Hotshot Deceiver: A Hero Club Novel

by K E Osborn

  “Just you. You’re an enigma.”

  He straightens his shoulders, opening the door for me. “I’ll take that. C’mon, hummingbird, we don’t wanna miss it.” I duck under his arm, heading outside as he follows behind, then closes my door. His hand rests on my hip in a show of ownership. I like it.

  I look out and notice an expensive black car. I don’t really know what kind. I’m not up on all that, but I know it’s state of the art. We walk to it, and I move quickly to the door. Eddie pounces, and we grab the handle at the same time, but my hand is on the metal just that little bit more, so I open my own door with a loud laugh. Eddie grumbles as I throw my hands in the air. “Yes!”

  Even still, he moves to usher me in, his hand firmly on my back.

  “Let it go, hotshot.” I raise my brow, letting him know I’ve won this round.

  He chuckles, lifting his hand. “One-all. But I’m going to win, Lyri,” he says, then continues walking, shaking his head as he goes.

  I laugh to myself as I jump into the car. Eddie shifts into the driver’s side as I take in the feel of the leather seats. Now, this is comfort. The dashboard is like something better suited to a sci-fi movie than an automobile.

  I sink into the seat, feeling completely out of my depth.

  He reaches over to grab my hand. “I got you, hummingbird.”

  Just a little bit of support from him goes a long way.

  I sit taller, relaxing, feeling more at ease. He starts the engine, but I can barely even hear it. The radio turns on instantly—I love that it’s already on the 80’s rock channel.

  We drive for a little while. My eyes take in the city streets of LA as my foot taps along to the power ballads playing tonight. I find myself lost in the music, in the endless melodies as I stare out the window, quietly singing along.

  “You have such a sweet voice. Why don’t you do something with it?”

  My body tenses as I remember where I am, who I’m with. I was so relaxed I forgot I was singing, and Eddie can hear me. I turn to him, my face stern. “I already told you, I don’t sing.”

  He doesn’t push as he drives, pulling the car into a place called LEVEL. I don’t really know what it is, but I’ve heard of it before somewhere in passing.

  The valet talks to Eddie while I walk around to his side of the car. I’m still in the dark right now about what we’re doing. Maybe this is another restaurant?

  “Thank you.” Eddie offers the valet a tip.

  Eddie reaches out for my hand, so I give it to him, feeling that all-too-familiar spark.

  I don’t want the tension over my non-singing to become an issue again. So, I cuddle into his side as he walks me toward the elevator. “Can you tell me yet what we’re doing?”

  He waggles his brows suggestively. “Strip club.”

  I gasp, jerking my head back. “Seriously?”

  “You should see your face…” He laughs. “No, c’mon. Trust me, Lyri.”

  We step inside the elevator, and he presses the button for the fourth floor. My mind wanders over all the possible scenarios waiting for me when those doors open. The elevator dings, and when the doors spread open, it’s to a rooftop with a giant movie screen. I inwardly bounce around like a schoolgirl but keep my cool on the outside as I take in Eddie’s jovial face.

  “An outdoor cinema?”

  He bobs his head. “The movie is set to begin after the sun sets. I thought it might be something you’d like?”

  “This is totally something I’d like.”

  He interlocks our fingers, and we walk over to the counter to grab some popcorn and blankets. Once we’re all geared up, we make our way to the back row into a loveseat for two.

  The staff said it was perfect for a date night.

  They aren’t wrong.

  It’s cozy, and I get to inch close into Eddie.

  It’s more than perfect.

  The only problem is we have to wear earbuds for the movie, so I won’t be able to talk to him properly. But until it starts, I’ll keep them out. “What movie are we seeing?” I ask.

  He winces. “The only thing they’re playing tonight is Beetlejuice… so…”

  I laugh. “I loved that movie as a kid.”

  Eddie visibly relaxes a little while I cuddle into his side a little more. The stars begin to twinkle, and the city lights shine brightly under the velvet sky.

