A Brush With Obsession

by Theresa Papa

“No thanks, Anna. Now can you tell us anything about Lizzie’s everyday life? Where has she been working? Does she have a boyfriend?”

  A blush comes over her fair skin, and she looks away for a second, pausing her gum chewing.

  “Lizzie had a boyfriend a while ago, but they broke up because he found out about her job. Sh-she works at Beta.”

  Jaxson’s eyebrows shoot up at that revelation, and I speculate why. I’ve heard the club name, but I’m unsure about what exactly goes on there. I refrain from interrupting so she can go on. Anna continues with her story.

  “She was happy with the job at first. She said it was like acting, and that she never sensed any danger because she was always in control. It made her feel powerful and sexy, and she swore she never had sex with the men. Some men wanted her to inflict pain, and some of them just wanted her to listen while they talked. Others just wanted to look at her while she did everyday things like dusting.”

  I shift uncomfortably in my chair, glancing at Jaxson, and he gives me a mischievous grin. I question what my little brother knows about Beta and if that kind of stuff really turns him on. Anna is oblivious to Jaxson’s comedy and goes on with her story.

  “When her mother, Irene, took all the family money after her father’s death, she needed a job. She makes pretty good money for the time she has to put in. That way, she can spend more time on her writing. Did you know she wants to be an author?”

  “No, we kind of lost touch with Eliz- uh, Lizzie for a little while.”

  I rub my chin with guilt. I should have called my cousin and kept in touch.

  “Well, it seems she wants to be more of an exposé writer. To draw out the stories about illegal activities is her passion. Recently, she told me that things have changed at the club since the new manager, Marcus, took over. She believes drugs are now involved, and that they use them to get the girls to do nasty things with customers who ask for it. The manager told her to do her job as she always does and not to worry about anyone else. She was never to speak to anyone about what goes on at Beta.”

  “Do you know if she did speak to anyone else about what goes on there?”

  Anna gets up and goes into the other room, returning with a tablet in her hand. She puts in a password and shows us Lizzie’s manuscript. It looks as if our Lizzie intends on telling everyone what goes on at Beta.

  When I drop Jaxson off at the firm, I offer to talk to Giselle next and find out anything I can from her. Then I park at the salon and go in to face my extremely busy day.

  Chapter 9

  Samantha Marconi

  Since classes don’t start for another week, I only need to prepare for my internship and my new job at the salon. I choose a navy slim skirt topped with a crisp white button-down over a navy and white print camisole. The mirror confirms professional and chic. I attempt to corral my way too long and thick tresses into a messy bun and add earrings. I apply mascara, blush, and lip-gloss to polish off my look, and then I’m out the door.

  About to cross the street, I look up at the granite façade of Pope, Manning, and Price law firm where I’ve slaved away as an intern all summer. I’m extremely lucky to have landed an internship at such a prestigious firm in Chicago. It kind of helped that my cousin is married to John Price’s sister. But I will also admit that my 4.0 GPA didn’t hurt either.

  As I exit the elevator, my friend Dafny smiles from behind the reception desk as she holds up a coffee.

  “Hey, Sam! I got you a café mocha. I hope it’s not cold since you’re in later today.”

  “Thanks, Daf.” I plop my butt on her desk to talk for a minute but knock over her coffee with my purse, spilling it on her papers.

  “Oh crap, hold on and I’ll get some paper towels.”

  I take off running across the hall to the bathroom where there’s an “out of order” sign on the door. It doesn’t faze me, so I plow right in, proceed to trip over someone’s legs, and face plant on the bathroom floor. Totally stunned, I lift my head and shake out the cobwebs. There’s a plumber on the floor fixing the sink.

  “Shit! Ouch.” Sitting up to my side, I come face to face with a shirtless male wonder. He just sits there across from me on the tile; his elbows rest on his bent knees with this sexy dimpled smirk on his face.

  “Are you having a bathroom emergency? Can I be of any assistance?”

