Aria Graice - 10. Chapter 10

I apologize that there is so much exposition, but there is so much to say and this story is already approaching 100,000 words

Despite himself, Drew enjoyed his day with Aria and his colleague, an elfin-faced girl with an outrageous dress sense and contagious laugh. She treated Drew as a friend right from the start and both she and Aria included him in everything, explaining the complex world of fashion as they went along in terms even Drew could almost understand. By the time he got home that night he was tired but more relaxed than he had been for a long time.

He ordered takeaway then sat in front of his computer with a beer and started searching for anything and everything he could find about the Graice family. Five hours later, he went to bed none the wiser but with a far greater appreciation of Aria and Amara, especially when the found the obscure footnotes about their contributions to charity, and in particular Aria’s involvement with projects for homeless teens. It seemed that the Graices, as a family, had set up four “houses” around the London area which catered for homeless teens, one of which was specifically for homeless LGBT+ teens. Although technically a family project, Drew couldn’t help but notice that more than a few of the many photographs posted on the website that covered all four houses, featured the twins, while none, other than two family photographs at some sort of event on the first page, featured either of their parents.

The following day, being his day off, Drew thought it would be worth checking out one of the houses. It couldn’t hurt to get as much background as he could. Also, there was something cold and dark at the heart of Graice family and Drew wanted as much information as possible to help him figure out what it was and how much of a risk it was to Aria, and Amara.

A phone call to Alicia got him an invitation to a formal visit, at three o’clock. Drew arrived at quarter-to in order to have a look around before he went in. The house he was visiting was actually a converted warehouse in the warehouse district of Haringay. It was an attractive, two story red brick building with an interesting fascia and large windows on either side of a door painted with rainbow colours. A sign over the door said “Haven House”. Nice name.

From the rainbow on the door and the two boys snogging on the front step, Drew deduced this was the house dedicated to homeless LGBT+ youth. He hadn’t specifically asked for this one, neither had he known which house he was going to when Alicia gave him the details. He had to smile, though, that Alicia had sent him to this one, and wondered if she’d had an ulterior motive. Well, if so, she’d be disappointed because he had no intention of getting involved in this place, other than a professional interest in Aria’s involvement.

As Drew crossed the road, the two boys glanced up and jumped apart with expressions of fear flashing across their face. On reflection, he might have chosen his clothing more carefully. He looked like a soldier and probably appeared quite intimidating.

“Is Helen around?” he asked, keeping his voice light and friendly. He smiled at both boys, but their eyes remained guarded and wary, and they were clearly poised to flee.

One of the boys flicked his purple hair at the door, shuffling back a little too far to allow Drew to pass.

“First on the left,” he murmured, in a soft, sweet voice. Violet eyes watched every move Drew made so Drew made an effort to be as unthreatening as he could.

On an impulse, he paused and smiled at the boy, causing him to shrink back. “I’m here to talk about Aria. I’m his new security guard. I was wondering if you might know him.”

The change that came over the boy was amazing. It was as if someone had flicked a switch and animated him.

“Aria? He’s awesome. Is he coming? Is Mara.” The boy paused and bit his lip, then shook his head. “I like Aria best. Mara’s a dick since he got famous.”

Drew bit down on a grin. He wondered if the boys had any idea how “famous” Aria was. He doubted they’d be following you tube fashion vids.

“Mara’s alright,” the other boy said, re taking his place at the first boy’s side. Drew smiled when he noticed them twining their fingers together. “He’s up for some bants when he’s in the mood.”

The first boy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, when he’s in the mood, which is never.”

The second boy bumped him and laid his head on his shoulder, gazing up with his eyes wide and his bottom lip jutting. “You’re just saying that because you’re in love with Aria.”

“Everyone’s in love with Aria.” The boy bent and kissed his boyfriend gently. “But not as much as I’m in love with you.”

This incited giggles and Drew entered the house satisfied he hadn’t left fear behind him. Funny how he’d known the mention of Aria’s name would diffuse the tension.

