I also remembered how hot he looked in his black and orange flannel pajama bottoms. I pictured his broad shoulders, sculpted pecks and sexy abs bending over the pizza box those Saturday mornings and my mouth went dry.
“I used to love it cold, and haven’t had any for years. We order pizzas all the time when we’re touring but there usually aren’t any leftovers. The guys are like garbage disposals.”
“Your band members?”
“Yeah and the roadies. Those guys can eat.”
“What about the groupies?”
He chuckled. “They aren’t usually there for the pizza.”
“I imagine not.”
I wondered how friendly he was with the roadies and felt a stab of jealously, which I knew was ridiculous because, hello, he was a celebrity. Heck, he probably had sex with a different girl every night.
And I was tripping?
Pathetic…
“You still there?”
I cleared my throat. “Okay, yeah, so I’ll see you in a little while? Just to warn you, though, you can’t stay long. I rented a chick-flick and have to get up early tomorrow morning.”
“Hey, I’m down with chick-flicks.”
“Since when?” I snorted. “You used to tease the hell out of Remy and me when we’d rent them.”
“I just liked teasing you.”
“Things haven’t changed.”
“Nope.”
I smiled. “It’s getting late. So, I’ll see you soon, I guess?”
“No backing out now.”
“Right.”
After hanging up, I threw away the frozen meal and made a dash for the bathroom where I took a quick shower. When I was finished, I slipped on a pair of white shorts and a light blue-laced Jersey tank-top, pulled my hair up into a ponytail and then applied some pink lip-gloss. When I was satisfied, I raced back into the living room, straightened up as much as possible and then lit two vanilla scented candles. As I was putting the lighter away, the envelope from American Icon caught my eye. I’d read through the most of the packet last night but not the small print, which I knew would include the rules of the contest, and probably a stringent clause about not socializing with the judges. Sighing, I pulled out the packet and began reviewing the pages I’d missed.
“Damn.”
Sure enough, it stated very clearly that any interaction away from the show with the judges, camera crew, or anyone else associated with American Icon was prohibited, and the penalty was exactly what I’d imagined- disqualification.
I sat back and sighed.
Disqualification.
In black and white.
Well, no questioning it now. Grabbing my cell phone, I called Ransom back.
“You can’t come over here, Ransom.”
“Too late,” he replied. “I’m just entering your lobby. In fact, can you buzz me up?”
I closed my eyes and groaned. “No, Ransom. Call your guys back, please. If someone sees you here, I just know that I’m going to get disqualified. Hell, I’ve probably screwed myself by cutting your hair in the shop, earlier.”
“Taffy, calm down.”
I began to pace. “I can’t.”
He lowered his voice. “Do you have a roommate or nosy neighbors?”
“No.”
“Then who do you think is going to notice me?”
I stopped. “I… Oh my God! What if you were followed?”
He chuckled. “I’m not a criminal being investigated.”
“But you’re famous. Don’t you have the paparazzi following you everywhere?” I asked, looking out the window down below.
“They’ve never followed me.”
“You’re lying. I’ve seen you on television getting angry with them.”
“I don’t recall that.”
“Maybe you were trashed?” An image of him flipping them off came to mind. Another where he pushed a camera man out of his way and told him to ‘fuck off’.
“Maybe. Listen, my guys have already dropped me off, and I’m holding a hot pizza and a bottle of red wine. Better let me up before someone does notice me hanging out by the mailboxes.”
“Fine. I’m apartment three-twenty-four. Go straight up the stairs, and it’s the first apartment on the left.”
“Top floor?”
“Yes,” I said, pushing the buzzer.
Two minutes later, I was pulling him into my apartment. “This is such a mistake.” I said, slamming and locking the door.
His lips curled up. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a woman say that to me before.”
“This is totally different, and you know it.” I bit my lip and looked through the peephole. “Are you sure nobody followed you?”
“Yes, I’m positive. Relax.”
I turned around. “Easy for you to say.”
“Where do you want this?” he asked, holding up the wine and pizza.
“I’ll take that,” I replied, grabbing the bottle. “Just put the pizza box on the coffee table. I’ll go and grab some plates.”
“Okay. I hope you like Dolcetto.”
My eyes widened. “Dol, what?”
“The wine. It’s a Dolcetto. I heard it goes great with pizza. I’m a beer and tequila drinker myself.”
“Oh. Well, thanks for getting it. Would you like me to pour you a glass, too?”
He sat down on the sofa. “Sure, I’ll try some.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back,” I said, walking into the kitchen with the wine. Once inside, I uncorked the wine and filled two glasses.
“You need any help?”
I sucked in my breath and turned to find him standing close.
Too close.
I backed up to the counter. “Wow, I didn’t even hear you walk in to the kitchen.”
With an amused grin, he moved closer and grabbed the glasses. As he did, he bent close to my neck, his lips only inches away. “You smell great,” he whispered, his warm breath on my skin.
“Uh, thanks,” I replied, feeling a tingle run down my body.