  “What the hell are you doing sprawled out across the bathroom floor!”

  My hands throb from the forceful contact with the tile floor, but I scarcely register the pain. At first, my anger consumes my senses, but that reaction is quickly replaced with my preoccupation with gawking, captivated by the man in front of me. Emerald green eyes playfully stare back at me from a face that looks vaguely familiar for some reason. Thick, wavy dark hair falls haphazardly over his forehead as he runs his fingers through it to tame it back into place. The planes of his muscular chest and arms move seductively under his golden skin as he effortlessly jumps to his feet and holds out a hand to help me from the floor. Speechless, I take it, and he lifts me quickly off the floor, pulling me directly against his muscular torso. The heat of his body permeates through my clothes, and I melt against his firmness. He holds me close, his lips almost touching my ear as he uses the same harsh words I did seconds before.

  “What the hell are you doing ignoring the sign I put on the door and how about paying attention where you’re walking?”

  I put both hands on his chest and push him away as hard as my strength will allow. It’s like trying to move a brick wall, though, and he barely budges. His gaze travels downward to my chest heaving with deep breaths. This only entertains him further as his eyes change to darker emerald. I quickly look away flustered by the heat that rises in my core.

  “Well, I had an emergency and needed paper towels right away to wipe up coffee someone spilled.” Aren’t you an arrogant asshole! Too bad all those good looks are wasted on you.

  He removes his arms from around me and steps back toward the sink. Pulling down a handful of paper towels, he turns around and holds them out to me.

  “Here you go. Try to be more careful next time.”

  Raising my chin, I try to grab the towels with a huff, but he won’t let go. His eyes sparkle mischievously when I look up at him to show me, he means no real malice. We pause, I soften my expression, and he smiles relinquishing the towels. Then his fingers glide up my wrist, sending warm pulses through me. As I make a quick exit with one look back his dimples are deep and a full set of white straight teeth taunt me. Laughter echoes off of the bathroom walls behind me. Taking a moment to compose myself, I lean against the wall in the hallway. What the hell just happened? I use the paper towels to fan myself and reflect on the excitement from him holding me so close. Then I remember that I left Dafny with coffee all over her desk and run to help her clean up.

  The rest of the day at the law office is uneventful, and I don’t see the arrogant, good-looking guy again. Before I leave, I stop by to say goodbye to Dafny.

  “Have a good night, Daf. Coffee’s on me next time.”

  “Are you in a hurry? Stop and talk a few minutes. What did they have you doing today?”

  “The lawyers have me doing all kinds of research and behind the scenes office stuff. It’s great experience for when I become a lawyer,” I answer.

  “I heard it through the grapevine that they want you to stay on after school begins. I’m so happy you’re staying. I know it’s difficult to stay longer in an unpaid position,” she says.

  “Well, they’re willing to be flexible with hours. And I hope the relationships I establish will prove beneficial to me after I pass the bar exam. I just got a part-time job at Salon de Nico. I start today.”

  “Congratulations, it’s a wonderful place.”

  “Thanks, I’m excited. I’m taking full responsibility for all my student loans and any of my living expenses since my parents helped me buy my condo and assisted with my undergrad tuition,” I say wi
th a shrug.

  “You will never have to worry about money. You'll be a successful lawyer very soon, no worries.”

  “Thanks, Daf! Time to start my new job. Wish me luck!”

  Chapter 10

  Samantha Marconi

  Salon de Nico is very busy when I arrive that afternoon. Nico attends to his clients one after another until about six o’clock when he walks up to me at the front reception desk.

  “Samantha, you look lovely this evening. We are so happy to have you work for us.”

  “Thank you. I’m enjoying being here. Your six o’clock client, Mrs. Patterson, called to say she would be a few minutes late.”

  He leans over the computer next to me just like the other day, and again, I take pleasure in his scent. He smells of the ocean, clean linen, and man. I’m amazed at how he stays so pristine after so many clients all day. His clothes are immaculate, and he still looks like a Ralph Lauren model.

