by Mel Curtis
“Yes. I come from a large family in Argentina. Six children. All girls, but me.” He smiled again and Blue had a feeling he knew where Xavier had gotten so good with women. “My sisters, they love you.”
Portia fanned herself with the index card. “It must be hard to go on tour and play every day under the glare of the cameras. Do you care what others think of you?”
“It is very hard to avoid the voice of those who think their opinion matters. For example, a few weeks ago I had trouble at the fifteenth hole. The press won’t let it die. They ask me at every opportunity what I thought of my performance.”
“So what do you do?”
“I know I could have done better. I try to think of the future, to learn from my mistakes.” He shrugged. “It’s part of the job that the media have their shots at me. But I won’t let that end my dreams.”
Portia considered his words before asking, “If I quit acting, would you still find me interesting?”
The golfer’s smile was smoothly charming. “Today you are an actress. Being an actress is only a part of who you are, as being a golfer is only part of who I am. I’d like to get to know you to discover how interesting we are to each other.”
The smile-a-thon continued.
“One last thing.” Portia put the card down. “Would you like to have lunch with me today?”
“I’d be honored.”
Viv had texted Jack that she was outside Javier’s restaurant, and that she’d had an argument with Blue. She’d become such a liar. She waited just beyond the front door, anticipating Jack driving up in a roar of engine and testosterone.
A small, wiry man in an argyle sweater approached her. “Vivian Gordon. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Lyle, how are you?” She hadn’t recognized him when he’d driven up to the valet. Her vision had been fogged over with lust. She had to wait another eight minutes for Jack. Eleven if there was traffic. She air kissed Lyle’s cheeks.
“Are you waiting for someone to go in or go out? I only ask because I’d like to know if I should hold the door for you.” Lyle’s smile didn’t fool Viv. Any question the gossip columnist asked was a risk. She occasionally fed him information, mostly to help Jack’s image.
Viv glanced inside and saw Blue talking to that woman who carried a camera everywhere. She couldn’t keep a note of annoyance from her voice. Where was Jack? “I’m leaving.”
“Might I ask…were you here with Blue Rule?”
Vivian blinked back the haze of desire that addled her brain. “Blue?” She laughed self-consciously. What if Jack found out she wasn’t really seeing Blue? If Lyle saw Jack drive up, he’d ruin everything. The man couldn’t be bought. And she’d tried.
Vivian chose to throw Blue under the bus. “I was with Blue, but…” She leaned in conspiratorially, hoping for damage control that didn’t actually damage anyone more than they’d already been scarred. “I know you’ve heard he’s disappointing, but I’m fickle and I keep giving him another chance.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “We tried a public quickie. Tried.” She’d apologize to Blue someday. She amped up her smile. “I hope you enjoy lunch. The hummus nachos are fabulous.”
And then Vivian opened the door for Lyle and hustled him in with a hand on his back. Lyle looked back at her once, but she turned away and walked to the curb as if impatient for the valet to bring her car.
The roar of a big, powerful engine cut through the air.
Viv forgot about Blue and Lyle and impending divorces. She waved down Jack and sped off to good sex and hope.
“Are you nervous about today?” Cora asked the next morning as they sat in Blue’s office, two empty dog carriers near the wall. “Confronting Kaya is going to be your biggest challenge yet. Other than winning Maddy back.”
“Cora, can you give it a rest? She dumped me.” He rubbed a hand over his face, refusing to acknowledge Cora’s shocked reaction, just as he chose to ignore the texts and phone messages from Winnie and Ulani. They wanted to talk. Blue wanted to make things right with the Avengers before he apologized to anyone, including Maddy. “Kaya’s not going to be as cooperative as Jenny or Portia.”
“Kaya’s a bitch queen, but I kind of admire her for that.” Cora twisted her hair into a makeshift ponytail, like she used to do when they were kids. “She knows what she wants and she’s ruthless going after it.”
