Lalique Flynn Ch. 3 Lost In Love

Lalique thought she would phone Melanie that next week, but as it turned out it was over three weeks before she called her. She didn't explain, just asked her to please come over for an afternoon; that she needed to talk to her.

Part of Lalique shrank from confessing anything to Melanie, who she knew would not approve, but she had to tell someone and Melanie was her best friend as well as her kid sister. For a while she'd thought of talking to her older sister Yvette instead, but Yvette was always so tied up with their home business and she was even more of a prude than Melanie. 

Arlene was upstairs with the twins so Lalique and Melanie went out to sit on the patio and Lalique started to enlighten her sister.

"I've been seeing someone; someone very special," she began.

"Good. You're alone too much," Melanie replied.

"Yes, well, I'm actually still alone a lot, but not by his choice," Lalique hedged.

Melanie looked at her, waited a few seconds and then asked,

"Well? What's the deal?"

"He's a married man."

Melanie slumped,

"Oh, wonderful."

"He's an older married man. In fact, you know him."

"Older? How much older?"

"Quite a bit."

"This is getting worse by the minute. Wait, you say I know him?"

Lalique took the plunge,

"Well, yes. It's John Lassiter."

Melanie was dumbfounded for a moment, but quickly recovered,

"I can't believe this. I mean I believe it, but...are you out of your mind?"

"Possibly. But go ahead and have your say."

"Well, this is so wrong from so many angles I don't even know where to begin."

Lalique nodded, she was prepared, she thought, for what was coming.

"I wish you hadn't told me. I'm best friends with his daughter, Lalique! How can I look Lori in the face now? And he's old enough to be your father--oooh, ick. What is it with the women I know and older men? I thought it was bad years ago when Lori was so nuts about Brian in high school and that was a 16 year difference. Now you're seeing a man who must be 30 years older than you! I don't get it. Is it because he's a billionaire?"

"You know I don't care about money."

"We-ell, I don't know," Melanie drew out the phrase, "You never cared about money when it came to men before, but you might care about it now because of Alain and Desiree."

Lalique was stung,

"I admit at first I was impressed by the fact that a man who was rich and powerful was interested in me. It went to my head a little, but that didn't last long. The more I got to know him and the more time we spent together that's not what I think about when I'm with him."

"Please I don't want to know what you DO think about when you're with him," Melanie grimaced, "A man his age. Tell me you aren't intimate with him."

"Don't be such a child, of course we're intimate. He's the most attractive man I've ever known, in every way," she looked away for a moment, gathering her thoughts, then gazed again at her sister, "Melly, I'm telling you all of this because it's become so serious. I never meant to get this involved and I know I was a fool to do it in the first place, but now...it's too late. Anyway, it means big changes for me."

"What do you mean? Has Melora found out?" Melanie worried.

"No. At least I have no reason to think so. But I just can't keep up the relationship; not with the twins. They are attached to him now, but it will only get worse if I keep seeing him."

"If you think I'm going to give you an argument, dream on. Thank heaven you're ending it."

"It's not that easy. If I stay here I'll have to see him around town and so on and I will never have the strength to keep him away if he calls or tries to come over," she paused and then said, "I'm going to have to leave Pleasantview."

"You'd move from your home?" Melanie was aghast.

"If it were not for Alain and Desiree I would stay right here. I know he'll never leave his wife, but I'd be with him as long as he wanted me. Eventually I know he'd tire of me, but I'd do it anyway. I love him, Melly. Truly. Now I've come to realize that ending everything would be the best thing not only for me and the twins, but for him, as well. But, oh, when I do it I'm telling you my heart will break."

It was a moment before Melanie spoke softly and with more sympathy,

"I believe you love him, Lalique. Strangely, I do believe it. But where will you go?"

"I don't know; I'm trying to make up my mind. I really don't want to lose this house; I might want to return later. I'll probably rent it out. I lived in a couple different towns during that time when I was gone from Pleasantview, so I'll check them out first. I'm going to have to tell him I'll be leaving; if I just bolt he'll be upset and try to find me. He can be a very determined man."

"What about Arlene?"

"I don't know about that either. Maybe she'll come with me once I've decided where I'll be, but maybe not. She has family on the other side of the mountains and she's been saving money to open a daycare. At any rate, I have to find a place quickly."

"Why?" Melanie asked suspiciously.

Lalique took a breath and then said flatly.

"I'm pregnant."

She didn't wait for Melanie to respond, but stood up and said,

"Arlene's bringing the kids downstairs, let's go in the house, you haven't seen them yet today."

They went inside where the twins toddled over to them and wanted attention. Lalique and Melanie were happy to oblige and besides, it also helped to fill the awkward silence.

"I've been sick as a dog. Much worse than when I had the twins," Lalique finally said just to try to lighten the mood and she joked, "I spend more time just cleaning the toilets."

Melanie nodded but said nothing. She spoke to Alain and chucked him under the chin. There didn't seem to her to be much more to say. That was not until Lalique told her that she did not want John to know so she had to be gone before she showed.

"Why shouldn't he know?" Melanie pointed out, "He can just help you out financially; it's his responsibility, for crying out loud. Both of you have been criminally careless for that matter."

"I don't want him to give up everything because of this. It would be like I trapped him."

"Huh!" Melanie the skeptic snorted, "Who says he'll give everything up for you?"

"You don't know John. He's protective and he's controlling; he'd want to be around his child and want to take care of me. Then there really would be a chance Melora could find out," she faltered and then looked Melanie in the eye, "You see I know now that he loves her, much more than he could ever care for me and would never leave her otherwise. If he felt he had to end their marriage because of me he'd resent me. At least eventually."

"Oh, he should resent himself, then!" Melanie scoffed in disgust, "What a mess. You need to tell Mom and Dad, Lalique. They'll be upset but supportive, you know that. If you don't sell your home you'll need help with the down-payment when you find a place to live. At least if you're going to buy a house."

Lalique shook her head.

“No, I don't want to tell them. Not yet anyway. I just can’t deal with their reaction right now especially when I don’t know what exactly I’m going to do yet. I don't know if I'll rent or buy.”

She’d thought she’d feel a little bit better after she told Melanie, but it was not so. Maybe she would never feel better…maybe this was the price she must pay. She didn’t know yet, but her children had to take first place. She’d set them aside for a while and she was ashamed of it. They hadn’t really suffered…not yet, and she was going to make sure they never did. And that included the child she was carrying as well. The child she already loved and who would be all she would ever have of John Lassiter.  

To be continued...but which way? Polls (3 of them) Are Open!

Next update: Errol Flynn Family Ch. 8 Multi-Generational Living

Lalique Flynn Ch. 4 Goodbye to All That