  The movie’s about to start, so I place my earbuds into my ears. The volume of the movie isn’t as loud as I thought it was going to be, so I can still kind of hear what’s going on around the outdoor cinema. There are people coughing, chairs scraping, but the atmosphere is electric. I sit cuddled up to Eddie watching Winona Ryder looking so incredibly young, and I am feeling like I’m buzzing on the inside.

  The movie seems more farfetched than I remember. I’m finding the whole thing a little silly, but still completely entertaining. I am having a good time. I’m in the arms of Eddie. What’s not to enjoy?

  “Are you having a good time?” a faint voice sounds beside me.

  I turn to see Eddie looking right at me.

  I pull an earbud from my ear, and he does the same. “I am,” I whisper. “I loved this movie as a kid, but now I can kind of see how crazy the whole concept is.”

  Eddie glances around at everyone with their headphones in. He pulls his other one out, placing it on his lap. “Do you think they can hear us?”

  I pull my other one out, glancing around—not one single person bats an eyelid. “Nope.”

  He wraps his arm around me, pulling me to him farther. “So then, hummingbird, tell me about your day,” he says.

  I giggle. “You mean to tell me we’ve come to an outdoor cinema, and we’re gonna spend the movie chatting?”

  He shrugs. “If you want to?”

  I lean into him. “Sure. So, this morning I tried to get Polly to eat apple again… epic fail. Then at work, Paisley spent the day online researching.”

  His eyes widen. “Oh yeah? A new flower or something?”

  “She was supposed to be finding a supplier for nutrient packets. Instead, she was googling all the hot Chrises in the acting and music world.”

  He lets out a rather loud laugh, making the people in front of us turn around and glare. We both duck down in an apology as he tries to control himself. “And I suppose you didn’t benefit from this hot Chris research at all?”

  “No... some of us have to actually work.”

  He fake winces. “Shame. That Thor guy is a real looker.”

  I jab him in the ribs, making him squirm. “Tell me about your day, hotshot.”

  He exhales. “Same old, same old. It was busy. I signed on some new clients, though.”

  “Well, that’s good. Bet your father’s happy?”

  “My father is always happy for new clients. He worries about the bottom line far too much.”

  I can still vaguely hear the movie from the earbuds sitting on my lap. It’s getting to the part where she’s going to say Beetlejuice for the third time in a row. I glance at the scene as the guy in front of us throws his popcorn at the screen.

  “Don’t do it,” he yells, making everyone in the outdoor cinema start laughing.

  Eddie rolls his eyes and exhales. “You wanna get out of here?”

  I giggle. “Yeah.”

  We throw the blanket off our legs and grab our popcorn and earbuds. Lucky we’re in the back row, so we’re not disturbing anyone else as we make our way to the desk. We hand in the blanket and the earbuds, chuckling all the way back down to the valet.

  “Sorry, but I think my big date idea was a dud.”

  I dismiss him. “It’s all good. We can make a plan from this. If we’re ever in a situation we wanna get out of in a hurry, we can just tell the other ‘Beetlejuice,’ and we know we gotta leave.”

  He dips his head and laughs. “Okay, sounds like a plan to me.”

  “Wanna just go back to mine and watch Netflix?”

  He grins wide. “I like your date
idea waaay better than mine.”

  Eddie hands in the ticket for the valet, and we wait for the car to come around.

  “We should order takeout, too,” I say.

  He groans in delight. “Geez, woman, you’re way better at planning dates than me.”

  I shrug. “I don’t need all this fancy stuff, Eddie. I appreciate it… don’t get me wrong. It’s great you’re going to all this effort for me. But honestly, I’m a simple girl, and sitting at home on the sofa cuddling and binge-watching The Walking Dead sounds like a good night to me.”

  He grimaces. “Can we compromise and watch Suits instead?”

  I burst out laughing. “Little Eddie afraid of some fake-ass zombies?” I mock.

  He groans. “I don’t like horror much.”

  “Okay, Suits it is. But the early stuff… with Mike.”

  His eyes light up. “You just want to ogle him, don’t you?”

  “Hey, you picked it. You can’t back out now, hotshot.”