He straightened up, and turned around. “Don’t forget the plates,” he said leaving the kitchen.
Trying to compose myself, I opened up the cupboard, and grabbed a couple of my mother’s china plates, the ones with the blue flowers that she’d cherished so much. No matter how nervous I was, this night was special. Not only did I have a celebrity in my apartment, but it was him.
Ransom.
I may never get this chance again.
I followed him back into the living room, and paused for a second, watching as he sat down.
Damn if he didn’t make my ugly sofa look good.
“So, um, if you aren’t feeling like a movie,” I said, sitting down next to him, “we could just have dinner?”
He opened up the box of pizza and grabbed one of the plates. “You’re still trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?”
I smirked. “You’re quick.”
He flashed me a dimpled smile. “Relax babe,” he replied, handing me a plate filled with pizza. “I’m already here, in your apartment, and nobody else knows it.”
“Your bodyguards know.”
“Actually, to tell you the truth, they don’t know I’m visiting someone related to the show. Fact is, I told them I was at a buddy’s place.”
“Well, when are they picking you up?”
“Whenever I tell them too.” He smiled wickedly. “So, Taffy, I guess that means I’m yours for the entire night.”
He may have been teasing me, but I didn’t miss the message in his eyes. He was offering more than just pizza and waiting for my reaction.
Chapter Thirteen
Ransom
The blush on her cheeks was priceless, making me want her even more. I couldn’t have been stiffer if I were a corpse.
Down boy.
“Would you just stop,” she laughed nervously.
“Now what fun is there for me in that?” I asked, my eyes traveling to her tank top, which hugged her round breasts in
a way that was making my mouth water. I found myself wondering if the rosy color of Tiffany’s cheeks matched her nipples, and repositioned my legs.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a dork.”
I reached over and brushed a strand of blond hair from her mouth. “Yeah, but you love it. Just admit it.”
“Arrogant. That’s one thing that will never change.”
“I have to hold on to something,” I replied with a smirk.
“Right.”
I looked around her apartment, which was small but homey, and sighed. “This is nice, isn’t it? Eating pizza, watching a rented movie, doing… normal things.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“Well, you might not appreciate it as much as I do because normal isn’t a part of my life, anymore. So when random normalness happens, it’s… kind of, I don’t know… cool.”
“Oh.”
I grabbed a piece of pizza and raised it to my lips. “Dig in,” I said, before biting down. “You’re safe, I left out the anchovies.”
“Okay, but I’m warning you, excessive carbs make me a little crazy.”
I smiled. “What does wine and excessive carbs do?”
Her eyes lit up. “I’ve been known to dance on tables, sing too loud, and-”
“Get naked?” I interrupted, wiggling my eyebrows.
She clucked her tongue and sighed. “Oh boy.”
“Sorry. After what happened earlier today, I can’t seem to get my mind out of the gutter.”
“Yeah, about that,” she said, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I said. “In fact, I pretty much attacked you.”
She lifted her glass from the coffee table. “Well, I wasn’t exactly fighting you off.”
“I didn’t think you would.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“Come on Taffy, just admit it, you’ve always had a thing for me,” I joked.
Her left eyebrow arched. “Excuse me?”
“It’s true,” I said, enjoying the fire in her eyes. I’d almost forgotten how much fun it was to get her riled. “Hell, you’re undressing me with your eyes, right now.”
Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God! You are so obnoxious and conceited.”
“And sexy,” I said with a cocky grin. “You left that part out.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Okay, fine! I’ll admit that I may have had a crush on you when I was young and very naive, but that was then, and this is now.”
I put my plate on the coffee table. “Really?” I asked, turning towards her. I put my arm on the back of the sofa and leaned closer, “because that kiss, earlier, it was pretty fucking intense. I find it hard to believe that it didn’t mean anything at all.”
“It didn’t.” She sat up straighter. “You caught me off guard, and well, it’s been awhile since anyone’s kissed me.”
“A girl as beautiful as you, I find it hard to believe.”
“I haven’t been exactly looking for a boyfriend, and I don’t hook-up with guys just for… just for sex. Not like what you’re used to, I’m sure.”
“I respect that,” I said, which was the truth. “More than you know.”
She stared at me for a minute, and sighed. “I’ve grown up, Ransom, and I’m certainly not one of those star-struck groupies who’ll bend to your every whim. What happened earlier was a mistake. In every way.”
I scratched my head. “Wow, you sure know how to crush a guy’s ego.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Somehow I’m sure you’ll get over it.”
“You must think I’m a real shit,” I said. “That I jump into bed with any willing chick, and then forget about her the next day?”
“Don’t you?”
I grinned. “Actually, it’s the other way around, they jump into my bed. But, I’ll admit, I do forget about them the next day. Most of the girls that end up in my bed are very forgettable.”
“Wow… you’re nice.”
“Oh hell, they’re only after me because of what I represent, Taffy. I’m famous, and I have a shitload of money. Do any of them ever ask what my favorite color is, if I like to read, or hell, why I have a scar on my chest? No, they only care about what’s below the belt, one of which is my wallet and the other, I don’t think I have to spell it out for you.”
