Author: Regency

Title: The Whole Thing In Reverse

Summary: What if 20 years ago, Eve was the spoiled rich kid and Julian was the struggling musician? And what if 20 years ago, they fell in love? Now, two decades later they meet again. When Eve falls back in love with Julian, how far will she go to have him back?

Author’s Notes: I’ve changed some history to write this story. The company Johnson & Johnson belongs to Eve’s parents. Other than that, read and see. Oh, and please don’t take offense at the somewhat racist remarks made by the people in this story. It’s kind of the tone of the thing.

Disclaimer: The show “Passions” belongs to JER, but the idea is mine.

~~~~~

Julian straightened up the papers on his desk for the third time and tightened his tie again. If he tightened it anymore, he’d probably strangle himself. Which, he supposed, would be a better fate than that which he was about to face.

He was about to have a face to face meeting with Eve Johnson (neé Yardley and Houston). He hadn’t seen her in more than two decades, but suddenly there she was. She’d just showed up out of nowhere, outside of his classroom and totally screwed his lecture. After that, there was no controlling his students. They were too busy speculating as to why the ever-infamous Eve Johnson was outside of their very own room to concentrate on the facets of Pre-Law. It wasn’t long before he dismissed them and returned to his office to consider that very same question.

He perused his mind for possible reasons why, but could think of none until he scrutinized his file on students that were in danger of failing one of his courses. Right beneath his latest addition was the key. Richard James Yardley, better known as RJ, because his grandmother refused to have a grandson named Rick James. This was something that he’d confided in Julian during one of their many post-class chats.

Julian had been a mentor of sorts to RJ since he was in high school. His parents had never been very attentive to him or his siblings and Julian had sensed that in him. As a child of a less than cohesive home, he knew what that was like and how much he could’ve benefited from having a mentor of his own.

RJ normally thrived under Julian’s tutelage, but lately there seemed to be something bothering him. He was failing more than just Julian’s courses, of which he took both; he was failing most of his schedule. He’d even stopped staying after class to discuss the day’s lecture. This had puzzled and concerned Julian to the point that he had finally put a call into RJ’s mother. He’d never made the connection between Yardley and Johnson, since Eve had always held onto her maiden name in the social setting. It hadn’t come to him until he’d seen her standing in the doorway of his room, looking just as surprised to see him as he was to encounter her.

He had no idea how he was supposed to face her and tell her that there was something wrong with her son, all the while pretending not to despise her for their past and hate her for the part of her that beckoned to him still. He knew that he couldn’t punish his surrogate son for what his mother had done. “The sins of the mother bloom in the children they bear.” RJ was a good kid.

Julian was snapped out of his reverie by an insistent knock on his office door. He jumped up and straightened himself up.

“Mrs. Johnson.--”

“Ms. I’m divorced. I’m sure you’ve heard.” He had. RJ had informed him a while back that his mother had separated from his stepfather. Even if he hadn’t told him, it had been all over the news and had left Harmony’s grapevine in tangles. His wife liked to tell him things. She was sweet, but she was a gossip. He had to remember that as Eve sauntered in and took a seat on his couch without invitation.

“Yes, I have.” He cleared his throat uneasily and wallowed between retaking his place behind his desk or setting on the edge nearer to Eve for a more casual setting. He wisely chose to keep his place behind the desk and sat down after a moment of silence.

He wasn’t sure how to begin or how to keep his eyes where they should be, for that matter. Try as he might have, he could make no secret of looking her over to see how the years had tarnished her. He was disquieted to find that they had not tarnished her nor had they touched her at all. She was still the eye-catching vixen she had been. That made him self-conscious and he wished that he had a fedora to cover his graying crown.

She liked the look on him though. As well as the gold-rimmed glasses that rested lightly on the bridge of his nose. The years had touched him, but they’d been ever so kind. There were lines, light ones, running about his face. They told of laughter and pain, she hoped more of the former than the latter. His hands were laced together on his desktop as he faced her. His fingers were still the long, graceful ones of a skilled piano player. They were so elegant; passion lined them. She wondered if he still played or had their experience together soured his desire for what was once his most cherished dream.

He felt her inspection and allowed it for a time. Finally, feeling that she’d had her fill of what of him she could see, she thought it prudent to indeed proceed to the matter at hand.

“So, my son RJ is failing your class?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s actually--”

“For how long?”

“Excuse me?”

“How long has he been failing? One doesn’t just fail out of nowhere. It has to start at some point. When did his grades begin to decline?”

“Truth be told, Ms. Johnson, he began failing at the end of the last grading period, but he had, at that point, been doing so well that it didn’t detrimentally affect his over all average. It’s been this period that I’ve truly seen reason to be concerned.”

“What reason?” Julian removed his classes and reclasped his hands.

“It’s been more than just his classroom performance. His overall demeanor has been radically different than what I’ve known him for. He’s distracted, seems worried and agitated. It’s very noticeable.” Eve shifted in her seat, trying to look unsettled.

“My son and I don’t spend as much time together as we should.”

“I see.” This wasn’t news to him. “I realize that you are…somewhat detached from your children, but I was hoping that you could give me some insight into what’s happening with RJ. Is he having trouble at home…?” She shrugged helplessly. She had no idea. She straightened and tried to retake control of this encounter.

“You pay this much attention to all of your students?”

“I try, but some do fall through the cracks. However, I’ve known RJ for years. He’s been like a son and I’ve taken it upon myself to keep an eye on him. I’ve never seen him so distressed. He won’t talk to me about it and none of his friends seem to have any idea. I’ve tried to give him to benefit of the doubt, but he’s only gotten worse as a result. I really need your help, Ms. Johnson.”

