by Adele Dubois
Gunther waved away her jibe and continued his defense. “People are concerned about you. They don’t understand why you haven’t come forward. I told Sandra to talk to you about it, but instead, she went to Marv.”
Crystal blanched. “She told our producer? Is she nuts?”
“No, Sandra is your friend. Protecting you. She doesn’t want you hurt. Or worse.”
All Crystal’s indignity rushed out in a resigned sigh. Gunther had disarmed her. “Damn.”
“Right. We’re your friends. So stop acting all paranoid and let us help you.”
Crystal threw up her hands. “If the secret’s out, I guess I’d better talk to Marv.”
Gunther nodded. “Guess so.” He turned to Brigit and Kiesha. “Ready, girls? I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.” He glared at Tomas and his nostrils flared with enmity.
Tomas had the good grace to concede his mistake. He thrust out his hand for a handshake. “Sorry, man. I’m worried about Crystal too. After all, she’s my girl.”
Gunther shook Tomas’ hand, but he didn’t seem mollified. “Forget it.” Crystal had the distinct feeling it would be a long time before Gunther let the incident pass.
“Let me buy you a new shirt.” Tomas reached for the wallet in his back pocket.
“No way. I don’t want your fucking money.”
“I said I was sorry and I meant it. Try to understand. I’m with the Military Police. We don’t trust anybody.”
For some reason, that seemed to smooth things over. Gunther’s expression and body language relaxed. He offered a tight smile. “I guess Crystal isn’t the only one who’s paranoid.”
Tomas grinned back. “You’re not paranoid if they’re really out to get you.”
Gunther turned again to Crystal. “If someone wants to hurt you, you’d better stop pretending a problem doesn’t exist.”
“That’s what Tomas said,” Crystal replied.
“Well, Tomas is right.” It seemed to take effort for Gunther to side with Tomas, but Crystal respected him for doing it anyway.
“You’ve shamed me into agreeing with you,” Crystal replied. “I’ll talk to Marv. We’ll decide what to do.”
Tomas and Gunther nodded almost in unison.
Brigit went to the front window and peeked behind the curtains. “Our cab is here.”
“That’s our cue,” Gunther said. He, Brigit and Kiesha moved to the front door. Yvette came up behind them. Gunther kissed her cheek before heading down the front steps behind the girls.
Yvette stopped at the door and turned back to Crystal. “From now on you’ll get a rental discount if you invite me to all of your…get-togethers.” She smiled a wicked grin. “I want to make sure you don’t move away.” Yvette closed the front door, but opened it two seconds later, like she’d forgotten something. She stuck her head inside the entryway. “Take care of yourself, Crystal. I have a vested interest in your well-being.”
Crystal chuckled. “Your concern is heartwarming.”
Yvette gave her the thumbs-up. “I’m a warm and fuzzy kind of girl.”
Chapter Three
Crystal stared at her trashed dressing room in horror. Tears welled as she scanned the open drawers, overturned containers and tossed clothing. Luckily, from what she could tell, nothing had been damaged. Someone had simply been looking for something.
The letters. There could be no other explanation.
“Why the fuck didn’t you come to me right away?” Marv growled behind Crystal as he took in the mess and her theory. The producer ran a stubby, thick-knuckled hand over his balding head. The gold on his pinkie finger shone against his perspiring scalp in the light of Crystal’s dressing room. All he needed was a cigar to complete the comic book sketch of an overweight, old-time newsman. Minus the porn.
“I was trying not to make waves.” Crystal clutched her terrycloth robe tighter around her. She still needed to shower off the bed of roses painting on her bare stomach, chest and neck. Long, green stems with leaves circled her breasts. Gunther, in a noticeably good mood since their get-together the night before, despite his clash with Tomas, had also brushed bright red roses over her nipples. The process had taken over two hours. Crystal was tired after her segment and wanted to go home.
“You let me worry about waves. You just keep looking sexy and delicious. Keep the cocks and the ratings up. I do my job, you do yours.”