  He wraps his arm around me, leaning in and planting a tender kiss on my temple. It sends a shudder down straight between my legs as I try to keep my raging hormones under control.

  The car pulls up just in the nick of time. I need to pull away from Eddie before I turn and jump all over him here in front of the LEVEL staff. Eddie and I slowly walk to the passenger side, and I take a deep breath as he reaches for my door.

  I let him.

  I don’t make a game out of it this time.

  I don’t try to beat him to it.

  I simply let him be a gentleman, and the look on his face tells me it means everything to him. I smile up at him as he ushers me inside the car. The biggest smile is on his face, then he moves around and jumps into the driver’s side. He looks at me like he knows that was a moment for us. Then, with a soft exhale, he takes off back to my place where I suddenly realize we’ll be alone.

  All alone.

  In a house.

  With a bed.

  Holy shit!

  Chapter Nine

  Walking inside my home, I feel slightly tense. I’m not sure if Eddie’s having the same thoughts as I am, but I can’t seem to rid them from my mind now that we’re here.

  Get a grip, Lyri. You haven’t even kissed properly. You have to do that before you get to the good stuff.

  Eddie closes the door behind him as I place my bag on the single yellow armchair just inside my entry. I move over to the sofa.

  Should I just sit down?

  “Rawrr... bonjour,” Polly screeches from the back room.

  Eddie smiles as he walks over to me. “Polly’s fluent in French, too?”

  I snort out a laugh. “Well, he can say hello. So, I wouldn’t exactly call him fluent.”

  “Your brother really had a good time with him when he was here, didn’t he?”

  “Oh, you have no idea of the mischief those two got into.”

  Eddie chuckles, leading me toward the sofa. “So, shall we order some food?”

  I drop onto my gray three-seater sofa, pushing all the multicolored cushions to the floor. Eddie takes a seat next to me while observing my living room. It’s uniquely me. Medium in size, but big enough for the sofa and a small round wooden coffee table complete with a potted plant. A wooden buffet sits against the far wall with brass handles in the middle section, and doors on the two outside edges. A tall vintage green stained-glass Tiffany lamp is situated on top with some scattered ornaments. Another tall plant with spiked leaves sits in a terracotta pot held by a green stand, so it’s at the same level as the buffet.

  There’s a wicker chair in the corner with an array of various colored cushions arranged on it, and of course, my yellow armchair just inside the door—plus, the television beside the giant bay window which has a view onto the street.

  A giant patterned rug sits in the middle of the floor, and underneath all the furniture, giving the room a warm and inviting feel. From the ceiling hangs a single blue ornate chandelier—vintage, of course. Plus, there is crazy artworks on the wall.

  The room is a mishmash of the weird and wonderful.

  Just how I like it.

  My whole house is like this—colors, shapes, new and old. I have a definite vibe going on, but Dad also saw to it that I had some expensive pieces to make himself feel better. Personally, I would have been happy with anything from the secondhand store as long as it fit my boho vibe.

  “Food, yes. What do you feel like?” I ask, yanking out my cell to order something.

  He shrugs. “This is your date. You pick.”

  “Oh, you asked for it, hotshot.” I open the app, ordering Indian—the hotter, the better.

  My two loves, sugary sweetness and fiery spice–tonight I’m opting for the latter.

  He leans back on the sofa, his arm outstretched behind me as I cuddle against his side. “I’m so glad you wanted to come here, Eddie,” I admit honestly.

  He moves his arm around me. “Me, too, hummingbird. Me, too.”

  “So, you ready for Suits?”

  He rubs my arm up and down. “How about a chat first?”

  I open my eyes wide. “Sounds serious. You need to admit something. Confess a deep, dark secret?”

  He rolls his eyes. “I feel like I should make something up now to shock you, but I’m trying to be serious here.”

  I clear my throat. “Right, sorry. Go ahead.”

  He exhales. “Anyway, tell me about you, hummingbird. I want to know everything about you.”

  “Oh, this one of those chats, is it?”

  “Lyri, I’m trying here,” he berates.