  First, he clicks through the schedule, then he turns to me and quietly says, “Who usually cuts your hair?”

  I look down kind of embarrassed because my explanation is kind of lame. But I tell him the truth anyway.

  “Well, actually my dad has cut my hair all my life. But since I don’t live at home anymore, it’s gotten more difficult to get a haircut. And I do sometimes go to someone nearby to get a cut. But it just kills me to pay a lot of money for a haircut when I know I will see my dad soon. I’m not cheap, but it’s the principle of wasting good money.”

  I look back up at him, and that heart-stopping grin spreads across his face. His sexy dimples peek out, a treat just for me. He places his warm hand on top of mine, and that sizzle starts deep in my nether region.

  “Tomorrow, can you stay after closing with me, and I’ll cut your hair for you?”

  “I don’t want to impose. You have a long day and really don’t need to stay late to cut my hair.”

  “Not another word. I insist. Please, it will be my pleasure to pamper you. Many of the employees ask me to cut their hair, so I assure you this is not out of the ordinary. Think back, did the stylists in your father’s salon cut each other’s hair?”

  “Oh, uh, well, I guess they did. If you insist, you’re the boss.”

  He smiles again and squeezes my hand warmly. Then he stands straight again, clasps his hands behind his back, and stretches his tight neck muscles by moving his head back and forth.

  “I definitely need to sit in the hot tub after we’re done tonight.”

  I look back up at him from my seat and smile. I hope he can’t read my thoughts of getting into the hot tub with him. Maybe he already has someone to join him?

  As I turn back to the desk, I’m the recipient of a deathly glare from Giselle. What the hell is her problem? Mental note: stay clear of Giselle.

  A couple of hours later, mostly everyone has gone home. When I go out to my car, the old beater won’t start. Great, now I will have to wait until I get paid to cover the car repair. Ugh! I quickly leave a message for Jen to pick me up on the way home from work. She gets off later than I do, so I decide to wait inside the salon and get more work done.

  Chapter 11

  Nico Pope

  The phone conversation with my friend at the police station revealed my manager Giselle Gourdan as the last phone call Elizabeth received. In hopes of finding out information on their relationship, I show an interest in Giselle. She’s been up front about her attraction to me since she started six months ago. Up until now, I’ve maintained a strictly business relationship because I have no romantic attraction to her at all. So I polish my acting skills, and ask her to join me this evening in the hot tub. As I walk along the side of the pool to the hot tub, Giselle waits there for me. She now has added false eyelashes to her Barbie doll impersonation.

  “You’re here already. I apologize for being late. I had a last-minute phone call in my office.”

  I sink down in the water, and all the tight muscles ease in my shoulders from the long day of clients. I cringe inwardly as Giselle wastes no time before her bikini-clad firm body is up close and personal.

  “Mmm, this is heaven,” she says.

  I put my arms around her to make her feel close to me so she will open up and talk. Her huge fake tits are so distracting it’s almost difficult to keep from laughing in her face.

  “I was very happy you asked me to join you here tonight. You never seemed interested before.”

  Her eyes are wide and her attitude eager. When I look down at hopeful expression, I feel like an ass for deceiving her. Slowly and gently, I peel her off me one limb at a time, and her face immediately falls.

  “Giselle, I’m sorry I misled you by asking you to join me here tonight. I really just need to ask you a few questions. How do you know my cousin Elizabeth Pope?”

  As soon as my question registers, her demeanor changes completely. Coldness takes over in her eyes, but a tight smile remains on her lips.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t know her well at all. She worked at the club I manage late nights and on the weekends. But when I started there, it was evident she would leave with the previous manager. So after last week when he was finished training me, she left too.”

  “Do you remember the manager’s name?”

  “His name was Marcus Dent.”

  “Why did you call her last Friday?”

  “That was supposed to be her last day at work, but she never showed up. I just called to find out the reason.”