Helen’s door was open and through it he could see a chaotic office, filled with bright colours and lots and lots of paper. A woman, who appeared to be in her mid to late thirties was leaning casually against the desk, talking to another woman who was much younger. They both wore bright yellow t-shirts. As he approached, they both turned, to reveal jewel-bright rainbows on the front of the t-shirts.

“Helen?” he asked, directing at both women. “I’m Drew, I believe you’re expecting me.”

A few hours later, after a long talk with Helen, a tour of the house and a number of games of pool with a group of excited and inquisitive teens, Drew walked away with a much clearer picture of the Graice twins and the lives they lived behind the cameras. It was unsettling, and he didn’t quite know what to do with the information. It wasn’t what he’d expected, and even given for teenage exaggeration, misunderstanding, misrepresentation and all the rest, there were certain aspects of what he’d been told that deeply troubled him.

Over the days that followed, Drew spent a great deal of time with the boys, both when he was on duty and when he was not. They spent quiet evenings watching endless films – horror for Amara, rom com for Aria – and they got into the habit of curling up into a little knot on the sofa with Drew in the middle and both boys cuddled in to him like kittens. There was nothing remotely sexual about it. Even Amara eschewed seduction for playful mischief. When not watching films, Drew discovered Amara was a skilled and ruthless chess player, both boys loved video games – when they were winning – and Aria had a passion not only for wearing designing clothes but making them from vintage clothes found in charity shops, or from the internet. Hardly a day went by when a parcel didn’t arrive for Aria. He’d open it with all the excitement of a child at Christmas, scatter the glittering, floating, shimmering contents, then gather them all up in his arms and disappear up to his lair. Amara would watch with a fond expression, which Drew slowly came to realize he was sharing.

Sometimes, Amara wasn’t there, especially in the evenings when he was performing, and when his brother wasn’t around Aria seemed intent on initiating Drew into his world of fashion and make up. Crazy as it would have sounded beforehand, Drew actually found himself becoming interested and learning something. Aria was a natural teacher and had a way of breaking even the most complex things into a series of simple steps and principles that even someone as clueless as Drew could follow. More than once they’d been caught in heated discussion about the length of skirts or the “in” colour for that, or the next, season. On one occasion, Amara had burst into Aria’s room to find Drew standing on a stool, draped in swathes of incandescent material while Aria used him as a human dress form.

Neither of the boys had raised any of the issues they’d talked about the first morning, and Drew hadn’t felt it was appropriate to bring them up. The intensity of that time faded into warmth and he began to feel almost as if the twins were members of his own family. Alicia, too, seemed to have softened and welcomed him in, as had Mason, Emma and he rest of the staff. He was nice to the boys, made them smile, and that was good enough for almost everyone in the house. In fact, there was only one fly in the ointment – Ben.

Drew had taken a dislike to Ben the moment they first met, and his opinion hadn’t changed. Ben was loud, brash and obnoxious. As Aria had mentioned on the first day, Ben treated the house as his own home, and one he didn’t respect very much. He never cleaned up after himself, left a trail of rubbish and dirty dishes everywhere he went, and was constantly making innuendos and inappropriate remarks that seemed designed deliberately to make the boys feel uncomfortable. He’d tried the same thing with Drew, but after getting blank indifference too many times, he gave up and focussed on the twins.

Aria hated Ben and made no secret of it. Aria wore his heart on his sleeve and every thought and feeling was clearly on display. It was very clear to see he was excruciatingly embarrassed by Ben’s dirty mouth and constant suggestiveness, however no matter how many times anyone and everyone told him to stop, Ben seemed to take great delight in doing his best to get even worse.