“How is that, by the way?”
I arched my eyebrow and grinned wickedly.
She rolled her eyes. “No, you goofball, your heart?”
I’d been born with a hole in my heart, one that they’d repaired with surgery, when I was very young. There hadn’t been any complications, and from what I’d been told growing up, it was nothing to worry about.
“Well, it hasn’t been broken yet.”
“Not what I meant.”
“I’m fine. Never been any problems.”
“Should you be drinking?”
I picked up the glass of wine, and took a drink. “Isn’t wine supposed to be good for your health?”
“I have no idea, but if it really is, then I’m assuming it should be done in moderation.”
“Are you also assuming that I don’t do it in moderation?”
“Something tells me that there’s nothing you do in moderation.”
I put a hand over my chest. “Now that hurts. You’re a cruel, cruel woman.”
“Eat your pizza, it’s getting cold.”
I smiled.
My cell phone started ringing, and I cursed myself for not turning it back off the moment I walked into her apartment. I took it out of my jeans and sighed.
Remy.
“It’s my sister. Something must be up. She never calls me at night”
“Then you’d better answer it. It might be really important.”
I wasn’t sure why, but I felt like a cloud of doom had settle over us. I answered anyway. “Hey Remy, what’s up?”
She was sobbing. “Ransom…”
I tensed up. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s mom,” she moaned. “She’s been killed!”
Chapter Fourteen
Tiffany
Ransom’s face went completely white. “What?” he mumbled hoarsely into the phone. After a few seconds, he stood up and turned his back to me. There was no mistaking the way his shoulders slumped, that something was very wrong. After a few muffled words, his shoulders began to shake, and I could tell he was crying.
I got off the sofa, and touched his arm, trying to give him some kind of comfort. I had no idea what Remy was saying, but it was wrecking him.
“Okay,” he said, turning away from me again. “I’ll see you in a few hours. Love you too.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked after he hung up, and faced me, his eyes glossy.
“I have to leave,” he said, his voice thick.
“What happened? What’s wrong?”
He paused and cleared his throat. “My mother was murdered. I have to go.”
I stared at him in horror. “What?!”
He started punching numbers into his phone. “They don’t know what happened. The housekeeper found her. Someone… shot her.”
I covered my mouth. “I’m so sorry, Ransom.”
“I have to leave,” he mumbled, putting the phone to his ear. “Yeah, it’s me. I need you guys to pick me back up. Yes, right now. Something’s come up.” He hung up and turned back to me. “I’m going to wait downstairs for the car,” he said. “Sorry about cutting this short.”
I put my hand on his arm. “Ransom, I’m so sorry. I loved Carol. God, she was such a wonderful woman. I wish there was something I could do for you and Remy.”
His eyes flashed angrily. “Me, too. I wish I could find the bastard who did this, shoot him in the face, and then run him over with my car before shooting him the face again.”
“Hopefully the cops will find out who did this and bring some kind of justice.”
“They’d better,” he said in a clipped voice. He backed up, and avoided my eyes again. �
��I’ll call you and let you know what I find out.”
I took a deep breath, closed the distance between us, and threw my arms around him. “I’m here for you and Remy. Call me no matter what, okay?”
His body relaxed, and he slid his arms around me. “Thanks Taffy,” he whispered into my hair, his breath warm.
I closed my eyes. If there was one thing I knew, Ransom loved Carol more than life itself, and the pain had to be devastating. “Anytime, Ransom.”
He squeezed my body tightly and then released me. “I’ll call you.”
I nodded.
Then he turned away, and walked out the door.
***
Carol’s murder was all over the news the following day, along with photos of Ransom and Remy as they tried to avoid the media going to and from their parent’s home. Rumors of the murder had also spread like wildfire, most of it being that it was a hate-crime against Ransom. As a celebrity, I knew he had to have a lot of enemies, some of them seriously psychotic and it made me wonder if continuing with Icon was a mistake. Right now my life was simple and the only people I pissed off were clients who didn’t like the way their hair had turned out, and thankfully, that was a rare occurrence.
I called Remy in the morning, and left my condolences on her voicemail. When she returned my call later in the day, I could tell that she was barely keeping it together.
“Tiffany, the funeral is in four days. You’re coming, right?”
“Of course, Rem.”
She paused. “I figured, but just wanted to know for sure.”
“How are you holding up?”
“I’ll be better when Taylor arrives. He’s in Florida right now, doing some kind of promotional thing for Icon.”
“When’s he getting back?”
“Tonight,” she answered, sniffling. “Hold on,” she said and then blew her nose. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, silly. Listen, if you need anything, let me know.”
“I just need to see you soon, Tiff. We’re having a private wake the night before the funeral. Can you make that, too?”
“I’ll do my best.”
She gave me the address and I wrote it down. I knew I had appointments, but there was no way I’d disappoint her, and decided to call my clients as quickly as possible, to reschedule.
Tangled Mess Page 9