  I lean up, kissing his cheek. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll behave. Okay, about me…” I glance up to the ceiling. “Well, I suppose you will find this out anyway, so I may as well tell you.” His brows crease like he’s concerned. “My family is kind of famous.”

  He jerks his head back in shock. “As in… famous-famous or notorious famous?”

  “Aren’t they the same thing?”

  He scoffs. “No. One are celebrities, the other are more like, you know… known to the police.”

  “Well, more the former, but I guess my brother is a little of the latter as well. The damn lunatic can be a bit of a rebel.”

  Eddie’s eyes widen. “Okay, so tell me…” He smiles, and it touches his beautiful eyes. “Who is your family?”

  I take in a deep breath. “Remember in the car, that song that came over the radio… I made you turn it off?”

  “Yeah, Savage Lies… great 80’s rock band. They’re still going, though.”

  I purse my lips. “Yeah, they’re still going. I know because the lead singer, Stylo Griffin… he’s my dad.”

  Eddie’s eyes widen as he sits completely still like he’s been struck by a stun gun. “Your father is rock royalty?”

  I tense a little. “You a fan?”

  He shakes his head like he’s in awe. “I, ahh… well, yeah. I mean, I guess now I think about it, it makes sense.”

  “It does?”

  A faint smile lights his face. “Your voice.”

  I sink in on myself. “I don’t sing, Eddie. Remember?”

  He nods matter-of-factly. “No, I know... this is just—”

  “If you can’t handle this,” I snap, more out of fear of rejection than anything else as I sit up from him. I move to get some distance, but he pulls me back down to him.

  “Lyri, stop! It’s just a shock. You’re the daughter of someone famous. I need to impress a rock legend. That shit’s daunting for a man.”

  I chew on my bottom lip. “That’s all this is?” I point between him and me.

  “I swear. We’re good. Tell me more.”

  I exhale at the memories. “The thing about my childhood is… Dad was always away on tour. Mom is the band’s manager, so she was forever away with him, too.” He weakly smiles. “We had nannies and other house staff, but when I got older and more capable, I became the parent to my siblings. I helped to feed them, assisted them with their sch
ooling, looked after the mansion, dealt with the press constantly calling… it was a lot for me to take on at sixteen.”

  I take in a sharp breath at the memory. “All I wanted was a normal life. Normal parents who were around and could take me to dance lessons if I wanted to go, which I didn’t. I wanted to go to a normal school and not be hounded when we went outside of our own home.” I shrug. “It’s so much better the older I’ve gotten, and since moving away from the main home. Distancing myself from the family has helped keep my anonymity. But in those early years, I hated my life. I disliked my parents for being famous, and I abhorred the music industry…”

  Eddie places his hand on my thigh for support.

  “The only upside of being confined to the mansion meant I needed a hobby, so I had the groundskeeper teach me the maintenance of the garden. We even made this amazing flower garden by the front of the stairs.”

  “Sounds like the groundskeeper was good for you.”

  I smile. “He was. He helped me research floristry, and that’s how I got to where I am now… at Love and Lavender.”

  Eddie genuinely smiles. “And look at you… you’re successful at what you do. You’re making a name for yourself all on your own.”

  I dip my head. I guess I am.

  “Yeah, so hearing their music reminds me of my childhood. Of the fact my father’s never around. That’s why I got weird that day.”

  He nods. I inhale clapping my hands together. “Okay, that’s enough deep and meaningfuls for now.” I grab the remote, turning on the television to Netflix—Suits, season one, episode one. “Here we go. You ready for this marathon?”

  He sits back, getting comfortable. “Hell, yeah. Bring it on.”

  I snuggle into him, feeling like this is the place I’m supposed to have been all my life. Eddie’s like no one I’ve ever met.

  If he can accept me for who I am, family connections and all, then maybe, just maybe, this could turn into something exciting.

  ***

  Eddie surprised me with the Indian. When it arrived, he told me it was one of his favorite foods. He ate that beef vindaloo like a damn champion. Nothing like a hot curry to warm up a cold winter night. Of course, the one thing I didn’t think of was the garlic breath I now have from the naan bread. But it’s okay because he has it too. It’s totally fine, right?