Diamonds Are Not Forever

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Elliot

Her voice pinned me to my seat, holding mecaptive. She'd looked a little nervous at first as she stood up there in the vulnerabilityof the stage lights, but as she drifted through verse after verse, Juliette soonmelted into the music and found her confidence. I knew the song she was singingwell enough; it was one by Natasha Bedingfield, one of my mother's favouritesongs.
I noticed Frankie, who was still leaning up against my bar stool for support, couldn't take his eyes off of Juliette either. A stupid drunk smile spread across his face as he spoke, "She's so good, who knew Juliette had a set of pipes on her." Frankie shrugged at Teddy, who nodded along to the music as he looked longingly towards the stage. Millie stood adjacent to him, looking up at him with a similar starry-eyed gaze.
"Yeah, Jewel can sing."
That was an understatement. The whole room was captivated by her, in the distance I spotted her work friends stood at their table clapping and cheering along to the beat as the song nearly came to its end.
I noticed Juliette's eye makeup was a bit heavier than the last time I saw her, a line of thick black kohl smudged around her russet brown eyes, it made her look like she was smoldering. And those ruby red lips, my mind wondered to where her lips had been. It made me involuntarily twitch in my underwear.
Juliette started to scan her adoring crowd, her eyes heading in the direction of the bar. When she gazed past me my heart stopped, thinking I'd been spotted. But she quickly carried on, looking right through me.
That was my queue to leave.
Jumping up, I almost knocked Frankie off his feet. "I'm gunna head home. This night has been riveting, but I have a few contracts I need to go over."
Millie started to pout at me, and I knew if I didn't make for the door in the next minute or so, she was the only one there who would be able to convince me to stay. "Elliot, we've barely spoken. You can't go yet!"
I'd already shrugged on my jacket when Frankie figured out what was going on, he was too distracted by Juliette's singing and the drink Teddy had passed to him. "No way are you going yet? The party has barely started."
If I didn't leave, I knew I would internally fight with myself about taking Juliette back to my place with me again like I had the last time. Something about her called out to my libido. But I'd broken the rules once, I wasn't willing to put temptation in my way and do it again. Elliot Truman didn't take the same girl home two weekends in a row.
I mumbled my goodbyes to everyone, even Teddy, then turned on my heels and dashed for the door before the song ended and there was still a possibility that I could be spotted. When I reached the elevator door, I held my hand out to call for the lift. I figured I was home free, so I allowed myself to relax a little. But before I could press the arrow button for down, the lift doors opened, startling me.
"Oh, Elliot darling." A voice called from inside.
For fuck's sake, it was my parents.


My mother reached over the table to straighten my already straight tie; my father looked on in faint displeasure as she faffed with the fabric like she used to do with my school ties on the first day of school. I shooed her off and loosened up the knot again, I hated it when she treated me like a child.
Before I could think of an excuse as to why they had caught me trying to leave my little brother's party so early, my parents had already steered me back across the room and out onto the terrace of the bar where we found ourselves sat. It was a lot cooler out there, and a lot quieter. It was a welcome relief.
The terrace was dotted with a hand full of black iron tables and matching chairs, a dusky city as backdrop to the glass railings that surrounded us. Other than me and my parents, a few other party guests were chatting amongst themselves or smoking out there – so it was pretty tame compared to the blaring music that had replaced Juliette's beautiful voice back in the bar.
"Elliot, your father told me you and Maya broke up." My mothers voice sounded strained, "I'm sorry to hear that darling."
She didn't sound too sorry; it was no surprise my family thought as highly of my ex as I did. But Maya was the first serious relationship I'd had. One that had spanned over the longest period of time anyway, I think my mum had set her hopes on me settling down, maybe even starting a family. Even if it was with a she-devil.
I'd not told my parents we'd broken up straight away, not because I was hoping Maya and I would get back together. More for the reason that I wasn't ready to deal with the headache it would cause when they finally did find out – like right in that moment.
