Maybe that was why.
Were they afraid Molly wouldn’t be cool? They probably just assumed she’d start babbling like an idiot and throw up in the street. Okay, maybe they’d had good reason not to tell her, but it still hurt.
“Come back inside, Molly. I’ll find you some dry clothes and take you home.”
“I can’t.” She was shivering now. Standing in the street ankle deep in a puddle during an electrical storm, shivering.
“Don’t be silly.”
Anders appeared in the doorway behind Sue. He nudged her aside and stepped out into the rain.
“What are you doing?” Molly said to him when he reached the curb.
“Rescuing my car before you puke all over it.”
Molly looked down at the two-tone black and silver machine with its rounded curves and sleek design and belatedly realized it was a Bugatti. She’d just vomited on Anders Ostergaard’s million-dollar sports car.
“I only got a little bit on the wheel,” she said lamely.
A boom of thunder reminded Molly where they were. Electrical storms in Florida were no joke. She wiped her mouth in case there was something stuck to it before she made up her mind and hurried past Anders and then Sue to reenter the building. She headed straight for Jimmy’s office, which she knew contained a bathroom and shower stall. Both Sue and Jimmy always kept a change of clothes in the closet and stocked it with other necessities.
Peeling off her wet clothes, she stepped into the hot shower and relished the water warming her goose-pimpled flesh. She’d needed to hit pause just long enough to process what had happened out there, but her brain kept replaying the last five minutes of the whole humiliating scene. I threw up on his car! If Sophie had told her sooner, she would’ve had time to prepare herself. It wouldn’t have been such a shock.
How was he related to Jimmy, she wondered? Were they cousins? Brothers? No, Jimmy’s last name was Panama. Panama. A fake name if she ever heard one. Oh, my God, they are brothers!
When she was through with the shower, Molly found a toothbrush and a comb and made use of both before she dug some clothes out of the closet. She put on a white tank top belonging to Sue but had to forgo the bra. Sue was an A cup and Molly was a solid C. The floral floor-length skirt was way too long, but she solved that problem by rolling up the waist until she wasn’t tripping over the hem.
Checking her appearance one last time in the mirror, she lamented the freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, made starker by the lack of makeup. She looked fresh-faced and much younger than her thirty-four years, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.
What did it matter what she looked like? It wasn’t as if she had a chance with Anders Ostergaard anyhow. Even if she did, she didn’t want one. Unattainable crushes, or UCs, as she and her drummer used to call them, were not supposed to be attainable. Ever. That was the whole point of them and what made them harmless fun. There might be an opportunity for a selfie though, and—
Ugh! What was she thinking? This was not the time to fangirl. She’d embarrassed herself enough already. Padding to the door barefoot, she took a deep breath and told herself to be cool before she cracked it open.
Anders sat on a barstool talking on his cell phone. He was alone in the room.
“I’m confused,” he said. “The suspect had an accomplice?” Anders paused to listen. “I see. Well, I appreciate the warning, Detective.”
Outside, the rain had stopped. The lingering drops on the window glistened like diamonds in the bright sunlight. Molly felt less rattled now. Still nervous, but less likely to lose her shit again if he happened to smile at her or, God forbid, say hello.
She walked past him and made her way around to the back of the bar where she helped herself to a cup of coffee.
When Anders glanced at her, she gave him a shaky smile and finished pouring the coffee.
“I don’t reckon a bodyguard will be necessary considering you believe I wasn’t the intended target after all, but I’ll take the suggestion under advisement.”
Molly thought maybe she should leave. It sounded as if the conversation was none of her business. She didn’t leave, though, because they were in a public place. If he wanted the call to be private, he could have gotten up and gone into the office as soon as she’d vacated it. She sipped the piping hot coffee and closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the taste of the deep, rich flavor. When she opened her eyes again, Anders was watching her with a wry twist to his gorgeous lips.
Had she made a noise? She did that sometimes when she ate or drank. She touched her mouth and turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the heat rising in her face.
