although, I still don’t get why you insist on remaining in the shadows. Like, girl, are you in witness protection or something?’ Tammy snorted, going to take a seat on the bed, but Cora didn’t return her smile. She couldn’t, especially since Tammy wasn’t so far from the truth.

She wasn’t in witness protection, but she had been a witness to something she shouldn’t have seen, and to protect herself, she had to keep a low profile and stay hidden from the rest of the world as much as possible. That was why Tammy knew her as Cora and not her real name, Dahlia.

Seeing Cora not amused, Tammy rolled her eyes. ‘I swear you all writers are the same – highly introverted and lacking a good sense of humor.’ Tammy muttered and went back to her phone. The red jumpsuit she had on with her beige heels gave her that successful, confident businesswoman look that Cora slightly envied. ‘Where’s that pea-brained cousin of mine who’s supposed to take us anyway?’

On cue, there was a knock on the open bedroom door before the words ‘Hello... oh, wow,’ were uttered. Drew walked in, adjusting his glasses with his eyes fixated on Cora in surprise. ‘Who is this mystical creature that resembles my girlfriend?’ His compliment brought a smile to Cora’s lips and some warmth to her cheeks.

‘And you have me to thank for that, cuz,’ Tammy commented as her cousin strolled up to Cora, a flirtatious smile on his face.

He placed his hands on her hips, holding her gaze as she leaned into him. ‘I don’t know. I’m a little bit nervous. What if I don’t impress them?’ Cora admitted her fears while fiddling with the lapels of his shirt.

‘You’ll do great,’ he assured her, leaning in for a kiss on the lips.

‘Hey! Hey! Hey! Tammy abruptly jerked up from the bed. ‘Don’t ruin my hard work with your lovey-dovey nonsense. That’s YSL!’ They ignored her, but she picked up the lipstick and forcefully pulled Cora away from Drew so she could retouch her friend’s makeup.

‘I just wanted to show my girl some love, Tam Tam.’

‘Well, you can do that later. For now, keep it in your pants, Romeo!’ Noticing the smile on Cora’s face, Tammy rolled her eyes, ‘Oh, so now you seem excited.’

Tammy and Drew were cousins, which was how Cora met Drew. Tammy had invited her over to her parents’ wedding anniversary, and Drew had been there. Their attraction for each other had been instant, and they had been together for more than a year. He was the sweetest gentleman any girl could ever want, and Cora counted herself lucky.

When Tammy was done, he brought out Cora’s coat and helped drape it over her shoulder while Cora was still thinking about kissing her boyfriend once more. She could tell he was thinking the same thing, but both knew Tammy’s head would explode.

Tammy, noticing the looks the two lovebirds were sharing, rolled her eyes in disgust.

‘Anyone who saw you two would think you were teens who started dating yesterday instead of the adults you really are.’ She slipped on her own coat also and then led the way out. ‘Come on, love birds. We can’t afford to be late. Not for this.’

On the ride, Cora could feel her nerves shrink almost completely away, with Drew uttering words of encouragement beside her and peppering the back of her hand with kisses as he drove. She feared for Tammy’s eyeballs with the number of times her friend had rolled them in the last thirty minutes.

Tammy had booked somewhere fancy, an Italian restaurant, and Cora had been nervous about the money, but Tammy told her not to worry about it.

‘The company is taking care of the cost,’ Tammy had said. ‘They’re not that big, but they’ve got enough resources and, most importantly, money, lots of it from their rich investors, and to think, they picked your book!’

‘You’ve got this.’ Drew encouraged his girlfriend one last time as he dropped both women off at the restaurant. ‘You can let me know when you’re done so I can come pick you up after.’ He squeezed Cora’s hand in his lap.

‘Ugh.’ Tammy pulled a face of disgust before getting out of the car, and Cora followed after one last peck on Drew’s lips.

The overall ambiance of the room was mellow, from the lighting to the decor and the violins playing in the background. The tables were relatively far apart from one another; even the waiters spoke in hushed tones as they led them to their table in a corner. Tammy, mimicking their quiet tone, told the waiters that they both had more company coming and were waiting for them, so they only poured them two glasses of water and left.

‘Wow, Tammy. This place is amazing!’ Cora commented, taking in the deluxe setting of the restaurant.

‘It is.’ Tammy nodded, sipping her water, more relaxed than her friend. She seemed more at home here, with her confident demeanor, unlike Cora, who sat stiffly in her chair. ‘Now, Cora, I need you to loosen up because they will be getting here any minute, and I need you on your A-game.’ Cora instantly straightened up as Tammy turned serious.

‘Remember what I told you; laugh at their jokes even when it isn’t funny. Leave most of the talking to me. I will handle the chit-chat and other informal conversations. What did we say when you want to talk about your book? Focus on your characters and their complexities, why they became the way they ended up. Why characters like Marcus are actually villains. If they have any questions, answer them calmly, don’t rush, take your time. Be confident. You made a masterpiece, and you should be proud of that. Remember, they want your book; otherwise, we won’t be having this dinner. All of this is just a formality.’

Cora nodded along to her instructions, but she was cut short when a waiter approached to speak with them. It seemed like their guests had arrived, and they needed one of them to come out and confirm their guests. Tammy left with them while Cora practiced breathing exercises, literally.

If Cora could get her book signed and published with this company, she would finally have accomplished something with her life for the first time ever after so many years of running and hiding. She hadn’t gotten to finish college; she had left all her friends, family, and everything she had known behind, but now, something good was finally happening to her. She still needed to hide and maintain a low profile, but at least she got this going for her. She could not afford to screw it up.

The sound of Tammy’s heels clicking against the floor behind her could not be mistaken, and she gladly took in one last deep breath before her friend finally returned beside her. Plastering a smile on her face, Cora pushed herself to her feet to greet their guest.

‘They’re here.’ Tammy leaned in and whispered.

A woman in a navy blue blazer and pants appeared from behind, and Cora was about to welcome her when she noticed the lady had her hand tucked in the elbow of someone else and was cautiously leading them through the room. The man’s free hand gripped a white cane that he tapped on the floor to help him navigate around, and when Cora got a better look at his face, her breath instantly got stuck in her throat.

It couldn’t be.

The smile on her face turned frozen as she felt a chill down her spine. Her fingers turned cold as memories from seven years ago resurfaced, flooding her mind like a tidal wave; one in particular, of where the rain splattered the earth, soaking through her clothes. A man, tied and on his knees, struggling on the wet floor; a loud gunshot rang through the air, and finally his body sinking into the earth while two figures loomed over him, watching.

Cora was drawn back to the present, the blood drained completely from her face as she watched him stop, and automatically, the woman guiding him had no option but to pause also, puzzled when he remained planted in his spot. She pulled away as he turned to Cora, and the smile on Cora’s face had faded entirely. Her body was frozen to the spot as they stood mere feet apart from one another. She could see it, her dreams shattering into tiny, sharp pieces that could pierce a heart.

Thick Tom Ford shades shielded the man’s eyes even though it was nighttime, and they were in an enclosed restaurant. He towered over Cora, a few inches taller now as he stood in front of her, and even after seven years, she couldn’t be mistaken about who it was standing in front of her.

This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be here. She kept repeating in her head. This scene only played when she lay down in bed at night with her eyes closed, and the nightmares came for her. But she was fully awake now.

And as if everything was normal in the world, he said only one word:

‘Hi.’

Cora knew she was a dead woman.