"The Gift" (closed for Sinful_whispers and Slowandeasy

[slowandeasy]

“Damn it Adam get back here this minute!"

Unmindfull of his fathers command Adam plunged headlong into the rain filled night. He vowed he’d never return to that place his father called home. It had never been home to him. Rather it wa a cold forboding place of residence filled with greed and insensitiveness. It’s empty rooms echoing the distance between his father and him that seemed to have grown like an ugly vine over the years. A vine that threatened to choke any bit of warmth and feeling from his body.

As big as his father’s mansion was, Adam knew there was no longer room for him. His father never came after him, Adam knew he wouldn’t, not because of the darkness or the driving rain, but because the old man didn’t really care. He had never cared and never would.

Adam knew he was an embarrassment to his father. He had flunked out of college his first year, he had failed to be successful in his fathers conglomerate of businesses. He had refused to attend the many social events designed to introduce him to the “important” people. He had repeatedly rejected the advances of the young rich debutantes that brazenly offered themselves to him. What father could be proud of a son like this?

Adam had never thought anything was that wrong, he spent most of his time tending the huge flower garden that lay behind the house. He was proud of the garden even if it belonged to his father he loved digging his huge hands into the fertile soil gently planting the seed transplanting the young tender -plants and carefully removing the weeds and debris. he loved his clasical music that he played in the shed that he had remodled so that it became a comfortable refuge for him to go to when his father became unbearable and abusive. His favorite books lined the shelves of one wall of this tiny space that he could call his own home. He accepted the fact that maybe this was all he wanted out of life. To know what he wanted, and didn’t want and accept what he had and didn’t have. His father’s rejection hurt him, and although he had tried to become a part of his father’s lifestyle he felt he needed to be, just himself. What that was he wasn’t sure of, but on that night when he finally escaped from the tyranny of his fathers control he planned on finding out.

It was another rainy day, a week later when his father died. Adam grieved but he also felt as if a load were lifted from his shoulders. There were no surprises when the will was read the next day.It was just as the rumor that had spread to eveyone in attendance at the funeral. His father had left Adam a mere pitiance of what the estate was worth, perhaps an unintentional act of kindness, the mansion along with the flower garden Adam loved so much and enough money to manage it and live a simple meager life.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Isabelle was getting ready to attend an opening for a young male artist she had discovered, and planned a small shawing in one of her galleries when she received a phone call, letting her know a businessman client as well as friend had passed away and his viewing and funeral were in two days.This hit her hard, she called and had Chloe clear her calendar as she wished to attend the funeral.

Taking a seat behind her desk in the office looking thru the glass windows before her at the mulitude of people below her dancing about the the beat of an up and comming group named 'Generation X-Rated'. She could see them, but not another could see her as that was the way she liked it, and wanted it.Her identity not known to anyone but the staff, which she had picked by a local 'businessman' from the rough side of town. One that liked to do things his way, or one could lose a limb or their life.

Her mind thought back as the death of her aquaintance sank in....she looked back upon her own life.She was weathy and just turned 40 years old, and a widower.She was world known for her paitings,sculptings as well as clay pieces tossed upon the pottery wheel.She still held a youthful look to her face, thanks to the great gene pool she came from.The German in her showed well with her eyes and her temper, the Irish side was her dark deep red, long hair, fair complection, and light patches of freckles upon her cheeks, and the bridge her nose.her arms had a few light patches, as well as her chest.

At 5'5, she weighed in at One hundred and thirty two pounds,her frame was small but her breasts were large, yet firm for a woman of her age.Describing her personality, many said..'Classy, social, yet Laid back, with a Bubbly persona and a sense of humor.Zest for life, free-spirited, kindred heart.' What they didn't know that Like a gemini she weilds two sides of her bladed persona.One that was hidden from the Creme' de laCreme of the rich and famous.

Isabella Marie LaBlache only child to Stanford and Marie LaBlache'.Stanford was a top notch lawyer in Ireland, his wife Helana was a model for many years.She graced the cover of almost every magazine that was geared to women as well as a few men.Once Helana had become pregant, her body wasn't as it once was.They left Ireland and took up a life in the United States, Texas.Stanford dabbled in oil and realestate, while his wife became a social butterfly.As Isabella grew she realized, how much she destroyed her mothers career, she was told by her more than once a day.