“Even if she wants me for all the wrong reasons.” Blue considered his sister. “You’ve mellowed recently. What happened to you?”
“I’ve lost all my friends…I’ve made some mistakes…So I’ve been sketching. It’s…calming.” She looked extremely vulnerable admitting that. “I know that sounds lame. Don’t make fun of me.”
“I stopped making fun of you when I was fifteen.” Imagining her sketching gardens, Blue kept his gaze averted from Dooley’s drawing behind Cora. “Have you always sketched?”
“Daddy taught me a long time ago. I haven’t had time to draw much since I graduated from the Fashion Institute. I was always too busy trying to impress people with the way I wore their designs.” She shrugged. “Now I draw clothes I’d like to create.”
“So you don’t draw flowers and trees?”
“Like Daddy? No.” She fidgeted. “Would you like to see?”
He nodded.
It didn’t take long for Cora to return from her office with a sketch pad. She’d obviously inherited her talent from Dooley. Blue could actually tell they were people she was drawing and get an idea of how the clothes were supposed to look. He murmured something positive, thinking that if Amber decided to continue the practice of record keeping in flower drawings, they’d know who to trust.
“You don’t like them,” she said, reaching for the pad.
He held it back. “They’re better than I expected, but the drawings don’t fit you.”
“Oh.” She looked crestfallen.
“Look at yourself. You’re sleek and elegant, with splashes of color. These are conservative and gray. Very gray.” Probably because she was feeling low after losing her bitchy Avenger friends. Blue could relate, having lost Maddy.
“Oh.” She brightened. “That’s insightful.”
“Glad I could help. Now, I have to get back to thinking about Kaya.” What he really had to do was get over to Dooley’s house and look at all the pictures again. Maybe something would click if he studied the pictures rather than his list – a memory, an idea, something to shake Kaya up.
“Of course you do.” She said it as if she was disappointed that the universe didn’t revolve around her and her brother didn’t have all the time in the world to look at the sketches she’d made.
“Wait.” Maybe Cora could help him. Her name had been on several of Dooley’s pictures at the house, mostly with wilted flowers, including one labeled Ego. “Do you remember that time Dad showed you film he’d shot of you at Amber’s birthday party?” Their dad had caught Cora saying nasty things about Amber. Cora didn’t have much of a filter back then. Or now for that matter.
“The time he tried to humiliate me into feeling bad about trash-talking Amber?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you stop picking on her when you saw that?” It had made Blue squirm and he hadn’t said near as much crap to his older sister as Cora had.
“Because he pissed me off. Do you know when I stopped letting him push me around?”
Blue shook his head.
“When I told him that I was always going to be a bitch.” Her voice became a lament. “It’s like realizing you’re left handed. You can’t change, so why try?”
“That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not. I keep telling you. People instinctively like you and Amber. Me, not so much. I’ve come to peace with it.” Her tone lacked its normal punch. She wasn’t fooling him. She wasn’t at peace.
He handed her the sketch pad. But their conversation sparked an idea for Kaya’s relationship coaching, and distracted Blue enough that he didn’t realize she’d walked out of his office unt
il his phone rang.
Chapter 31
Playboy Avengers Website
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When our man helped make a dying teen’s wish come true, there was more involved than just donning superhero tights. You can see it here (link to YouTube video).
“What the – ” Blue clicked on the link on the Avengers’ website.
Him in Flash tights. A dying teen’s punching bag.
There were only two people in the universe who could have given the Avengers the video – Dave or Maddy. Dave didn’t have access to the other videos. The weight of suspicion bowed Blue’s shoulders. He drew a long, painful breath.
She’d betrayed him.
It wasn’t as if she was the first woman who’d taken measures to destroy him.
But Maddy?
She’d made him the world’s punching bag.
Blue called Franklin to see what his legal options were.
Minutes later, Maddy came in, lugging her camera equipment and looking innocent, as usual.
Cora followed on Maddy’s heels, dodging dogs at her feet. “Don’t say it, Blue. You’ll regret it.”
