One Chapter A Day - Re-Read Of Bared and Entwined

[LN Cronan]

I've been wondering about what that means, too,  Maybe Victor somehow found out what Eva has been through while living under the same roof with lousy Nathan and is only willing to make things right for his beloved daughter. His unexpected trip to NY would make more sense, doesn't it.

 

I don't think Victor knows -- yet -- but I'm sure he'll likely find out in Entwined. Monica succeeded in keeping the matter secret for many years. This is how she did it:

 

• Nathan was prosecuted as a juvenile, not an adult. He started raping Eva when he was 12 years old (she was 10 at the time) and kept it up for four years, finally caught at age 16 after Eva (now 14) ended up in an emergency room because she'd suffered a miscarriage and an exam revealed serious physical evidence of repeated rapes.
• Under U.S. law, when a young defendant is prosecuted as a juvenile, those cases are prosecuted behind closed doors, very different from the rest of the justice system, where criminal matters are prosecuted openly. (U.S. Constitutional protections of citizens against possible abuses by the government require, among other things, that the government conducts criminal trials out in the open, not in secret -- this applies to all adult criminal cases. Note: there are cases where teenagers are prosecuted as adults because of very violent crimes; if they are, that's handled in open court instead of the closed-court system for juvenile offenses.)

 

• Monica (and Eva) however have always worried about a paper trail from related civil court proceedings, a trail that reporters and/or cops might be able to follow if they looked hard enough. 
• These civil proceedings related to Monica divorcing Nathan's father and having her husband pay damages to Eva. Monica got $2 million. Eva received $5 million -- something that would raise a serious red flag to anyone who examined those records, because the guy was simply her (now-former) stepfather, not her biological father.
• The existence of these civil records -- the fear it would be possible for a reporter to find out about them -- is what prompted Eva to tell Gideon about Nathan. Better that Gideon find out from her instead of being blindsided.
• Stanton, sometime after he married Monica, paid a great deal of money to get the people involved to  voluntarily sign "non-disclosure agreements" -- legally binding agreements to keep their mouths shut about everything. Thus Stanton sought to guarantee that even if someone found out about the mysterious $5 million payment, it would be almost impossible to easily find out the reasons behind it.

 

The most likely way Victor could find out something obviously bad happened many years ago would be to start following the paper trail related to the civil proceedings -- or get the criminal juvie records leaked to him through cop to cop channels.

• Normally people, not even cops, cannot simply get to see criminal juvenile records, because they're under seal. At best, running a computer check to see if someone has a criminal record would indicate some sort of juvie record exists. Police need very specific and serious reasons to be allowed to see the actual sealed criminal files. 
• In Nathan's case, him being murdered would do it -- after someone is murdered, any records related to his/her life become open books for the detectives assigned to the case. The NYPD detectives would be allowed to see it all - the criminal files and the civil files. 
• Victor might be able to find out through back channels, cop to cop, about the nature of Nathan's juvenile criminal record, especially if another cop (like Detective Graves) leaked those records to him as part of her investigating the case.

[LN Cronan]

I'm 100% convinced Victor's trip to visit New York had nothing to do with Nathan, but rather, it was a planned trip to see how Eva was settling in to her new life. The timing was pure coincidence, I'm convinced.

 

We don't know where Eva was born nor where she grew up. We do know that this is the first time she's lived in New York City, and we also know she moved there from San Diego immediately before Bared opens. She'd been living in San Diego for four years. She went to college there, and she had decided to move there in order to live near (though not with) her father. She was able to see him weekly and get to know him. It was as much a desire to get out from under her mother's smothering as to get to know her birth father that prompted Eva, as a young woman, to move to San Diego.

 

As far as Monica and Victor's history -- we know Monica came from money and Victor was (still is) working class. They met when they were young, probably early adulthood. Monica's fancy sports car broke down -- Victor was a mechanic at the garage where the car ended up.