“Keep in touch, sir. And thanks again.” Anders set the phone down on the bar with a soft thump. A half-empty cup of coffee sat cooling on the bar in front of him. His big hands engulfed the ceramic mug as he cradled it between his palms. He let out a deep breath and then looked at her sideways. “Want to start over? I’m Anders.”
The sexy timbre of his voice sent shivers through her body. She sucked air through her nose and bit her bottom lip. Play it cool, Molly. Play it cool. “I know who you are.” She turned around to fully face him. “I’ve been a fan of yours for a very long time, but you know that already, don’t you?”
“How long is long?”
“Fifteen years.”
“Shoot, were you listening to me in the crib?”
“Hardly.” She smiled and blew on the coffee before taking another sip. It was almost too hot to drink.
“My brother mentioned you last night. You’re Marley—”
“Molly,” she corrected. “Molly MacBain. So, Jimmy is your brother?
“Yeah.”
She knew it. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Loss?” His left eyebrow quirked.
“Your girlfriend? Casey Conway? I was shocked to hear about her murder.”
Pursing his lips, he glanced away for a moment. “She wasn’t my girlfriend, but thank you anyway.”
“But the newspaper said—”
“The newspaper got it wrong.” He lifted his cup and knocked back the remnants of his coffee.
Okay, then. Casey Conway wasn’t his girlfriend. The revelation made Molly feel a little lighter, but she immediately felt guilty about it. She was a horrible person. Whatever Casey’s faults were, the poor girl was dead. It no longer mattered that she had a reputation for being a fame-grubber who’d dated a string of B-list actors and reality show stars on her way to her first big film role. Or that Anders Ostergaard was probably just another famous name she was planning to add to her list of celebrity ex-boyfriends. Molly hadn’t wanted to believe the dating rumors were true, but they were hard to ignore when photographic evidence of the gorgeous couple stared back at her from the grocery checkout line. She didn’t really know Casey though. Maybe the young actress was just misunderstood. Molly didn’t want to believe Anders was shallow or stupid enough to be duped like that, but then, she didn’t really know him either.
Molly nibbled on the inside of her cheek. The newspapers had reported that Anders and Casey were on the verge of getting engaged when she was tragically murdered in their hotel suite in Vegas. Anders was initially a suspect, but he’d been cleared when evidence led to the arrest of a stalker who’d followed Casey from Los Angeles. Albert Everett Mooney, an unemployed, 24-year-old man with no prior arrest record, ended up confessing to the whole thing. Somehow, he’d gotten access to the room service cart and tampered with the food before delivering it to her room.
Okay, was it weird she knew so much about all of this? Molly blew on the hot coffee again as heat flushed her face. She couldn’t help it. When your idol gets accused of murder, you pay attention to the news. She took another sip of coffee while she thought of something to say. “I’m really sorry about earlier. I’m not usually such a spaz.”
“Glad to know I bring out the best in you.”
“Funny.” She scrunched her nose at him over the rim of her c
up. She stared at him for a moment, hoping he’d pick up the conversation. She’d never been so tongue-tied in her life. When the awkward tension became too much, she let out a giddy giggle. “Spaz is probably too mild of a word to describe the hot mess I was, but you’re probably used to women losing their minds over you.”
“I don’t reckon it’s something you ever get used to.” He leaned forward slightly and offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Molly MacBain.”
Smiling, she started around the bar to accept the second chance he was offering. He turned on his stool to face her. She held her coffee cup with her left hand as she reached out with her right to shake his hand.
“It’s nice to—”
She tripped on the dragging hem of her skirt. The piping hot coffee splashed over his chest as she tumbled into the juncture of his split thighs. She reached out to break her fall and grabbed his waist. He caught her by the upper arms as he hopped off the stool and set her back on her feet.
“Hang on a sec. Hot coffee. Damn it.” He whipped the wet, steaming T-shirt over his head to stop the soaked fabric from burning his skin. Jerking back out of his way, Molly stepped on the hem of her skirt again and started to fall backward. He reached out and caught her. Hooking her waist with his right arm while his left missed her shoulder and landed squarely on her breast.
