Olivia (27 page)

“
Jon, just... come on.” I hold his
hand and start leading him into the kitchen.

“
Bring your laptop, if that’s
what’s in the bag,” my dad says loudly.

“
I’ll delete it,” he says to me,
letting go of my hand and going back for the bag.

“
Why not?” I ask him with a
flippant shrug of my shoulders, speaking loudly enough for everyone
to hear. “You can visit any New York social blog anytime for a
peek.”

“
Livvy,” my mom says, her tone
obviously unappreciative of my sarcasm. Jon’s glare once he meets
us in the kitchen tells me he doesn’t care for it,
either.

“
You absolutely cannot,” my dad
says. “I’m fairly certain there are child pornography laws that
protect us from this sort of thing.”

“
It’s not pornography–” Jon
argues.

“
I’m not a child–” I speak
up.

“
Number one,” Dad starts, “Livvy,
no matter what adult decisions you and Jon have chosen to make
together, you’re still only seventeen, and legally not an adult.
Hell, you weren’t even seventeen yet, Livvy!” He throws up his
hands, just now coming to this realization that the picture was
taken when I was still sixteen–barely, but still.

I bite my lip, unsure of how to respond. I
don’t.

“
And number two,” he addresses Jon,
“taking a photo of a minor in lingerie is considered pornographic
in many circles.”

“
Jack, it’s not–”

“
Not to mention, in many states,
what you two did together would be considered statutory rape.” I
feel my cheeks heat up as I watch all of the color drain from Jon’s
face.

“
Jacks, that’s uncalled for,” my
mom interjects.

“
Not in New York,” Jon defends our
actions.

“
Why aren’t you mortified by this,
Liv?” my dad asks, ignoring my boyfriend. “How can you be calm
about it?”

“
Because I’m not naked in the
picture, Dad. In fact, I’m wearing more in this picture than I was
in the pictures they took of me at the beach last
summer.”

“
Yes, but a girl in a bikini
doesn’t advertise to the world that she’s having sex.”

“
Dad, please don’t make this about
that. I’m not ashamed of what we did. In fact, I’m happy that my
first time was with someone I really care about.”

“
You know I love her,” Jon
reiterates, but not confidently, as he makes no eye contact when he
says it.

“
I don’t think this is as bad as
you’re making it out to be,” my mom admits.

“
Emi, please don’t encourage them.
Let me see your laptop,” Dad orders Jon.

“
We can delete it, Jack,” he says
once more.

“
The damage is done, Jon,” he says.
“The whole world already knows that
someone’s
screwing around with my
daughter–”

“
Jon,” my mom says, and we all look
at her. “Jon’s name is in here, too. He’s actually credited with
taking the picture. The caption states, ‘Livvy Holland, daughter of
New York philanthropist, Jackson Holland, poses in lingerie for her
boyfriend, Columbia student Jon Scott.’”

“
Who would know that
fact?”

“
Maybe whoever found it just
assumed I took it. I mean, who else would?”

“
It’s not exactly a mystery,” Mom
says. “This article says it was stumbled upon by your
roommate.”

“
My
roommate
?”

“
That’s what it says.”

“
Which one?” I ask him.

“
I told Fred about the picture,
Liv, but he never saw it, and I know he wouldn’t do that to me. It
had to be Shu or Hollis.”

“
Which one’s the hacker?” Dad
asks.

Jon’s answer is easy when my father puts it that
way. “Hollis.”

“
I hope this Hollis kid isn’t
someone you like,” my dad says, typing away on Jon’s
laptop.

“
He’s not anymore,” Jon says,
sullen at the realization that one of his new friends would betray
him.

“
When you get involved with this
family, Jon, you have to be cautious of every damn person you meet.
Trust is not something that’s ever assumed with anyone.”

“
I see that now. Jack, I’m really
sorry.”

“
Wait- where’d you get a key to the
loft?” my dad asks abruptly.

“
I had a copy made one day,” I
admit.

“
I want it.” I walk to my purse and
take it off my keyring. He grabs it from my hand. “Are there more?
Jon, do you have a copy?”

“
No, sir,” Jon says. “Livvy had the
only copy.”

“
You’re not getting this back until
you’re eighteen, do you understand?” he asks. I nod. “I’d hold it
until you were twenty-one if that hadn’t been a condition of
Donna’s will. I have no doubt she’d agree with me, if she
could.”

“
I’m sorry, Dad.”

“
I think she’d be really
disappointed in your actions. This is no way for a proper young
girl to act.”

“
Don’t bring her into this. You
didn’t know her like I did, Dad. She accepted me,
wholeheartedly.”

“
You’re implying I
don’t?”

“
Do you? It doesn’t feel like it
right now.”

I stare at him hard, but he doesn’t back down. “I’m
disappointed in your actions. And whatever you’ve been paying those
doormen to keep your little secret, forget about it. They’re on my
payroll now, and I will out-bribe you any day of the week, do you
understand?”

“
Well, yeah, but remember you have
the key now,” I remind him, not trying to be smart but realizing it
sounded that way anyway.

He glares at me for a second before pocketing the
key and focusing his attention back on Jon’s computer. After doing
a few more things with it, he pushes the computer back over to Jon.
“Leave that alone for awhile, and plug it in. We’re encrypting your
hard drive. I presume you have other communications with my
daughter on there?”

“
I do. That’s a good idea.” Jon
pulls out the power adapter and plugs it in, not wasting any time
and not once questioning my dad’s actions, even as he pulls on his
suit jacket and picks up his keys.

“
Write down your dorm room number,”
he says.

“
Jack, let me handle
this.”

“
Write it down.”

“
I’ll go with you,” Jon volunteers.
Dad doesn’t argue and leads him out into the garage.

