Chapter 344

"Your majesty." A man said, bowing and greeting Pearl at the hotel. She had arrived in LA later than she had hoped. The children were clingy when she told them she was leaving and she had debated taking them with her. Finally, she had convinced them to stay with Tia and the new nanny, Daisy.

"It is an honor." He said. "Welcome to the Hotel Bel-Air. We have the Grace Kelly suite all ready for you." He said with a smile. Pearl was doing an interview with a popular talk show host the following morning at the hotel for the show 20/20 and the ambiance and look of the suite would be the perfect background. She and Bash were supposed to do the interview together but with his presence needed urgently elsewhere, she would have to handle it alone.

She sat down in the elegant living room of the suite and took a deep breath. It was her first time back in the states after everything happened. She had a dinner date with Fi at Casa Vega in a few hours and she was very excited to feel like her old self again.

She opened up her luggage and took out a black mini dress with a pair of black Louboutin heels.

Her limo pulled up out front to a sea of photogs and paparazzi. She imagined they hung out there regularly and it wasn't just her presence that had caused them to congregate. She was greeted at the door and lead to a private seating area in the back of the room. The place had been around for years and prided itself on being discreet for celebrity visits. Also, the restaurant is so dark that regular guests could be dining next to a big-time A-list celebrity or royal and have no idea. Which worked perfectly for an Oscar winning actress and the Queen of England to have a night out.

"Pearl!" Fi exclaimed, smiling and hugging her.

"Hello Fi. I have missed you." Pearl said. "How are you?"

"Fine. I'm great. Enough with the small talk, where's the booze?" Fi asked, looking around. "Who do you have to blow to get some service around here? Fuck man, you're the queen of fucking England and not a server in sight." She said, in typical Fi form. She flagged a young man over who looked incredibly embarrassed.

"How may I help you?" He asked.

"We need a bottle of your best champagne and four shots of Jameson. Oh, and a bottle of Whispering Angel rosé. Also, an order of the molcajete and shrimp and crab empanadas. Thanks." Fi said, then shooing him off.

"Girl. I was doing some reflecting last night thinking about seeing you today." Fi said. "And I thought to myself.... what. The. Actual. Fuck. Have we been through? Have YOU been through? What a whirlwind couple of years, my love. We are the most exciting and completely fucked up people in the world." She said.

Pearl laughed. She wasn't wrong.

"We are still making it happen, though." Pearl said, smiling.

"Indeed we are." Fi said, lifting the glass of champagne the waiter just poured.

"Now, tell me all about Sebastian. How is the relationship? How's the sex after three kids? You never spill dirty details but I bet he is a complete animal in bed. His arms are like twice the size of my leg." Fi said, letting out a little growl.

Pearl blushed a little. He was good, very, very good in bed. He seemed to connect with her in a way she didn't quite understand. He always looked into her eyes and touched her like he was memorizing her body. Learning her. Worshiping her.

"He is... incredible. Truly. It's like he wants us to be one, completely. He says... things to me." Pearl said, looking down shyly.

"Listen here, lady, you have never been shy with me. Spill it." Fi said, pouring another drink.

"He says things like, 'look at me. I want to see you and I want you to see me. And he is so passionate, his face is so pained when he touches me. Like it's agony not to." Pearl said.

Fi's jaw dropped and she put her glass down. "Fuck, Pearl, I was thinking you'd say he named your hoo-ha something naughty or called you his dirty little whore. Not that. Whew. You are giving me a lady boner. Is it hot in here? Are you warm?" She asked the waiter who had returned with their bottle of wine.

"I am comfortable." The waiter said.

"Well I'm not." Fi said. "Subject change. Where is Bash, anyway?"

"He's on duty in the middle east. Military stuff. I don't want to be too involved." Pearl said.

"Noted. You're still meeting us all at the studio on Thursday, right?" Fi asked. She was wanting produce a biopic on Pearl's life. Focusing on the relationship and down fall of Erik and his family and the love story between Pearl and Sebastian. With Erik getting a new trial, it would be a huge blockbuster and Fi was going to be in charge of bringing it all to the screen. She wanted to get Rhys on board and have his permission as well, which was going to be difficult because it painted him in a negative light.

"Yes. I will be there." Pearl said.

"Good. And if Rhys doesn't behave, I will beat him to a pulp." Fi said, giggling.

"I'm sure he will. He knows I am happily married now, with children. It's a lost cause." Pearl said.

They had spoke briefly during Erik's original trial. He had been a witness after he was threatened by Erik and Edward. It wasn't a long conversation, but the consensus was that they would be civil to one another from now on.

After dinner, Pearl and Fi walked to the limo where Jim was waiting by the car door.

"Fiona! Queen Pearl!" Shouted the paparazzi, flashing the cameras and moving close to them.

"Back off!" Jim said, strong arming them along with another decoration guard Pearl had hired.

"Whew. That was a shit show." Fi said. Pearl nodded and took a deep breath.

After they dropped Fi off at her home, Pearl asked the driver to take her the hills. She wanted to drive past her old house she shared with Erik and the house she had with Rhys. The car took them up the winding road, past the general store and up through the luxury homes there. Pearl sighed as they stopped in front of Erik's house, now with a for sale sign out front. So many memories there. They turned the corner and pulled in front of Rhys's bungalow. Pearl again sighed and looked at it. It still looked exactly the same. So many memories, so many lies and so much sadness. She rolled up her window and told the driver to take her back to the hotel. Just as the limo stopped and began to turn around, a loud knock was heard at the passenger side window. Jim rolled it down and there was Rhys, looking in and smiling.

"Pearl!" He said, looking in and with complete surprise. "I knew you were in town but I didn't expect a visit. Especially at this hour. What a wonderful surprise." He said, opening her door and motioning her out.

"I, um, I didn't expect to find you home. Sorry to intrude." Pearl said, not wanting to sound like a stalker.

"Nonsense. Please. Come in and have a drink." Rhys said, smiling.

"Jimbo, you are welcome to come in, too." He said.

"I'll pass." Jim said. Pearl looked at him and then back at Rhys.

"Alright. One drink." She said.

"I'll be right out here, ready to kick some ass if I need to." Jim said.

"Of course." Rhys said, leading Pearl into the house.