Molly gasped and tried to step back but his right arm was like a vice holding her in place. A flash fire tore through her body and she dissolved like a marshmallow in an incinerator. The glass entrance door swung opened and a young man with professional camera shouted Anders’ name. But that was all she saw because Anders tugged her close, smashing her face into his lean, ripped chest, turning her away from the flashing camera. He shouted at the photographer. “Get the hell out of here or I’ll shove that camera so far up your ass you’ll be taking pictures through your nose.”
“Don’t you think you’re moving on from Casey Conway a little too quickly?” the reporter said. “Her corpse isn’t even cold yet. Unless you had this piece on the side all along. Is she your mistress?”
“Get OUT!” Anders bellowed.
Molly’s eyes snapped open as the force of his anger curdled her nerves.
The fine dark-blond hairs on his chest tickled her cheek as she turned her head to see the foolish man still snapping photos as he backed toward the door. Not much more than twenty-one, the kid wore a gray fedora that made her think of Jimmy Olsen from Superman. He laughed as if he was enjoying himself and tugged open the glass door.
Then he was gone and the room was silent. Outside, one of the famous Key West roosters crowed in the distance. Contrary to popular belief, roosters didn’t give a fig what time of day it was, they cock-a-doodle-dooed whenever they felt like it.
Smashed between the bar and Anders’ big, hard body, Molly got a nose full of his cologne. He smelled crisp and spicy, like an autumn day. Her favorite time of year back home in Oklahoma. The rise and fall of her chest made her all too aware of the fact that his hand was still firmly wrapped around her breast, which was free as a bird under the white tank top. Tendrils of smoke started to curl around that realization just before her body was engulfed in flames.
Sue came barreling out of the kitchen. “What happened?”
Anders released Molly and stepped back. The hand that had clasped her breast with the tenacity of chimp clutching a banana reached up and drove fingers through his artfully mussed hair. “Paparazzo.” He looked at Sue. “I know the guy. He’s been following me around since my climbing accident, looking for anything he can exploit. He’s relentless.”
Molly’s heart sank. Not only had she’d made a complete fool of herself in front of Anders again, but now she had to worry about the moment being immortalized in the tabloids. Could this day get any worse? “Dagnabit.”
Chapter Five
Molly waited until she and Sue were alone in the car to explain what had happened because she was too embarrassed to rehash it in front of Anders. After the incident with the paparazzo, Anders had walked to the back of the bar—still shirtless and so buff it made her eyeballs fog up—to pour himself another cup of coffee. Molly had babbled an apology, which received no reply, and the rising tension in the room had made her nauseous all over again. When Sue dangled her car keys and said she was ready to go. Molly jumped at the chance to get out of there.
“Don’t worry about it, hun. None of this would have happened if we’d been straight with you from the start.” Sue reached over and squeezed Molly’s knee. The car was idling in front of her apartment building. “It was only a matter of time you found out Anders is co-owner of Dixie’s.”
“Come again?” Molly gaped at her friend.
“That’s the other thing. Anders technically is your boss.”
“Anders Ostergaard is the private investor who co-owns the bar with Jimmy?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. We should have told you. I should have told you. Especially because he’s one of Oscar’s best friends.”
“Wait.” Molly put her hand up to slow Sue down. The bombshells kept coming and Molly needed a moment to process them. “Your husband is best friends with one of the most famous country music superstars of all time?” How did she wrap her mind around that one? Molly frowned and shook her head in exasperation. “How?”
“They met a few years back when Oscar catered an event for Reba McEntire. Anders asked Oscar to cater his world tour and they’ve been close ever since.”