  She gets up, gets out of the hot tub, and wraps the towel around herself. I follow and step up close with a serious expression.

  “Giselle, Lizzie is missing. We haven’t heard from her since that day. Please tell me what she said on the phone.”

  “She never answered the phone, and I left a message. I never pursued it again because I knew she was finished working there anyway.” She shrugs. “The police have already asked me all these questions. I have to go.”

  With that, she quickly slips into the women’s locker room where she knows I would never follow her.

  I hop back into the hot tub and gather my thoughts. That conversation gave me only one thing to go on, investigate the previous manager. Hopefully, Jaxson came up with some plans to get into that club. I remind myself to drag the details about the club out of my brother. We both have been so busy, but I need to make a point to talk to him soon.

  I spot the prune-like fingers on my hands and decide it’s time to get out. When I enter the men’s locker room, I’m not alone. I turn and find Samantha stacking the clean towels on the shelves. She looks up at me wide-eyed, her lips parted.

  “So sorry, boss, I’m finished in here,” she says as she tries to leave.

  “Wait!” I call out. She stops abruptly.

  “Samantha, why are you still here? I thought you left already.”

  When she turns, her face is beet red, and she licks her lips, then bites the bottom one.

  Chapter 12

  Samantha Marconi

  When Giselle abruptly rises out of the hot tub, her face stone with pillow lips in suspended duck face, I am almost caught eavesdropping on her and Nico. Her bare feet slap against the tile as she stomps into the changing area. I immediately leave the women’s locker room and hide in the men’s. I cover my ears when she slams the lockers and poke my head out to see her leave quickly out the back door. Thank God, I’m standing next to the towel cabinet that I filled earlier when Nico walks into the men’s locker room.

  “I’m waiting for my friend to pick me up, but she’s not off work yet. I thought since I’m stuck here, I would get some work done while I wait. I hope you don’t mind.” I wet my lips and turn toward him, all rational thoughts exiting my brain at the sight of him.

  Water droplets cascade over his magnificent muscular body, making his skin look like tan silk. I blink and focus on one droplet, following it on an amazing journey. I have the urge to lick him dry from his powerful calves and th
ighs to his magnificent smooth chest. Of course, I wouldn’t forget to pay extra attention to the enormous bulge he’s packing.

  “I don’t mind at all. In fact, text your friend and tell her you have a ride. I’ll drive you.”

  “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you in any way. I’m sure you probably have plans tonight. I don’t want to interfere.” I use my palm to wipe the drool from my chin. Nico grabs a towel to dry off, and the movement jolts me. I close my mouth and press my lips together, feeling the sweat collect over my top lip. I want to be that towel, please! As he towel dries his hair, I zoom in on his dark eyelashes. They are so thick they clump together from the water, accentuating those mesmerizing azure eyes.

  “Nonsense. I have no plans, and I welcome the company. We’ll just go up to my place so I can change.”

  I give myself an internal shake. Coherent once again, I blink rapidly and accept his offer of a ride home. It’s not like I have a choice when he grabs my arm and leads me to the elevator. Once inside, I look down as he slides his hand down and locks his fingers with mine.

  The whole time I was in a relationship with my ex-boyfriend Jason, he never made me feel the way Nico affects me right now just by holding my hand. Somehow, he makes me feel like the secrets of the universe are all within my reach if I just never let go of this dazzling man’s hand. Is this what my mom was talking about when she explained the relationship she and my dad have? Mom would always say the connection you feel with the person you are supposed to be with will catch you off guard and touch your heart and soul. But how will I know? She said that there’s no mistaking it once it happens.

  When the elevator opens, Nico’s home appears before me, and my eyes bounce from one detail to another.

  “This is so amazing. I thought the salon and your office were gorgeous, but this is heavenly.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate your admiration. It took a long time to get everything balanced perfectly between the clean and classic lines while I also created warmth. I wanted it to feel stress free. That’s why it’s so minimal. But I also wanted relaxation and hospitality too.”