“Sorry.” Marv was the only man in the world who could make Crystal feel five years old again. She was used to men ogling her, not glaring. It was useless to work her limited charm on her boss to soften him up. When it came to his employees, Marv was strictly business. Like he always said, “I don’t know from charm.”
He shook his head and screwed up his mouth. “If you’d come to me before someone got desperate, I might have been able to keep the situation under control.” The big man let out a weary sigh. “Now I got no choice but to call the police before someone else does. This is a news station, honeybunch. Remember? Getting the word out is our job.”
News with a happy ending. The tagline popped into her head. Crystal thought that line would make great advertising for the station, but kept the conversation on topic. “Tomas was going to help me. Maybe get his brother at the FBI involved.”
Marv turned white as a sheet. “F-B fucking I? Have you gone nuts? I don’t want the feds in here, Missy!”
“Not the feds. Just Antonio.”
“No!” Marv roared back. “End of discussion. Let me handle this.”
Crystal demurred. What else could she do? Marv paid her salary.
She must have looked scared, because Marv’s features relaxed and he took on a fatherly demeanor. “I didn’t mean to yank your chain. You’re a huge asset to the organization. I just want to keep things under control, that’s all.”
Under his control, apparently. She liked hearing the asset part, though. “Okay. Thanks, Marv.”
He reached out to pat her shoulder in an obvious effort to comfort her, but dropped his hand to his side before his palm made contact. Marv was supersensitive to anything that might be construed as sexual harassment. “Go home and get some rest. We’ll clean things up here. I wish I could give you the day off tomorrow, but you know that’s impossible. The show depends on you.”
Crystal nodded. “I have my car. I’ll just grab some things and shower at home.” When Marv strode off down the hall, she dropped her robe on a chair, pulled a sundress over her head and slipped on sandals. After collecting her purse, she headed straight to her convertible. The police would want a statement later and she’d rather talk to them without painted roses peeking from her clothing.
Inside her car in the employee parking lot, she pulled out her cell phone and called Tomas. He had double duty and wasn’t able to join her at work. He’d planned to pick up the letters tonight and show them to Antonio over the weekend.
Crystal considered. How convenient for the perpetrator who’d tossed her dressing room. Theirs was a crime of opportunity, probably because Tomas hadn’t been around.
Who had access to her private quarters while she taped her show? Crystal frowned. Everyone. When she returned to work, she’d insist Marv have a proper lock installed. She doubted he’d balk at the request after what had happened.
Tomas didn’t answer his cell, so she drove straight to her apartment. Her hands shook on the steering wheel as she replayed the scene in her dressing room in her mind. Her appetite disappeared. She was usually starving after a performance.
Weariness dragged her down. She could hardly wait to get home.
She pulled into her one-car garage and entered her place through a back door to the kitchen. She dropped her purse on the counter. When she stepped into the dining room on her way upstairs, Crystal stopped dead in her tracks and screamed.
Her apartment looked like a tornado had hit.
Yvette was at her front door in minutes. “What’s wrong?” she shouted, her eyes shot with fear. “I heard you scream. Are you all r
ight?”
Crystal turned and swung out her arm. “Someone ransacked my apartment. The same thing happened to my dressing room.” She walked back inside and went straight to the dining room breakfront where the doors and drawers hung open. Linens, napkin rings and tapers lay in haphazard heaps on the floor. The hand-dipped candles were broken. She went to the spot where Tomas had hidden the letters. “Seems whoever it was found what they wanted.”
Yvette swayed, held her chest and sat down hard on the single couch cushion that hadn’t been overturned. She covered her eyes with her hands and moaned into her palms. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”
Crystal went to her friend. “Did you see anything? Hear anything?”
Yvette looked up at her with an expression of deep remorse. Tears ran down her face. “This is my fault, Crystal. I’m so incredibly sorry.”
“What do you mean?” She kneeled and took Yvette’s hands. “Tell me what happened.”