"Yeah well, it didn't work out." I raked my fingers through my hair, pushing it off my face as I instinctively shot a glance at my mum's hand. I sighed when her usual engagement ring wasn't sat there where it always had been. Instead, just a plain platinum band and diamond encrusted eternity ring. I could just about see the indent where the family diamond had been sat on her engagement ring before it had been handed over to me, the sight made me feel hollow.
My mother reached out to take my hand, like she was trying to comfort me, but as she moved my father gave her a knowing look.
"Lillian," My father's voice was firm. "Let the boy be will you."
She sighed and placed her hand back on her lap. "I'm sorry darling, I forget sometimes that you're not my little boy anymore. Neither is Frankie, I can't believe he's 21." As she started to mist at the eyes, stuck in the nostalgia of our childhood, my dad reached out his hand and placed it at the nape of her neck. Brushing away a few tendrils of her dark hair, he soothed my mother in a very un-Charles Truman way. My father was a hard man, but he always softened for his wife.
I felt uncomfortable being there with them in that moment, like I was intruding on something private. The feeling didn't stay with me for long. All of a sudden, a raised voice came through the open terrace doors and across the decking, a flash of golden hair and silver fabric breezing past us.
"You're unbelievable!" It was Ashley Goulding, stomping to the far side of the terrace in her incredibly high stilettos, throwing her hands above her head in frustration. Following quickly behind her was my brother, his hair in disarray as if he had been pulling at it.
As he passed our table, too busy in his own thoughts to notice we were there, my mother reached out and grabbed his arm. "Frankie, Happy Birthday my angel boy." She shot from her seat and flung her arms around him.
Frankie's furrowed face flashed with confusion, then fell into a small smile as he registered what has happening.
"Thank you, Mum." He wrapped his arms around our mother and squeezed her tight, towering over her like a bear. After a beat, he pulled from her and held her at arm's length by her shoulders, bending to give her a kiss on the cheek before leaning around to our father.
"Hey Dad." Holding out his hand, our father stood and grabbed Frankie's palm.
"Happy Birthday son."
When the formalities had finished, Frankie nervously threw his hands in his pockets and shot me a sideways glance. I knew he was desperate to get away, to chase after the clearly fuming Miss Goulding. She was simmering in the corner, her metallic silver dress reflecting off the bollard lights that were placed along the perimeter of the terrace.
If my father found out that the women in the corner was the owner of Goulding Jewellers, and that his son had offended or annoyed her in some way before she had signed the merger contract, Frankie would be a dead man. Whatever he'd said or done, he needed to fix it. And quickly.
My mother was chewing his ear off about something when I cleared my throat loudly. She paused and everyone turned to me expectantly.
"Millicent is here, inside at the bar. Have you seen her yet?" It was the only ammo I had, but it seemed to work.
My mother's face lit up instantly. "Millie is here? She's back from New York? Oh Charles, we have to go find her." Grabbing at the cuff of his suit, she pulled my father from his chair. "We will catch up with you boys in a little bit." She called over her shoulder as she steered them away from us. "I can't wait to hear if she enjoyed The Met as much as I did when I visited..."
Thank God for Millicent Truman. Who knew she could be so useful.
When they were out of earshot, Frankie mouthed me a quick 'thank you' before rushing to Ashley's side.
I took it as my own opportunity to escape too, quickly rising to my feet and turning to leave.
Suddenly, I was colliding with another person, their shoulder barging my side as they turned into me - almost knocking me off my feet.
"Watch where you're fucking going." It popped out of my mouth too easily.
"I'm so sorry I-" Dark brown eyes blinked up at me in confusion, then horror.
They were Juliette's eyes.
"Elliot?" She looked bewildered, frozen still in front of me, blinking as if I would disappear before her if she closed her eyes enough times. "I didn't think you would be-I was just looking for Ashley." She was a mumbling mess.