 

When Monica ended up pregnant, Victor wanted to marry her, but she refused, because financial security was too important to her. Her family tried pressuring her to have an abortion, but she refused, and so she got disinherited. But sometime not long after, she succeeded in landing a rich husband -- Nathan's father -- who was a widower with one young child. Monica got her financial security and Mr. Barker got someone to be a stepmother to Nathan.

 

She divorced Barker over what his son did to Eva, leaving the marriage with millions of dollars for the financial security of both herself and her daughter. Sometime later (we don't know how much) she married her second rich husband. That marriage fell apart for reasons that included a gambling problem husband #2 had. We also know Eva didn't like stepfather #2.

 

Sometime after that, she married rich husband #3, Richard Stanton. Again, we don't know exactly when, but the fact Stanton tried (unsuccessfully) to pay for Eva's college education hints that Stanton became her stepfather somewhere in her late teens to early 20s.

 

Obviously, somehow Victor was involved in Eva's life as she grew up, though we're not told any specifics beyond the fact this did not involve Monica and Victor seeing one another face to face. The reason is obvious on page 281 of Reflected -- they're still in love with one another. Eva sees this with her own eyes when the pair of them run into one another in her (Eva's) apartment. That's the weekend Victor visited Eva. Monica showed up unannounced Saturday morning, running to Eva's place immediately after Monica found out (because detectives showed up on her own doorstep) Nathan had been found murdered Friday morning.

[gabri]

 

<p>

Thanks, peeps, who answered the question I threw out about when I should post the "Reader's Guide" to each daily chapter we're reading. The system I've settled on is the day after each chapter -- we were all scheduled to read Chapter Two of Bared yesterday, so I posted the summary of it this morning. I'm in the U.S. Eastern Time zone, so during workdays, it should go up around this time. Weekends will be a bit trickier.

&nbsp;

Don't forget your reading "homework" -- Sylvia is interested in hearing from fans which line or paragraph is our owns favorites in each chapter.

&nbsp;

Today we're on Chapter Three of Bared. There's two key plot developments there, both during the middle of the day on Friday, day five of the story.

• For the first time, Gideon and Eva engage in serious sexual contact, fully-clothed petting, in his office.
• Eva has lunch with her stepfather, Richard Stanton, and their conversation gives us numerous clues that Eva's mother, Monica, is obsessed with Eva's safety, obsessed to a level unhealthy enough she (Monica) is in therapy over it. We learn it has something to do with Eva's childhood -- but that's all we know yet.

&nbsp;

Here are my favourite lines in Bared–Chapter 2:

1) Ha! If only!

2) Are you sleeping with anyone?

Because I want to f★★k you, Eva. I need to know what's standing in my way, if anything.

3) He said WHAT?

4) He's hot, rich, and wants to jumps your bones. What's the problem?

Looking forward to going through Chap. 3!!!

[gabri]

These are my favourite lines in Bared–Chap. 3: 1) 'Chocolate and you. Delicious.' 2) 'Kiss me,' he said hoarsely. 'Give me that much.' 3) 'Let it go, Cross.' 'I am. You are too much trouble.'

[gabri]

THANK YOU for the insightful elaborations on Victor's trip to NY. I really really really appreciated them!

[gabri]

One last reflection about Gedeon's behaviour during the meeting with the Kingsman vodka directors. Wouldn't you say that, by asking Eva for her professional advice, Gedeon is showing great interest in her intelligence as well? Perhaps, in dealing with Eva, he is reconsidering his usual approach to women he wants to take to bed. It may be seen as a first step towards the establishment of new patterns for him. CIAO!!!!!!

[julie54]

I am not going to be able to go on these pages till about the 8th June because its not released here till 6th June. You will have to start without me .lol. Or could you wait till I catch up please?

[sscrph]

One last reflection about Gedeon's behaviour during the meeting with the Kingsman vodka directors. Wouldn't you say that, by asking Eva for her professional advice, Gedeon is showing great interest in her intelligence as well? Perhaps, in dealing with Eva, he is reconsidering his usual approach to women he wants to take to bed. It may be seen as a first step towards the establishment of new patterns for him. CIAO!!!!!!