Her father always to busy to speak with her unless she made an appointment with his secretary months in advance.Her friends were far and few, most were artists that worked with paints, clay, and metals.'Bella" as her friends called her became fond of the arts.The theater, opera, ballet, classical music and anything else that fit the catagory.Her passion was painting, followed by clay sculpting, tand the pottery wheel where in those three she could allow herself to be free, and create.

Stanford as well as Helana frowned upon her 'hobbies', they wanted her to be something, not a mere artist.Isabella graduated high school, and was sent off to college to get a degree in business to take over the family fortune.She flunked out of two and ended up moving out with a college friend roomate.Her parents disowned her, and treated her like she had never even existed.


'R-i--i-n-n-g-g-g!" Isabella grabbed the phone as she came back to the land of the living.her eyes closed as she listened to Chloe speaking."I don't care chloe, I want it cancelled, last minute or not.Reschedual it for next week, I don't mean to be a bitch but, his death just brought back alot of memories.Thanks girl." Isabella hung the phone up and placed her feet upon her marble top desk, pushing her leather back chair back as she got comfortable.Turning her head she looked out the other window, and her eyes danced along the New York city lights below her.

 

[slowandeasy]

The leather bible snapped shut ,the cracking sound echoing through the gathering of huddled umbrella covered bodies standing immobile, mute, braced as if they were waiting for the sting of an imaginary whip to spur them into action.

When none came, they dropped their shoulders and began to shuffle aimlessly looking for a leader, someone to guide them away from the coldness of the grave that stood open in the center of the herd. Discovering none they circled exchanging sympathies, seeking in each other warmth they could not find within themselves.

Adam had stood off to one side, when the graveside service had begun, giving up his place under the pavilion provided for the immediate family to ward off the driving rain. As the crowd had pressed in, he excused himself and moved even further back. He hadn’t minded the rain and there were those who hadn’t dressed for the weather, preferring fashion over protection and pretension over comfort. He had given his large umbrella to a young woman in a sleeveless dress covered by a thin silk shawl. She smiled and shared it with two small children. He smiled back, turned up his collar and screwed his hat on little tighter.

Now as the crowd began to disperse he watched detached, distanced as if he were a tree like many of the other stout Oaks that towered above the gravestones. The handshakes and mumbled words of condolences, the hesitant embraces and promises of support, ran off him like the spring rain. It wasn’t that he didn’t care or that he felt their sincerity and affection were hollow, there would be no reason for them to pretend to impress him. Everyone present, he was sure, had heard the rumors. It was just that he barely knew his fathers friends and business associates. As for family, the old mans wife was in Paris, Adam suspected she wouldn’t be attending the funeral. Twenty years younger than him she would be entertaining her latest lover and waiting for the check in the mail. His father had been an only child like him and whatever second or third cousins might be in attendance Adam wouldn’t recognize anyway. His mother had died shortly after Adam had been born. He had no memory of her or her friends or relatives, as they had distanced themselves from the St Martins circle of control.

Adam returned to the mansion after the funeral, not, to stay but to find some dry clothes to wear, and to take a few more of his belongings to the garden shed. Even though he knew that he now owned the mansion, he knew he would never feel at home here. He avoided the crowd that had come in from the cold to take advantage of his fathers wealth. He listened from the hall as the sound of glasses clinking and voices from the adjoining rooms echoed his way. Soon the somberness of the event was left behind as the conversation turned to business as usual.

He went to the kitchen where his father’s servants were busy loading trays of food that the cooks had prepared during the funeral. They looked up when he entered the room and became still while he began speaking

“Thank you for your kind and generous service to my family over the years, as you have probably heard I now own the mansion, I would like to have you all stay on. Even though I will not be staying here myself, I intend to lease the mansion complete with a full staff, as soon as the paper work is finished. In the mean time do what you need to keep things in order.” He smiled softy, shook hands with those who offered and went out the back hall and up the stairs to his vacant bedroom. He quickly changed into pair faded blue jeans a plaid shirt and an old baseball cap packed a bag of miscelaneous books and quietly slipped down the stairs and out the back door. Once in the security of his own space, the garden shack he had made into his home, he built a fire in the fireplace and pulled a book from the bookcase.

Outside the sun was setting, the rain had stopped. Tomorrow would be a good day for pulling weeds he thought, the ground being soft and pliant from today's rain.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Isabella left the office that nite, knowing the unpleasant event she was due to attend the following day. She opened the balcony door of the penthouse suite and stood there overlooking the city.Again her mind went back to the days of long gone.Those days that seemed to haunt her every so often as they lifted their ugly face.