Yvette took a shaky breath. “A woman came by. Said she was your assistant and that you needed something for work right away. I looked at the clock and knew you were about to go on the set, so I couldn’t call to verify. But the woman had WCNT identification and seemed completely on the up and up. Earnest and sweet.” The landlord gave a brief physical description. She smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. “How could I have been so gullible?”
Crystal could hardly blame her, especially when she’d had a string of visitors since the day she moved in. Yvette probably thought the woman was one of her regular sex partners. Crystal sighed. She only had herself to blame for being so freaking accessible.
She squeezed Yvette’s fingers. “I’m not mad at you. It’s not your fault.”
Yvette gave her head a vehement shake. “It is my fault! I shouldn’t have let her in. This will never happen again, so help me.” She wrapped her arms around Crystal’s neck and hugged her tight. When she sat back she asked, “What’s going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Crystal shrugged. “I didn’t think so, but apparently I was wrong.” She really needed to stop minimizing pressing issues. Her gaze tracked the scattered music and movie collections, open books and riffled desk. “Guess this person is tired of being ignored.” She racked her brains trying to think who could have been at her place. The woman had long, straight dark hair. Thin. Twenties. She could have been any one of half a dozen staff members fitting that description.
Why did that person want the letters back?
Moments later the doorbell rang. “Police!” a voice shouted. Crystal turned to Yvette. “Did you call the cops when you heard me scream?”
“No. I should have, but I ran here straightaway.” She ran her hands down her bare thighs below her shorts as if smoothing a nonexistent skirt. Her hands trembled with the movements.
Crystal moved to the door and invited two male officers inside. Their badges said Jefferson and O’Connor above their shirt pockets. “Who called you?” Crystal asked. “You got here at warp speed.” She introduced herself and Yvette to the police officers and explained Yvette’s presence.
The officers glanced around at the mess and turned back to Crystal. “Your boss, Marv, reported that your dressing room had been ransacked. We came by to take your statement. Save you a trip to the station.” Jefferson offered a tight, knowing smile, and Crystal understood the officers were Tomas’ friends. As an MP, Tomas knew everyone on the local force.
O’Connor shook his head. “Looks like you got troubles, Miss. Any idea who did this or why?” He scribbled a few notes on a pad he pulled from a pocket.
“I’ve gotten threatening letters at work. Whoever came in here, took them. I think it was a station employee.”
Jefferson eyed the rose petals painted over her chest and neck, but didn’t comment. “Sounds like they were recovering evidence.”
Crystal shrugged. “I guess.”
The officers walked around the rooms, observing and taking notes. “Have you checked the upstairs?”
“No.” Crystal moved toward the steps, but O’ Conner extended a hand to stop her. “We’ll do that. You stay here.” Crystal returned to the couch and adjusted the cushions beside Yvette.
The cops returned a few minutes later. “The upstairs is clear. You can check to see if anything is missing.”
“I will. Thanks.”
“Do you have someone to stay with you? Will you be okay after we leave?”
Crystal sighed with relief at the thought of Tomas coming by after his shift. “My boyfriend, Tomas Alvarez, will be staying with me until this situation is resolved.”
“Glad to hear that. Tomas knows what he’s doing,” Jefferson said.
“Mind if I sit?” O’Connor asked. “I’ll give you a copy of our report.”
“Of course not.” Crystal motioned to the dining room table. The officer completed a form and tore off a copy, which he left for her on the table.
“We’ll look into this, Ms. Miller, and get back to you.”
“I appreciate that, Officers.” Crystal walked them out.
It took over an hour for Crystal and Yvette to straighten up the apartment, but when it was done, Crystal heaved a great sigh of relief. Even if normalcy was an illusion, it felt good to have her apartment back in order. Nothing had been damaged except the candles, so she figured she’d gotten off easy. She said to Yvette, “Thanks for your help. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll shower and change. Tomas will be here soon.”