I don't think he's interested in her intelligence at all LOL at this point he just wants to engage her in conversation for more than a few seconds and then she is caught off guard when he asks her if she is sleeping with anyone...

[LN Cronan]

One last reflection about Gedeon's behaviour during the meeting with the Kingsman vodka directors. Wouldn't you say that, by asking Eva for her professional advice, Gedeon is showing great interest in her intelligence as well? Perhaps, in dealing with Eva, he is reconsidering his usual approach to women he wants to take to bed. It may be seen as a first step towards the establishment of new patterns for him. CIAO!!!!!!

 

My gut reaction is Gideon jumped at an unexpected opportunity to simply get Eva's attention -- and ended up impressed with her answer, an answer that showed talent and good business sense. When she chose among several different concepts her boss had presented, she explained the one she picked " .... would appeal to the largest demographic." In advertising, that's the best answer. Eva ended up picking what likely would have been Gideon's own first choice.

 

Eva shouldn't have even been in the meeting. It was unusual enough for a junior account executive (her boss Mark) to be making the presentation, which normally would have been done by a senior account executive at the very least. It was even more unusual for Gideon himself to be getting the presentation made to him -- it should have been given to one of the many PR people on his staff. Even Cary knew that, something he pointed out to Eva as Cary figured out the only reason Eva's boss would have met directly with Gideon Cross was because Cross had a hidden agenda -- Eva.

 

Fast forward several weeks to the main meeting on the project itself (the meeting where Gideon acted as cold as ice to Eva -- that meeting happened to take place mere hours before Gideon had everything in place to kill Nathan that evening.) Michael Waters, the CEO of Waters Field & Leaman, himself made the final presentation to Gideon, Mark by Waters' side to help.

 

So it was pure kindness (and appreciation for her working late to help him get the presentation together on such short notice) that prompted Mark to invite Eva to sit in on that very first meeting, giving her a chance to watch something like that. Gideon obviously was delighted that Eva walked in with Mark. My guess: what Gideon had originally hoped to get out of manipulating things by asking Waters Field & Leaman to have Mark Garrity meet with him on short notice was Gideon's plan to arrange for Eva to learn through the grapevine exactly who he is.

 

At that point, she still didn't know who yet he was, only that he was some guy who obviously had business reasons to be in the Crossfire. Up to that point, she'd seen him only twice in three days -- that first time in the lobby and the second time riding downstairs in the elevator one evening later. Rather than Gideon coming out and bluntly introducing himself "I'm Gideon Cross" he manipulated things so that someone in Eva's office, likely Mark himself, would point Gideon out to Eva and say -- that's him, Gideon Cross.

 

When first asked to pick one of the several concepts Mark presented at the very first meeting, she sidestepped by answering she thought they were all brilliant. Gideon threatened to clear the room in order to get her alone so she's answer honestly (without Mark plus two of Gideon's people -- good looking brunettes, by the way -- there.) Oh I'll bet Gideon wanted Eva to himself in the room. He ended up having to settle for getting her to hang back a moment at the elevators.

 

Cary saw right through the whole thing -- Eva's boss getting asked for by name to do this project and Gideon himself meeting with Mark. As soon as Eva got home that night and told Cary what had happened in the meeting, including the hottie's name was "Mr. Cross" Cary easily determined online the guy who'd been pestering Eva for days now was none other than Gideon Cross.

[julie54]

One of the best lines in the chapter, possibly the whole book is,

"Why even call it a f**k? Why not be clear and call it a seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice? Classic.

One of the things I noticed. In the lift, after her lunch with Stanton, Gideon said to Eva , "no lies, Eva. Ever" He may not lie as such, but he is extremely economical with the truth.