“Eve.”

“What?”

“Call me Eve.” Julian hesitated before nodding. He wasn’t comfortable allowing the meeting to get that casual. He wasn’t certain if he’d be able to guard himself well if he broke this wall of professionalism.

“All right…Eve. I need your help. Please, help me help your son. I don’t know what else to do or who else to ask. He’s so close to graduating and I don’t want him to jeopardize that. I would think you would feel the same?” She nodded, though she was mostly perusing him instead of thinking of her son.

“I do, but I’m sure that my mother, RJ’s grandmother, will take care of this as soon as possible.”

“Yes. About that, does she have to be involved with this? I’m willing to give RJ a chance to make his grades up. He just has to come to me, so that I can let him know. I can’t go to him lest I’d probably be accused of favoritism. He needs to come to me so that I can tutor him. This doesn’t have to go on his record.” Eve met his eyes searchingly.

“You know what my mother’s like, don’t you?” He nodded.

“Through RJ.”

“He tells you a lot about our family?”

“Enough, but he keeps most of it to himself. He isn’t comfortable talking about his home life.”

“I understand that.” She peered at Julian weakly, a little bit of her shattered veneer shining through. “It’s not as easy as a lot of people think it is, Julian. We pay a price for having what we have.”

“I’ve seen…” He paused thoughtfully. “I know, Eve. Believe me, I know.” She dropped her eyes to her lap and suddenly felt like a fool. Here she was with a son experiencing some kind of crisis, but all that she’d been concerned with was seducing his teacher. She was a monster.

She chuckled with a derisive edge. Her sudden dark humor concerned Julian. “Eve, darling, are you all right?” The endearment left his lips without a preceding or following thought. The kindness in his voice struck a cord deep within her and her face crumpled.

Julian rose from his seat and came around to sit beside her. He fingered a lock of her dark tresses, brushing his fingertips against her jaw. He caught a stray tear with his thumb.

“What is it, Eve? What’s hurting you?” If he only knew what caused the sorrow that shined so brightly in her eyes.

“Oh, Julian…” It warmed her to know that he possessed the kindness to care for someone who’d hurt him so badly all those years ago. How could she share the torment that had dogged her through that time? How could she convey the sleeplessness, the blessed oblivion she’d so desperately sought and found in alcohol, and the numerous bedfellows who took the brunt of her distraction? She didn’t dare confess to him who she had become, because she feared that any feelings that remained would dissolve in a rain of disgust and spite.

Of all the rejections that she could survive, one from him would surely end her. He was the only man she had truly loved and she loved him to this day. She couldn’t live with the thought of him hating her. She exhaled sharply when he cupped her cheek so that he could look into her eyes.

It took her a moment to realize that their faces were little more than a hair’s breath apart. Her eyelids fluttered as she looked from his eyes to his lips. She crossed the imperceptible distance between them and brushed her mouth against his like a feather. She felt lightheaded, but leaned deeper into the kiss with parted lips. Julian took her face into his hands and immersed himself in the kiss instinctively.

They separated abruptly, both of them breathing heavily. Eve licked her lips absently. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Johnson.” She nodded, looking away.

“Ms.”

“Right.” He stood up off the couch and went back around his desk. Eve straightened her hair and checked her makeup in her compact. She added some rouge to her cheeks to cover her flush. Julian adjusted his tie and buttoned his jacket. “Well, okay. So, can I count on your continued cooperation with this…situation?”

“Of course, Professor.” She closed her purse and stood up to leave. Julian kept his gaze to his desk so as not to show what was happening in his head. She already knew, because it was happening in hers too. She turned to leave when it seemed that Julian had nothing to say, but his voice stopped her.

“Eve.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry about what happened. It was completely out of line and I hope you don’t feel as though I’ve taken advantage of you. That was never my intent.”

“I know, Julian. I’m not angry. If anything, that’s what I came for.” He narrowed his eyes.

“What exactly?”

“You know.”

“I think I do.” He guessed that she was exactly what he had hoped she hadn’t become. “So the rumors are true?”

“What rumors?”

“You know what rumors. Don’t play stupid, Eve.”

“And don’t play me, Julian. I am not someone you want to make an enemy out of.” Julian scoffed and sprung from his chair.

“So this is what you do, isn’t it, Eve?”

“What?”

“Turn into a cold and calculating bitch when you can’t have your way.”

“What way is that?”

“Me. You can’t have me and that’s driving you crazy.” Eve chuckled and crossed her arms in front of her.

“That’s an arrogant thing for you to say. Out of all the men in Harmony, what the hell makes you think that I want you?” Julian preserved his silence, his lenses glistening in the light of his office lamp. He knew exactly what made him think that.

“I’m the only one you’ll ever let your guard down around. The only one you’ll ever truly trust. I am the one that will never betray you to your mother. You know how she’d feel if she saw what just happened. I’m the one who brings you to life. But, I shouldn’t have to repeat this, because you already know.”

“You’re taking this whole thing out of context. I had a moment while you were in the room. I don’t need you, Julian. I’ve done fine without you for the last twenty-five years.”

“Good, because you will never ever have me.” Eve barely withheld a flinch at the exactness of his tone. Never.

“That’s fine. I don’t want you.” Julian absently shuffled the papers on his desk and gathered up his belongings.

“I’m sure. Well, I have to go home now. My family’s waiting for me.” He breezed past her brashly. “Have a nice evening, Ms. Johnson.”

“Eve.” He twisted around to give her another more interested once over.

“Yes…Eve.” He slipped out of the door and went back to his life of piano recitals, soccer practices, and warm, loving arms. That was more than she’d ever had.

But not more than she wanted. And she was determined to have that with Julian. She only felt for those who would be unlucky enough to stand between them.

Number one being Dinah Crane, his wife and her rival. She would have to be the first to go.

Definitely.

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