My mouth set in a firm line; she wasn't supposed to have seen me.
"You need to stop throwing yourself at me." It was my attempt at a joke, clearly a poor one. My voice came out more serious than I had wanted it to.
"Your brother said you wouldn't be here." She looked down at her feet uncomfortably, it was more like she was speaking to herself than to me. A flash of confusion and outrage furrowing in her brow, wrecking her otherwise pretty face.
"Sorry to disappoint." I spat out. Frustrated with her for finding me and at myself for not leaving the second I'd seen her arrive.
She shot me a scowl. "I didn't mean it like that." She croaked, a gentle breeze blowing past us, knocking a few whisps of her copper hair loose from her messy bun. She instinctively tucked them behind her ears and stared up at me expectantly. When our eyes connected, a zap of electricity ran through the short space between us. I knew she felt it too, the way her lips parted, and her head tilted up to me. I could read her body language like it was a book, she was giving me that look. A look that wanted to be kissed.
No Elliot, you don't mix business with pleasure. Not again. Never again.
I repeated that to myself like it was a mantra, my hands burning at my sides, begging me to grab her and pull her against my stiffening body.
When I finally snapped myself out of it, I gave her a curt nod and stepped aside. "I was just leaving, goodbye Juliette."
She looked crestfallen, thoroughly rejected, as she took a step away and proceeded to let me past. "Goodbye Elliot." She whispered.
I made for the door, my body feeling like it was on fire. I'd almost made it over the threshold when I felt the breast pocket of my suit, to check I had my wallet and keys before I finally left that place for good. When my palm grazed the outline of my leather wallet, that's when I remembered.
Shit, the locket.
Would I ever get to leave that fucking bar?
"Juliette, wait."
When I spun on my heels, I was surprised to find she had turned to watch me leave. Her head was cocked to one side in confusion, a small blush creeping on her cheeks at the fact she'd been caught staring. I strode towards her and pulled the wallet from my pocket, opening it up and faffing with the zip compartment until it eventually became loose.
"I found this in the lobby of my apartment building, I think it belongs to you." Carefully, I tipped the wallet on its side so the locket tumbled into my open palm. When she spotted what I had in my hand, her eyes went wide.
"My necklace!"
As she reached up with a shaking hand, I tipped the locket into her open palm. She seemed in shock, bringing the tips of her fingers to the shiny gold surface of the heart locket and caressing it gently. Juliette closed her fingers around the necklace and brought her fisted hand to her chest, so it rested over her heart.
"I can't believe you found it; I don't know how to thank you enough." Her eyes were shining with held back tears as she spoke, the necklace clearly meant a lot to her.
I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck. Angry Juliette was something I could handle, but this softer version of her; I was in uncharted territory. "Don't mention it."
I'd never loved anything as much as she seemed to love that piece of jewellery, not even the signet ring with the family crest printed on it that my dad had bought me for my 18th birthday. I twisted it on my pinkie finger out of habit as Juliette's eyes implored mine.
She let out a deep sigh and opened up her palm again, picking the locket up by its chain and testing the lobster claw clasp to make sure it was in working order. Nervously, she held it out to me. "Would you mind putting it on me? I'm terrified of losing it again."
My breath felt thick in my throat, too thick to use words, all I could do was nod.
She gave me a small appreciative smile and turned her back to me. Just like she had in the bathroom at the club, and the bathroom in my apartment. But I couldn't dwell on that, just concentrated on bringing the chain over her head and connecting both ends at the base of her neck. Her creamy skin was soft to the touch, it felt incredible under the pads of my hand as I struggled to get the fastenings to connect.
Suddenly, Juliette went stuff under my touch, her eyes finding the corner of the terrace in front of her. "What the fuck am I looking at right now?" She spluttered, pulling away from me.
I looked over her shoulder and followed her line of sight, my own jaw going slack when I saw what had shocked her.