As soon as they leave, I feel my knees grow week and
I take the chair Dad had been sitting in earlier. Mom stands up to
pour herself a glass of wine, but joins me at the table a moment
later.

“
I’m moderately disappointed, Liv,”
she says quietly. “More at your lack of discretion than anything
else.”

“
I didn’t really like the idea of
it when he suggested it, Mom.”

“
I’m not talking about the picture.
Livvy, what if people had seen you leaving the loft?”

“
They’ve seen us leaving together
before, when he came to photograph my paintings. It’s not any
different.”

“
I was with you then. But really?
You don’t see the difference? What about Francisco, who greeted you
both one day and helped you load up your car the next? What do you
think he was thinking?”

“
Francisco was out of town. It was
someone else. Besides, he’s one man,” I respond.

“
And other tenants in the building?
Paparazzi who are only a phone call away at any given
time?”

“
They’re not supposed to take my
picture,” I explain, “per Dad’s instruction.”

“
It wasn’t a directive from your
father, Liv, it was a plea. And they’re all just being generous and
playing nice right now, but that could all change with one
screw-up. Plus, you haven’t done anything interesting for
tabloids–until now.

“
I wouldn’t be surprised if you had
photographers trailing you now. Especially if Jon’s with you. There
will be no more sneaking around, do you understand
that?”

“
Yeah,” I tell her. “What do you
think Dad’s going to do?”

“
I’m not sure, sweetie.”

“
Do you think Jon’s
safe?”

Mom laughs a little, then sees the concern on my
face. “Of course.” We both sit together quietly for awhile. She
gets up and makes two chai tea lattes, bringing them back to the
table. “Speaking of safe,” she starts, and I look at her, knowing
what’s coming. “Are you using protection?”

“
Of course, Mom.”

“
Condoms?”

“
Mom...” I say, glaring at her. She
raises her brows, waiting for my answer. “Yes, and Clara took me to
the doctor awhile back and I’m on the pill, so don’t
worry.”

“
You know you need to take that
every day,” she says, “and around the same time. And honey, other
medications can make it less effective–”

“
Mom? They told me all of this.
That’s why we’re using both. Every time.”

“
So this wasn’t the only time?” she
asks. My lack of response is enough of an answer for her. “I don’t
think Dad needs to know that.” She doesn’t ask any more questions,
just finishes her drink in quiet contemplation.

Mom takes a walk to pick up Trey from day care while
I check other websites until I feel as if I’m going to throw up. I
lie down on the living room couch with my phone sitting next to me.
I ignore all the texts and calls that come in, since I know exactly
what they’ll be in reference to, and none of them are from Jon.
When Mom comes back, she says that she hasn’t heard from Dad,
either.

Dad and Jon return home a half hour later, neither
one speaking to the other. I watch as my boyfriend follows my
father into his study without saying a word to me. The door slams
behind them. Mom and I look at one another, and quickly clamor to
try to listen to their conversation. It isn’t difficult. Dad’s
pretty heated.

“
I asked you to wait,” he
says.

“
We did,” Jon starts softly. I have
to lean my ear against the door to hear him. “We waited
months.”

“
I didn’t realize I needed to be so
explicit. I meant until you were married, or at least
engaged!”

“
You know those things don’t scare
me, Jack. If that’s what she had wanted, that’s what I would have
given her. But it wasn’t. It still isn’t. She knows she’s too young
to get married.”

“
But why so soon? She’s still in
high school!” Dad says, obviously frustrated. “Don’t you understand
the risks you’re taking?”

“
We aren’t taking risks. We were
careful. We used multiple types of protection.

“
Were you tested? Before you did
this with my daughter, were you tested for STDs?” I’d never even
thought to ask him this, but I listen intently for his
answer.

“
Yes!” Jon responds quickly. “I
didn’t want to take any chances, even though I knew it was highly
improbable. My past is not that illustrious... contrary to what you
think of me.”

“
The fact that you
have
a past at eighteen is unsettling to me.” I don’t
like his judgmental tone, and glare up at my mother, who’s just as
interested in their conversation as I am.

“
Two girls before Livvy,” Jon says.
“Not to challenge you, Jack, but she told me your first time was in
high school. At most, I’ve only been with two more girls than you
had at my age.” I bite my lip, imagining my father’s expression at
Jon’s statement.

“
That’s three times as many,” Dad
says, and Mom has to step away from the door to contain her
laughter. “I don’t find this humorous,” my father adds, and I can
only envision Jon having the same reaction my mother did. Mom
quietly returns to the door.

“
Neither do I,” Jon retorts after
clearing his throat loudly. “Listen, I owed her an explanation
about those two other women, but I don’t owe you one. If she
accepts it, you shouldn’t question me. It’s, like, double
jeopardy.”

“
So you agree it’s a crime?” I roll
my eyes at my mother.

“
Absolutely not. Loving Olivia is
not a crime, and I will make no apologies for that, or for anything
we’ve done together.”

“
This has been going on since we
were in Europe, hasn’t it?”

I close my eyes tightly, bracing myself.

“
No, sir. That night at the loft
was the first time.” I exhale quickly, forgetting that my mom is
standing right next to me. She looks at me, disappointed, and I
wonder if I just gave us away.

“
But not the only time?”

“
Jack, I really don’t believe our
sex life is any of your business.” I think all four of us probably
stopped breathing at that moment. Ten seconds go by without any
response.

“
Livvy is my business.”

“
I understand that,” Jon says, and
I’m pretty sure I heard his voice crack. “I do, but I ask for you
to respect our privacy in matters like this. She’s my business,
too.”

I cannot believe he’s saying these things. As much
as I fear for his life, I’m proud of him for standing up to my
dad.