But it was too late. He could no longer believe Maddy hadn’t turned Avenger. “I trusted you, Maddy. I trusted you and this is how you treat me?” He rose to his feet, gripping the desk to keep from reaching for her.
Maddy was calm, calmer than he would have been had their situations been reversed. Another indication of her guilt. If he couldn’t rely on his instincts toward Maddy – toward women – he was screwed as a relationship coach. Hell, he was screwed, period.
Maddy set her cases of equipment down. Her brown gaze met his squarely. “What’s up?”
“One time, I could excuse. Two times made me wonder. But a third time?” His dick didn’t want to believe it. His heart was crying foul. But he couldn’t ignore the truth. “Why do you keep giving video clips to the Avengers?”
“It happened again?” Oh, she had the innocent thing down. Blue was almost glad he hadn’t had the chance to date her before he uncovered her dark side.
Cora scooped Brutus into her arms. “Blue – ”
“And to think I wanted to get my shit together before we started dating.” He couldn’t contain his hurt any longer. “I wanted to straighten out this Avenger mess and reclaim my home so you could see it.” Frustration over the stupid choices he’d made with Maddy churned in his gut and roiled his veins. He pounded his desk with a fist. “I was happy with my life until you waltzed in with your camera. I had morals. I had a code I lived by. And then you came along.”
“You were living a lie,” Maddy deadpanned. “I had nothing to do with the leak of any video.”
She was good. He still wanted to believe her.
Cora tried to step in. “Blue – ”
“You were charging people thousands of dollars for snake oil.” Maddy claimed the other side of his desk and leaned into his space. “This has always been about money and your pride and your precious playboy reputation. A humble man would have the balls to tell his girlfriends why things aren’t working out. You never told me you wanted to get your shit together. If your messed-up shit made a difference to me, I never would’ve slept with you.” Her voice dropped to the painful tone of truth. “You can’t communicate with people, not unless someone gets up in your grill, makes you face up to reality, and calls you an idiot! Only then will you tell someone what goes on in that head of yours.”
“Oh, hell.” Cora slumped into a seat. “Can I get a word in?”
Blue waved his sister off. “I watch my words because I try not to hurt anyone’s feelings.”
“Worked out really well for you, didn’t it?” Maddy taunted. “With all those women you didn’t date.” She put the word date in air quotes.
Cora gave him the cut-off sign, but Blue’s anger was a speeding freight train with failed brakes.
He pounded his clenched fists on the desktop. “And, yeah, maybe I’m not as open and talkative as you are, but I’ve seen women go ballistic over my father and try to kill people. I’d rather avoid that extreme.”
“Maybe you should check whatever relationship handbook you’ve suddenly picked up, because in it you’ll probably find that communication is the number one key to a successful one. You’re just mad that I dumped you before you could dump me!”
“That’s low,” he growled louder than all the little beasts at the little dog shelter.
“Don’t think I didn’t know it wouldn’t last. But you surprised even me.” Maddy’s voice softened to a bruise. “You made sure my career would benefit from sleeping with you. The playboy has evolved beautifully. You should be proud. Career advancement will keep most women you dump happy and un-Avengeful.”
He frowned. “Did Ivan tell you I paid to green-light and shelve your project?”
“You what?” Her anger soared. He hadn’t thought it could go any higher. “I should have thrown that USB back at you when I had the chance. Who knew you’d never believe I wasn’t behind all this? Who knew your greatest obstacle to happiness was trust?”
“Trust?” He scoffed. “I’ll never trust anyone again. I never should have trusted you. You figured I didn’t know what I was doing and you decided releasing the video would make for better TV.”
“Save your theories, Blue.” Hurt hardened Maddy’s gaze, scarring her voice, raking painfully over his heart. “Do you want to know why your most successful relationship is with a dog?” Her breath hitched. “Because you don’t need to trust him.” She ran out of steam. Her voice dropped to a rough whisper. “Mr. Jiggles deserves better than you. And so do I.”