[golfergirl]

Yes I like "No Lies Eva, ever"   too

[gabri]

Hi sscrph! Well, he could have asked her about the weather instead! So, there must be another reason why Gedeon poses Eva that question during the meeting with Kingsman vodka representatives. My guess is that Gedeon is aware of the sex related answer Eva has as an option. Therefore, Eva's professional advice both establishes her as a sex–linked person in Gedeon's eyes and turns out to be what he needs to make his decision about what his next move on her will be. I'm feeling dizzy after all this reasoning, and my English isn't up to the task any more... if ever. LOL and CIAO!!!

[sscrph]

One of the best lines in the chapter, possibly the whole book is,

"Why even call it a f**k? Why not be clear and call it a seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice? Classic.

One of the things I noticed. In the lift, after her lunch with Stanton, Gideon said to Eva , "no lies, Eva. Ever" He may not lie as such, but he is extremely economical with the truth.

Well said Julie!!

[sscrph]

Hi sscrph!

Well, he could have asked her about the weather instead!

So, there must be another reason why Gedeon poses Eva that question during the meeting with Kingsman vodka representatives.

My guess is that Gedeon is aware of the sex related answer Eva has as an option. Therefore, Eva's professional advice both establishes her as a sex–linked person in Gedeon's eyes and turns out to be what he needs to make his decision about what his next move on her will be.

I'm feeling dizzy after all this reasoning, and my English isn't up to the task any more... if ever. LOL and CIAO!!!

Luv talking to you Gabri so glad you are with us!!

[julie54]

Gabri

I am loving the fact that your so into the clothes side of the story, bearing in mind that the Italians love their fashion. I love it when Eva describes Gideons suits, because there is nothing more handsome than a man in a three piece suit. Yum.yum! Pushes my buttons too Eva.

[julie54]

Just listened to the first sex scene, on my iPod in BTU. It was the afternoon before the advocacy dinner. It was so HOT,!!!!!! Jill Redfield has done an amazing job. A bit of me felt naughty, as if I was eavesdropping. Lol

[LN Cronan]

The "pre-approved orifice" line in Chapter Three is one of the funniest in the whole series. It made even Gideon laugh out loud.

 

But there are two crucial things Gideon says, on that very same page (42) that I see as very important, because they define his whole approach in life up until Eva about how he handles f******* women. This is what Gideon says on page 42 when he makes it clear he has no intention of dating Eva -- all he's interested in is getting her under him.

 

"Establishing parameters in the beginning makes it less likely that there'll be exaggerated expectations and disappointments at the conclusion ..... There are no mixed signals in my private affairs. You want me to blur that line. I can't think of a good reason to."

 

What's also important about these things he said is that in Chapter Four -- which happens only hours later -- Gideon decides to "blur that line" anyway. He tries to further negotiate "parameters" with Eva, because he's finally got good reason to blur his line. He wants her so bad he's willing to make concessions, if that's what it will take for her to go to bed with him.

 

Because before Eva, that's all sex was to him: it was always f******, never making love. Not even with Corrine. Even with her, it'd just been about sex. Certainly, he cared about Corrine as a person. But he never was in love. And when that relationship convinced him marriage wasn't an option for him in life -- because he could never keep the nightmares a secret if forced to share a home with someone -- he decided how he was going to handle women from that point onward. Never again would he mix dating and f****** like he had with Corrine.

 

And I'll bet that Eva probably is the first woman who ever turned down a sexual proposition of his.

 

Poor Gideon. Underneath, he believed he wasn't worthy of love. The "disappointments" that would lead to the "conclusion" of every case where he started sleeping with a woman were almost certainly them falling in love with him and he refusing to believe they wanted him -- the real him inside. He probably thought they were just after his billions. As soon as they started acting like they cared about him, he'd ditch them.

 

There would be some women, like Magdalene, he'd at least be willing to be friends with. It would be women like her, or arm-candy socialites, that he'd take out when he needed a date in a social setting. But to prevent a repeat of the Corrine situation, he would never sleep with them -- because that could lead to the "exaggerated expectations" too. Magdalene had exaggerated expectations anyway. She fooled herself into thinking that once he got screwing around out of his system and was finally ready to settle down, she'd be the one to become Mrs. Gideon Cross.