~Taking a job in a coffee house she met Ruben St.John a well known businessman in the art world.Thru him, she began to show her work in small galleries in different states.Flying to various states with him, and then to a few other countries to promote her work.Her 'erotika collection' upon canvas and 'BDSM' sculptures got her name world famous in the galleries.Her climb to the top of the ladder had started, thanks to Ruben.he taught her many things as their friendship turned to lovers.Ruben turned a budding flower into a full fledged rose in many areas, sexual being the main one.He taught her class, showing her how to mingle among the rich and famous,he shown her the dark side of sex, the true erokia in the BDSM lifestyle.Ruben was seventeen years older than Isabella,that never bothered either.She had the loving, nuturing, handsom, smart father-figure she had never had. He has the beautiful, controlling, powerful, brilliant as well as talented artist wife he had always wanted.They married one year after meeting, in a lavish affair at his New York estate, where they called home.Her work known among the main names in the 'posh upper crust' art world and then some.There was always an event to go to, or an opening, she had no time to paint.Their marriage grew rocky,and she entered the home one day and found him in bed with another woman as well as a she-male.


After a long nasty divorce she got the main bulk of their fortune.Allowing him to remain in the home till it sold, she went to a five star hotel, and took the whole penthouse suite as 'home' till she was able to find something.Isabella found fame in the spotlight once again with her art, hob-knobbing with the Creme da creme' while her ex-husband spiraled downwards in a deep seedy life of sex, drugs and booze, until his final days where disease took his last breath.Isabella sold the mansion and stayed in the suite, where she began investing , and profiting.Her parents long passed and left her to be the sole heir of their estate as well.Isabella was living a good life, one she worked for even though she had help getting them, most was done by heself. She was a strong, beautiful, independant, dominate woman.~


The night held a chill within the air, as she knew it was time to retire to bed.Swallowing the rest of her whiskey, she walked to her bedroom and curled up upon her bed.Her mind tossed and turned as those dreams came back.She could see each and everyone from her past whirling within her mind.She awoke in a cold sweat, as she quickly went to the bathroom, and got into the shower.Wrapping herself in a towel she looked to the time.She had plenty of time to make calls, eat, and relax as she got ready to go to the furneral for her old friend.


~~~~~~~~


Isabella's driver stopped and left her out betwwen the lines of dark limosines.She dropped her dark glasses down over her face, as she pulled the small mesh veil from from the velvet black hat with a few feathers sat upon her pinned up tress of curls. Opening her unbrella she walked towards the crowed gathered under the pavillion. Within her fingertips she held one long stemmed red rose. Isabella knew she would blend with the crowd, she she worn a simple snug fitting classic black dress. The hem falling about mid-thigh, her ivory legs were covered with a pair of seamed black thigh hi's that met those five inch velevt black pumps.



She listned to the man of God speak those words, those same words she heard many a times before as she stood at a gravesite of a loved one, wether family or friend. Suddently she felt a bit alone, watching as the crowd began to break up, and move along with their daily lives and routines. She had stepped forth as most have gone, and said her goodbye softly to the wind, dropping the red rose upon the casket the turned and head back to her car.Her eyes caught a younger man, standing away from where the crowd had gathered.She overheard one saying her was sorry for the loss.It immediatly dawned on her, the he was Adam, the son she had heard about from time to time, as she spent time with his father.



Isabella, stood there alone for a few minutes then returned to her car. Letting the drive her know to take her to the warehouse for where she wished to spend her time. He pulled to the backdoor of the building in the outside part of town. Quickly he rushed around, opening the door and watched as a tall, very well built blackman in a suit came rushing quicly to escort her in.Isabela went quickly then headed up the steps to her office and locked herself away making calls.



"Yes, please have them shipped immediatly, mmhm, Yes, I wish for the flowers to be an exotic array of colors and blooms. Adam..Yes, I'd like it to say..I'm sorry for your loss, Would you mind dinner tomorrow night a place of your choice? Isabella LeBlache...555-7836....Yes..yes..that's it thank you." Isabella hung the phone up as the request was to be delivered immedaitly. She knew what he felt within, wether they got along at all or not.She knew this would bring back memories of his mother, even though there may have been none. His father told her alot of him personal life.



They grew quite close during the time they associated with each other. Isabella was certain Adam would know her name, as they shared the same passions.She knew so much of him and he didn't even know she existed.All her calls were forwarded to her personal line in the office, so she wouldn't miss his call, if he called.