Chapter 93: Chapter 93
Back in the castle grounds, Carmichael left me free to go and rest while he discussed the final details of the attack with Salomon; it was going to take them a good part of the night. When I got into the Eleonore suite, I didn’t have time to take my jacket off when Johnny jumped on me.
“Damn, but you really thought I was going to wait until tomorrow to see you. Are you crazy?!”
“Sorry, Jo,” I said, throwing myself into his arms. “How happy it makes me to see you!”
“And me. What do I do with these magnificent dresses when you’re not here?!”
A series of dresses, each more beautiful than the next, was carefully arranged on the bed. I smiled slightly, thinking that it hadn’t taken my best friend more than ten seconds before he spoke couture. I quickly learned, however, that he wasn’t present at my side only to tell me about his latest findings.
“So,” he said, an eyebrow raised, “your little stay in Greece went well? Ever since you jumped out of my moving car, how have things been?! Since then I’ve been worried sick. Well… I was worried until yesterday, of course.”
“What reassured you?”
“The video, see! Oh my there, my darling, tell me everything! I want your thoughts!”
“My thoughts?”
“What? You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”
“No.”
“You want to see it?”
“Uh, no.”
“Liar!”
“Is it more serious than I thought?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s “serious”! It’s a beautiful moment in television, if you ask me.”
“Stop!”
“No, I’m serious, the guy who did the editing is a pro. Almost three weeks in a 5 minute video. There were cameras everywhere, there were even zooms.”
“O Lord! Show me the fucking thing!”
Johnny turned on his PC, which he had taken care to bring with him (as if by chance!) and explained to me that it was Caleb who had sent it to Elvis, who had sent it to him. It didn’t bode well...
Johnny clicked on the link to the video, which, indeed, played to languid background music. I burst out laughing.
“ Are they serious?!”
“Hush, look!”
It was a quick montage of days spent with Eric. There was the date on each shot, at the top left of the screen. My face paled as I saw myself being undressed, washed, naked countless times as the days passed. The images almost looked like a ballet with this background music. The repetition of scenes followed one another between a time when we were having dinner, when Eric was doing a series of push-ups, when I burst out laughing, when we read with tangled legs on the chaise longue, in the bathroom, naked, diverting our eyes from each other.
No details were missing. From my masturbation, to our caresses late at night, nothing had been spared us.
“Damn, you’re in control, Eve,” Johnny said, mouth agape.
I slapped him on the thigh. He let out a small cry, then burst out laughing as I mortified myself as the seconds passed. When the screening was over, a dead silence settled in the room, quickly cut by Johnny, all smiles.
“Eve, you are a goddess!”
“It’s a nightmare!”
“You’re joking! exclaimed Jo. “The guy who made this video is a fan. We see you there in your best light.”
He burst out laughing again.
“From now on, when I meet a caste, I can’t help thinking that he saw me in a porno!”
“It’s not porn! At best, the content of this video can be considered as very detailed erotica.”
“Uh... no, I don’t think so.”
“Finally, my beautiful,” said my friend, taking my hand, “this video is love! Damn, it shows that you love each other, Eve!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m serious. This guy is crazy about you! And you love him too. This video, that’s what it shows.”
His words touched me so much that I had to fight back the tears that welled up in my eyes. I thought back to Eric, to all those days spent with him. Warmth enveloped my chest, a smile came to my lips.
“It’s true that it was magnificent,” I said.
“If we omit the fact that you were prisoners, and at the mercy of two servants with the bodies of nymphs, then yes, we can say that indeed.”
He made me laugh a little. Only Johnny could.
“What are you going to do?” he inquired when I dreaded this question.
“I don’t know,” I replied as tears actually clouded my eyes this time, “but I never gave Eric false hope.”
“I don’t know a man who wouldn’t dream of being in this guy’s shoes. Even me!”
This time, I burst out laughing.
“It’s really time you found yourself a man,” I said, smiling.
“Don’t worry, I’m dating, as it were.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I meet people, imagine!”
“Oh, yes?”
“Yes, but hey, I’m not going to settle down with one of my sex dates. And I’m in no hurry, mind you.”
“In any case,” I said, taking his hand, “the one you love will be the luckiest man on this planet.”
“Tell that to Eric!”
I burst out laughing again. It felt good to see my best friend again! He stood up and grabbed his jacket. I watched him. He was so handsome with his collar up, and his crooked smile. It made you wonder why Johnny was still single. He was tall, dark-skinned, firm and muscular, square-jawed, and best of all, endowed with a hilarious sense of humour. He would have made any man in this world happy.
“Still, what a bunch of bastards, these false gods!” he said. “They knew exactly what they were doing, locking you two up. Alright, I’ll let you rest. Come back to me whole!”
He kissed me laughing and left me with a wink. He had left his computer, and I was almost catching up with him when I decided to think about it. I could watch the video one last time, after all. The temptation was too strong, so I went to click on the play button. The images flashed again. I wanted to see Eric’s face. I missed him horribly. Feeling very alone all of a sudden, my fingers passed over the screen as if it were possible to touch him that way. A zoom on our faces demonstrated the intensity of our exchanges. I mechanically took my phone.
Me: I saw the video. A nightmare!
Even if I had been putting things into perspective for a few minutes, I hadn’t forgotten the delicate situation in which these images put me. And propriety wanted me to condemn them immediately. The answer came a minute later.
Eric: You mean a dream?
A mischievous smiling emoticon punctuated his sentence. I smile too.
Eric: Come back to me.
My smile widens. It still permeated my lips when I fell asleep.