Amara didn’t seem as embarrassed by Ben as Aria was, but there was very strange dynamic between them. If was almost as if Amara was afraid of Ben and Ben was capitalizing on it. He would have said Ben terrorized the boy if he had found one shred of evidence that Ben’s behaviour went beyond what he displayed to them all. Ben, however, had so far skated close to but not over the line and had done nothing Drew could legitimately call him out on. He was watching though, because Amara seemed to be terrified of something about Ben and became a significantly different person when Ben was around, something Aria was clearly aware of. He clung even more closely to Amara when Ben was around. They all but went to the bathroom together. Drew couldn’t work out whether it was because he was afraid for himself, or for his brother.

One day, about three weeks after he started, Drew arrived to find the house in turmoil. He went straight to the office, as always, to find Alicia, as he’d now been given permission to call her, rushing around like a headless chicken.

“What’s going on?”

“Mamma Bear’s here. Paying a flying visit. I was about to call you. Thank God you’re early.”

“Why?”

“You know what Aria’s like about his mother. He’s all but going into shock. So far, Amara is deflecting her, but he could do with someone else in his corner.”

“What about you?”

Alicia snorted. “I’m not allowed on the upper levels when Her Majesty is in residence. None of the “staff” are unless summoned.”

“And I will be?”

Alicia shrugged. “One can only hope. Besides, she doesn’t pay your wages.” Drew raised an eyebrow. “Aria does.”

“Ah. And that will make a difference?”

“If Amara’s there it will.”

Shaking his head, Drew left and headed up the stairs with a sinking heart.

It wasn’t until he was half way up the stairs that he heard the soft voice of Julianna Graice. She seemed to be holding on to a rather strange hint of a French accent, even though she’d been born and brought up the States. True, most of her family still lived in France, but by all accounts, she’d barely spoken to any of them for years.

“It’s so embarrassing, mon p’tite ange. If you must sleep around, at least do it with the right people.”

“And who, exactly, are the right people, Mother? Henri Robert?”

“Henri is a darling friend of the family. You could do worse. I understand he was…disappointed.”

“Henri is an arrogant twat, who only wanted to fuck me so he he’d own a piece of my arse.”

“Amara, please. Do not use such language with your maman.”

“Drew.” Aria must have caught sight of him as he reached the last step. He began waving madly. There was a note in his voice that sounded very much like relief. It appeared from Aria’s exhausted and stressed expression that Amara and his mother had been going at it for a while.

“Mother, this is Drew, my bodyguard and friend.”

“Friend?” Julianna said coolly, sweeping Drew with her haughty gaze then dismissing him. “Staff are never friends, darling. You know that.”

“Yes, but—”

“More tea, s’il te plaȋt.”

Chinking ice covered Aria’s sigh as he poured iced tea from a pitcher.

Juliana petted his head. “Merci, mon p’tite ange. You, at least know how to please your maman.”

Amara snorted but Aria lit up like a candle, although there was still a pronounced sense of breathless uncertainty about him as he smoothed out a teal, silk, Chinese print dress and sank down onto the sofa next to his mother, crossing lace-clad legs at the knee. His hands fluttered nervously, toying with the hem of the dress.

“Do sit still mon chou. It is terribly unladylike.”

“Sorry, Maman.”

Aria winced and bowed his head. He sounded so unhappy. How could this woman bear to see him like this? Especially when she must know she’s causing it. Had she ever seen him relaxed and happy? Did she know the difference?

“Unladylike?” Amara burst out. “Of course it’s unladylike. He’s not a lady, he’s a boy.”

Julianna sighed. “Do sit, Mara, dear. You are giving me a headache.”

Amara growled and strode over to the balcony, throwing the windows open and letting in a fresh breeze and the scent of lavender.

“Mara, darling, do shut the windows. It is so cold, we shall all catch chills.”

Drew stifled a smile. Julianna seemed to have turned herself into some kind of strange, French version of Maggie Smith’s character, from Downton Abbey. Maggie Smith pulled it off so much better.

“You. Soldier boy. Come here.”

Drew gave a half-guilty start and made sure he kept his head up as he paced across the floor. He almost laughed aloud at the vague impulse to bow.