[julie54]

The "pre-approved orifice" line in Chapter Three is one of the funniest in the whole series. It made even Gideon laugh out loud.

 

But there are two crucial things Gideon says, on that very same page (42) that I see as very important, because they define his whole approach in life up until Eva about how he handles f******* women. This is what Gideon says on page 42 when he makes it clear he has no intention of dating Eva -- all he's interested in is getting her under him.

 

"Establishing parameters in the beginning makes it less likely that there'll be exaggerated expectations and disappointments at the conclusion ..... There are no mixed signals in my private affairs. You want me to blur that line. I can't think of a good reason to."

 

What's also important about these things he said is that in Chapter Four -- which happens only hours later -- Gideon decides to "blur that line" anyway. He tries to further negotiate "parameters" with Eva, because he's finally got good reason to blur his line. He wants her so bad he's willing to make concessions, if that's what it will take for her to go to bed with him.

 

Because before Eva, that's all sex was to him: it was always f******, never making love. Not even with Corrine. Even with her, it'd just been about sex. Certainly, he cared about Corrine as a person. But he never was in love. And when that relationship convinced him marriage wasn't an option for him in life -- because he could never keep the nightmares a secret if forced to share a home with someone -- he decided how he was going to handle women from that point onward. Never again would he mix dating and f****** like he had with Corrine.

 

And I'll bet that Eva probably is the first woman who ever turned down a sexual proposition of his.

 

Poor Gideon. Underneath, he believed he wasn't worthy of love. The "disappointments" that would lead to the "conclusion" of every case where he started sleeping with a woman were almost certainly them falling in love with him and he refusing to believe they wanted him -- the real him inside. He probably thought they were just after his billions. As soon as they started acting like they cared about him, he'd ditch them.

 

There would be some women, like Magdalene, he'd at least be willing to be friends with. It would be women like her, or arm-candy socialites, that he'd take out when he needed a date in a social setting. But to prevent a repeat of the Corrine situation, he would never sleep with them -- because that could lead to the "exaggerated expectations" too. Magdalene had exaggerated expectations anyway. She fooled herself into thinking that once he got screwing around out of his system and was finally ready to settle down, she'd be the one to become Mrs. Gideon Cross.

Would Magdalene have just become another orifice, had her mother not been a friend of the family? Unlike Chris Vidal jnr, perhaps Gideon knew where to draw a line.

Just curious why Gideon suddenly changed tack and suddenly followed a blonde back into the building, when seeing her for the first time. If his choice of woman previously were mummy related, what was so different about Eva?

[ShazScott1980]

I don't think that Gideon has "mummy issues " in relation to who he's dated

I think he loved Corrine and from their break up was looking for someone like her , hence he looked at brunette

Then Eva changed that when he saw her look in awe outside the crossfire building . Time to look at someone different. Then when the met inside she saw through him. I think from that moment Gideon knew he would pursue Eva no matter what the cost .

If Gideon has mummy issues it because maybe he feels hat the arguments his parents had pushed his father into committing suicide.

Maybe he blames his mother for his fathers suicide.

Or was hurt that she married Vidal so soon after and had children with him .

[Kirsten]

The "pre-approved orifice" line in Chapter Three is one of the funniest in the whole series. It made even Gideon laugh out loud.

 

But there are two crucial things Gideon says, on that very same page (42) that I see as very important, because they define his whole approach in life up until Eva about how he handles f******* women. This is what Gideon says on page 42 when he makes it clear he has no intention of dating Eva -- all he's interested in is getting her under him.

 

"Establishing parameters in the beginning makes it less likely that there'll be exaggerated expectations and disappointments at the conclusion ..... There are no mixed signals in my private affairs. You want me to blur that line. I can't think of a good reason to."

 

What's also important about these things he said is that in Chapter Four -- which happens only hours later -- Gideon decides to "blur that line" anyway. He tries to further negotiate "parameters" with Eva, because he's finally got good reason to blur his line. He wants her so bad he's willing to make concessions, if that's what it will take for her to go to bed with him.