Bewildered by it all, Molly stared out the window at the elderly woman walking a Chihuahua on the sidewalk. Miss Barbara and her dog Mini. “You keep saying you should’ve told me. Why didn’t you?” She shot Sue a sideways glance. “You didn’t trust me not to hound you for an introduction?” Molly put up a hand to stop Sue from denying it. “I can assure you, I wouldn’t have wanted to experience what just happened back there for anything in the world.”
Sue’s eyes narrowed with regret. “It had nothing to do with you personally. I wanted to tell you. Honestly, I did. Sophie did too, but Jimmy was against it. He said it wasn’t our secret to tell. I disagreed, but Oscar made me swear I’d keep my mouth shut. It turned into a bear of an argument but I lost. I’m sorry, hun. I feel terrible about all of this. I truly do.”
Sue’s earnest expression deflated Molly’s anger. Molly might have a temper but she could never stay mad at anyone for long, especially her friends.
She sighed heavily and then blew a stray red curl out of her face. “If I’d known Anders was coming to town, I probably would have hidden under a rock. If you haven’t noticed, I kind of lose my mind around famous people. Not just Anders. Anyone famous. It’s not pretty.”
“You don’t say.” Sue quirked an eyebrow and they both let out a strained laugh.
Molly’s head came up as she remembered something. “When we met, Anders said something about Sophie telling him about me last night. Is that what she wanted to talk to me about today? Did he give his permission to let me in on the secret?”
“Well, it wasn’t going to be a secret for much longer, considering he’s in town for Jimmy’s wedding, but Sophie wanted to be the first one to tell you. None of us meant for you to find out like this. She told Anders about you over dinner last night and he said he was looking forward to meeting you.”
This wasn’t the first time someone had mentioned a dinner. Despite Molly’s insistence that she would have laid low, it still hurt to know her closest friends had dined with her idol and she hadn’t been invited. “Last night?” she said, probing for more information.
“Yeah. Anders got into town late yesterday afternoon and we had an impromptu get-together at Jimmy and Sophie’s place.”
That didn’t include her. Molly nodded as tears filled her eyes. She turned away so Sue wouldn’t see and looked out the window again. Miss Barbara and Mini had moved on.
“None of us thought Anders would ever come to Key West, even for his brother’s wedding. He’s usually way too busy. He hasn’t been here in year
s. He didn’t even come down when Jimmy bought the bar.”
“So, you figured what I don’t know won’t hurt me.”
“I knew it would come out eventually. That’s what I told Oscar, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I hate being right all the time.”
Molly smiled through her tears. She blinked them away before turning to face Sue again. “Are there any other secrets you’re keeping from me? You don’t have to tell me what they are. I just want to know if there are any more surprises waiting for me down the road.”
“No. No more secrets. None from me anyhow.”
“Thank you.” Molly reached to open the door but her hand hesitated on the handle. She wanted to ask more about the dinner party, but it really wasn’t any of her business, was it? She wasn’t part of Anders close circle of friends and never would be, so it was ridiculous for her to be jealous when Sue and Sophie got to hang out with him.
“Are you okay, hun?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” The bright smile she gave Sue hurt her face. “Always am.”
Inside her apartment, Molly changed into clothes that gave her self-confidence a much need boost. A red pleated V-neck empire waist top that flattered the girls, white capris slacks that were a bit too snug in the trunk but would stretch as the day went on, and a pair of red patent leather high heels she adored. She wanted to feel sexy today. Needed to after that morning. She needed to prove to herself she wasn’t the hot mess who spilled coffee on celebrities and puked on their million-dollar Bugattis.
Her hair was nearly dry by the time she added some mouse and fluffed it out with a pick comb. There wasn’t much she could do with the thick, curly mass except tie it up or part it to the side and let it fall in a wild tumble to her elbows. She chose to leave it down and gave it one last fluff as she left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen to grab a snack before work. The bookstore opened at 10 a.m. every day except for Sundays when it opened at noon. It was Thursday though and that meant she had a good nine-hour day ahead of her. April Linus would be in at 4 p.m. to relieve her for a dinner break and then stay to close up the shop at nine.
Bahama Mama Page 5