‘How would it work? I mean, I am doing the TV show for another three weeks, until Christmas, and you have such a big job. Surely people will ask questions,’ she said, as she lay with her head on his chest.
‘One day at a time, Violet.’
Jeff sat in bed with her in his arms and felt more contented that he had ever felt. It was not just being naked with a gorgeous woman, it felt right at a visceral level.
‘Do you think your mom knew about us?’ he asked.
Violetta looked up at him. ‘I don’t know. How could she? I have told no one,’ she said, thinking about Birdie unwittingly bringing them together.
As the day turned into night, they showered together, made love again and then slept.
In the morning when Violetta woke, Jeff was gone. The only sign he had been there was the empty condom wrappers and food boxes. Violetta cleaned up and got ready for work, texting Lesley that the TV crew could meet her at Pajaro.
She almost floated to work and the TV crew filmed her working hard but checking her phone repeatedly. No messages from Jeff, she thought, and tried not to panic. Perhaps he’d had a change of heart.
At the end of the day, Lesley and the crew were filming her in a meeting with her team going over the delivery for the new line, when an assistant walked in. ‘Violetta, there is a delivery for you.’
She walked over and put a large box on the table in front of her boss.
‘Thanks,’ smiled Violetta, opening it.
Even the jaded Lesley and the crew smiled at Violetta's expression as she read the card.
Inside was a huge bunch of white violets. The card read:
Be mine.
Violetta smiled and felt her eyes fill with tears. She knew in her heart that she would give up her profile, her TV show, her parties for Jeff, her brown-shoed black-belted nerd. Fame meant nothing when there was no love in her life. Love was all she wanted and now she had more than she imagined.
Who knew, she thought, as she put her face in the violets. Who knew?
28
The DNA tests were back. Even with Spencer’s cajoling, they had to wait for the required five weeks for results. Carlotta sat nervously in the laboratory. Matthew stood on the other side of the room. Neither Grace nor Violetta had wanted to attend, so Carlotta had taken Chris and Spencer for moral support.
A woman in a white coat walked into the room, holding the folder.
‘Hello, I’m Doctor Park, I have your results here,’ she said, without a hint of emotion.
‘Great,’ said Matthew. ‘Bring it on.’
‘Bring it on?’ mouthed Carlotta to Chris, who shrugged and rolled his eyes.
‘According to the DNA samples provided by the de Santoval family… we tested Carlotta de Santoval using a blood imprint and Matthew Sanger’s blood imprint and the samples from Leon de Santoval’s toothbrush and hairbrush…’ she said, looking at the forms in front of her.
Carlotta crossed her legs and played with the zip on her boot, sliding it up and down nervously until Chris, who sat next to her put his hand on hers and she held it nervously.
‘According to the tests, which are ninety-nine per cent accurate, Matthew is the son of Leon de Santoval.’
‘Fucking told you, bitch,’ laughed Matthew. ‘I fucking told you,’ he screamed. ‘Whoo hoo! Suck it, bitch.’
‘Please stop the language or I will have to call security to escort you from the premises,’ said Doctor Park.
‘Do it, I don’t care. I’m outta here. See ya later, sis,’ he yelled, slamming the door as he left.
Carlotta sat with her head in her hands. ‘Shit,’ she mumbled.
Doctor Park’s voice broke through Carlotta’s disappointment. ‘Actually, there is more but I think it’s better that Mr Sanger isn’t here.’ She looked to Carlotta. ‘When we tested the DNA, the results were clear that Matthew was indeed Leon de Santoval’s son. We also ran a mitochondrial DNA test.’