 

Because before Eva, that's all sex was to him: it was always f******, never making love. Not even with Corrine. Even with her, it'd just been about sex. Certainly, he cared about Corrine as a person. But he never was in love. And when that relationship convinced him marriage wasn't an option for him in life -- because he could never keep the nightmares a secret if forced to share a home with someone -- he decided how he was going to handle women from that point onward. Never again would he mix dating and f****** like he had with Corrine.

 

And I'll bet that Eva probably is the first woman who ever turned down a sexual proposition of his.

 

Poor Gideon. Underneath, he believed he wasn't worthy of love. The "disappointments" that would lead to the "conclusion" of every case where he started sleeping with a woman were almost certainly them falling in love with him and he refusing to believe they wanted him -- the real him inside. He probably thought they were just after his billions. As soon as they started acting like they cared about him, he'd ditch them.

 

There would be some women, like Magdalene, he'd at least be willing to be friends with. It would be women like her, or arm-candy socialites, that he'd take out when he needed a date in a social setting. But to prevent a repeat of the Corrine situation, he would never sleep with them -- because that could lead to the "exaggerated expectations" too. Magdalene had exaggerated expectations anyway. She fooled herself into thinking that once he got screwing around out of his system and was finally ready to settle down, she'd be the one to become Mrs. Gideon Cross.

I love that pre-approved orifice line. I also love Eva's response a little further down when she says "I don't want you to do jack s***, besides let me get back to work." What is it about Eva that Gideon is so drawn to?

[julie54]

ShazScott

There was a comment from Eva at the Vidal garden party, when Gideon was talking to his mother.

""Then I wondered if maybe she'd loved him too much....... Revulsion made my spine stiffen"

Something is niggling at me about his mum. Then there was the comment about Cary, when Gideon says to his mother "I thought you might like him" page 242.

[sscrph]

One of my favorite moments in Chapter 2 is when during the meeting in Gideon's office about the Kingsman Vodka campaign Gideon says he'll clear the room to hear Eva's honest opinion and she states that she curves her fingers on the armrest before answering "Mr. Cross I just gave you my honest opinion but if you must know...etc . I think Eva was irritated that Gideon even questioned her honesty about the opinion she gave and I loved her spirited comeback. He should have known then and there not to f--- with her and that she values honesty above all things...

[julie54]

One of my favorite moments in Chapter 2 is when during the meeting in Gideon's office about the Kingsman Vodka campaign Gideon says he'll clear the room to hear Eva's honest opinion and she states that she curves her fingers on the armrest before answering "Mr. Cross I just gave you my honest opinion but if you must know...etc . I think Eva was irritated that Gideon even questioned her honesty about the opinion she gave and I loved her spirited comeback. He should have known then and there not to f--- with her and that she values honesty above all things...

Our Eva is a feisty little minx, who doesn't take any s**t. Openness all the way, which Gideon has to learn. He's a bit slow, but he'll get there, for them to survive.

[sscrph]

Would Magdalene have just become another orifice, had her mother not been a friend of the family? Unlike Chris Vidal jnr, perhaps Gideon knew where to draw a line.

Just curious why Gideon suddenly changed tack and suddenly followed a blonde back into the building, when seeing her for the first time. If his choice of woman previously were mummy related, what was so different about Eva?

As Cary states, Eva is a sexy, stunning woman and he questions any man who doesn't make a play for her. Of course Gideon being the ladies man that he is is no exception. He saw Eva and desired her on the spot because she is sexy and stunning. He wanted a quick lay I' m sure but got way more than he bargained for.. He tells Eva later on she is the biggest risk he has ever taken and wow is he right!!

[sscrph]

ShazScott

There was a comment from Eva at the Vidal garden party, when Gideon was talking to his mother.

""Then I wondered if maybe she'd loved him too much....... Revulsion made my spine stiffen"

Something is niggling at me about his mum. Then there was the comment about Cary, when Gideon says to his mother "I thought you might like him" page 242.