“Of course.” Yvette hugged her and saw herself to the door. “I’ll call you.”
Crystal scanned her apartment and threw up her hands. “Screw it. Whoever wanted those letters can have them.”
* * * * *
Rose petals washed down the shower drain in whirlpool wisps of pink. Crystal shampooed her hair and glided a soapy washcloth over her nude flesh to smooth away the body paint. Leaning back, she let the warm jets splash rivulets the length of her body. Moment by moment, the steam and moisture soothed her tense muscles and eased her worried mind.
“Crystal!” The bathroom door muffled the sound of her name, but Crystal would have recognized Tomas’ voice anywhere. Footsteps rushed up the stairs and down the hall. The bathroom door burst open. Heavy shoes plunked on the floor. Clothes ruffled. The shower stall opened.
Tomas stepped naked inside the oversized square of cool, amber tiles and wrapped his arms around Crystal’s waist from behind. He kissed the curve of her shoulder and trailed his lips up the length of her neck. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” he whispered into her ear. “The police told me what happened.” He took the washcloth from her hand and draped it above the shower nozzle. “Let me do that.”
After filling his hands with liquid body wash, he smoothed his palms over her torso and up over her chest. Her nipples grew tighter at the circular movements on the slippery skin of her breasts. Tension trickled from her neck and she relaxed her head against Tomas’ shoulder. His fingers pinched and pulled her nipples, shooting pleasant sensations down into her groin. The steel-like hardness of Tomas’ cock pressed against the tip of her tailbone and between the cheeks of her ass.
While she enjoyed the feel of Tomas against her and delighted in the magic of his hands, something she’d said to the police officers brought an inward smile. She’d called Tomas her boyfriend. That was the first time she’d described him that way.
She shivered lightly after he rinsed his hands and then slid his fingers between her legs and into her passage. Was it possible? Could she be…falling in love? The concept both fascinated and terrified her. What did she know about healthy relationships?
Absolutely nothing.
“I’m going to make you come. Hard.” Tomas said against her hair. “Then I’m going to fix you something to eat and put you to bed. I’m off tomorrow and can stay with you.” His fingers started to move, sending lightning strikes through her body. “You’ve had a tough day, but you’ll feel better after you’ve gotten some sleep.”
When he dragge
d his fingers to her clit, his erection slid between the slick cheeks of her ass to the underside of her pussy. She clenched the tops of her thighs around his girth to hold him steady while his hips began to move. He pumped his shaft against her labia, opening her slit with his cock’s head. The silken tip stroked her sensitive folds, sending shudders through her. She let out a moan and he did too.
He circled her clit with two fingers, then three, fast and hard until she could barely catch her breath. When her head lolled forward, Tomas slid her wet hair off her neck to nibble and bite the back of her shoulder. With each nip he murmured an endearment.
As her orgasm rocked her, she cried out his name. Tension, fear and weariness seemed to seep from her pores and wash down the drain with the body paint and liquid soap. Spasms gripped her, rippled through her body and then released. Her hands clenched and relaxed.
Tomas nipped her shoulder and pumped his cock between her legs with more urgency. His breath came in short, hard bursts against her skin. His hands cupped her breasts and massaged. When he pinched her nipples and his body tensed against her, his cock shot warm come in rapid bursts against her pussy. Droplets clung to her trimmed pubic hair and then washed away in the water stream.
She leaned back to rest the full length of her body against his and closed her eyes. Contentment filled her. Tomas cupped falling water and rinsed her pussy to wash away his semen and her juices. He lowered his mouth to the hairline at the back of her neck and laid kisses there. Tingles followed the brush of his lips against the sensitive hair follicles. Crystal shivered with pleasure.
Tomas turned her around, held her tight in his arms and kissed her. “I’m here, Crystal,” he whispered against her mouth. “Whoever messed with you is gonna pay.”
* * * * *
When Crystal and Tomas opened the apartment door the following morning on Crystal’s way to work, camera flashes and a chorus of shouts greeted them.