“You are smaller than you appear in your photographs, and I believe your strength and stamina are reduced due to injuries you sustained in the military.”

“In Afghanistan Ma’am and I can assure you I am fully recovered and back to—”

“I don’t care where it was. Others might be impressed by your service to your country, Mr Chance, but all I see is another pretty boy seeking to take advantage of my daughter.”

“Son,” Amara corrected but it was with a fair degree of resignation.

Drew couldn’t help but notice Aria’s flaming cheeks.

“I can assure you, I’m not here to take advantage of anyone. I was engaged to ensure Aria’s safety and that is all I will do.”

Aria glanced up, his gaze tormented.

“Good. Then you will put an end to this nonsense about being Aria’s friend.”

“No.”

Aria’s spine straightened, and his eyes widened.

“Pardon?”

“As long as Aria needs a friend, I’ll be here for him, Amara, too.”

“You are not paid to be a friend.”

“No, I’m not, Ma’am.” Drew held Julianna’s gaze until she narrowed her eyes, spite filling her expression.

“You’re fired,” she spat out. “I will not have—”

“No, Maman.”

Julianna closed her mouth with a snap and turned to her son. Aria clenched and unclenched his hands in his lap and chewed on his lip. He looked terrified.

“What did you say?”

Aria shrank from the coldness in her voice, then glanced at Amara and straightened again. “Drew doesn’t work for you, he works for me and I don’t want to fire him.” He trembled visibly, and his voice shook but he jutted his chin and met her gaze.

“Ridiculous. You will do as I say, and I say this man is bad and must go.”

“No, he won’t, Mother,” Amara said, grinning at his brother. “Aria pays Drew from his private accounts, and you can’t stop him.”

“I-I will have his accounts frozen.”

“Only for a week. Once we’re eighteen you won’t be able to touch anything – except grandfather’s trust and frankly, neither of us needs that so good luck.”

“Aria, you would permit your brother to speak to me like this?”

Aria cringed back, but he didn’t say a word.

“Aria?”

Apparently unable to speak, Aria shook his head.

Julianna was clearly furious. “You ungrateful child. After all I’ve done for you, you would treat me like this? Wound me with your disobedience? “You lie when you say you love me.” The words were spat with all the venom of a viper and had an immediate effect on Aria. He threw himself to the floor at her feet and gazed up at her face, which she turned away.

“No, Maman, no. I love you, I do. Please don’t say that. I would never hurt you. I love you. I want you to be happy.”

Julianna graced him with a small smile and petted his head. “You always were the precious one,” she cooed. Aria smiled, his eyes brimming with tears. Julianna leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “You will be a good girl and do as Mamma wishes, no? You will make the terrible man go away?”

Aria bit his lip, glanced at Drew then up at his mother, and shook his head.

“So be it,” Julianna got to her feet, brushing Aria off as she would a crumb from her skirt. “But don’t come running when he hurts you, and he will. Run to one of your pretty little play things, not me – or your father.” There was a lot unspoken in the last word, and from the stricken expression on both boys’ faces it appeared that what she actually meant was that she would not allow Henley to help them.

“Please, Maman. Please don’t go. Not like this. Please. Just…just stay and talk. We haven’t talked for so long. You haven’t seen my latest video. And I wanted to show you all the things we’ve arranged for the party. You will be at the party, won’t you?”

“But of course,” she said with a completely false smile. “It’s the biggest society event of the year, after the Royal Wedding. How could I miss it?”

And how could Aria miss the clear message that she would not be there to celebrate her sons’ birthday? He crumpled, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Juliana stalked past Drew, then paused.

“Oh what a fool I am, I almost forgot why I came.” She glanced down at her stomach with the first genuinely affectionate expression Drew had yet seen on her face and patted it with her hand. “You’re going to have a sister. I’m finally going to have my little girl.”

Without a backward glance at her devastated sons, she swept away and disappeared down the stairs. Her voice floated back into the stunned silence as she issues orders.