Her voice was so achingly coarse, he knew she hadn’t betrayed him. He knew, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. He was too mired in his own pain and pride and stupidity.
Cora hadn’t given up on interrupting them. “Guys – ”
“I have work to do and no time to deal with your insecurities.” Maddy backed away from the desk, but her eyes never left him, never let him forget that he’d hurt her and blown a chance at something special. “Your attempt to screw me with Ivan backfired. When this show gets picked up – because it will – you’ll forget you ever saw me naked.”
He could try to erase the image of her naked. He could attempt to obliterate what it felt like to be inside her. But forget the raw hurt in her eyes as she stared at him across his desk?
Never.
The Avengers were wrong.
Blue wasn’t worth it.
Maddy had to tell herself that over and over, so her breath wouldn’t grow quick and panicked. She’d known it was over, for days. She’d been holding it together, for days. And then he’d driven a stake into her broken heart.
Her mother called. Maddy let it roll to voicemail. No doubt, her father received a Google Alert and they’d seen Blue get punched in the Flash mascot costume. Her parents were probably hoping Blue’s troubles would doom Maddy’s pilot and seal her fate in their dry cleaning business.
It took her three times to tuck her hair behind her ears, more than three tries to dial Ivan.
“Yes, he offered to pay me.” Ivan wasn’t even apologetic. “But how could I possibly shelve such a wonderful piece of work? You’re talented, Maddy. Don’t get your panties in a bunch and mess this up. It’s going to be big.”
It’s going to be big.
She held onto the thought as she brought out Auntie Maddy and carried on, feeling dead inside as she set up for the day’s filming.
Kaya showed up on time dressed in her battle armor. She wore the thinnest yellow tank top ever made. Her braless nipples pressed against the fabric in dark brown circles, requiring a tighter than planned camera shot. Black leggings hugged her body with no panty lines. Black satin stilettos completed the sex-on-demand image. Beneath her spiky, red hair, Kaya’s makeup was heavy, especially the dark lines around her eyes.
She would have made Maddy nervous just by breathing the same air, if Maddy hadn’t had it up to her eyeba
lls with lying, manipulative celebrities.
“Do you remember where we met?” Blue began after Maddy called, “Action.”
“It was an after party event for Amazing Race contestants. You walked over to introduce yourself after being bored to death by Tracy Littleton.” Kaya raised an eyebrow at Blue, as if daring him to contradict he’d been bored with another woman.
He handled it gracefully, with his father’s steady cadence. Only the occasional stray glance Maddy’s way gave any indication that he wasn’t composed. “What was going through your mind when we met?”
“I wondered if anyone would notice if I dragged you under the buffet table. It had a floor-length tablecloth.” Kaya tugged on her tank, and smirked.
“Why would you want to do that?”
“I appreciate a fine male body.” She let her gaze stroke over Blue’s chest.
Maddy told herself she wasn’t jealous. She told herself Blue deserved to suffer, especially when Maddy wasn’t the kind to punish him. But she felt for him nonetheless.
Blue brushed his chest, as if he could brush off Kaya’s predatory gaze. “That doesn’t sound like you’re very choosy. L.A. is full of good looking guys with great bodies.”
“And a lot of them are still climbing the ladder of success. You’d already made it. That’s sexy to me.”
Blue needed to up his game if he wanted to get the best of Kaya. Until then, it was good for the show.
He didn’t look at all worried. “Put yourself in my shoes. What was I thinking when I first met you?”
“You thought I was the most exciting woman in the room. I made your dick dance. Come on, admit it. You know I’m right.” Her smile taunted, invited, dared.
“Is that how you approach all your relationships? Jump right in and see if you’re compatible later?”
Kaya uncrossed her legs. She was leaning back in her chair. If she’d been wearing a dress, Maddy would have suspected she was giving Blue the Basic Instinct hoo-hah flash.
“Could it be that men find your personality…abrasive?”