by Cross, Daryn
“These look yummy,” an old woman said as she bent over the table and grabbed a pretzel.
“Mom, get your hands off that.” A younger woman with the old lady’s features grabbed the treat and handed it back. “I’m sorry, she’s a diabetic, a bad one.” She hugged the lady to her. “I know you want it, but sometimes you have to settle for things less enticing.”
As they walked away, Crandall considered her remarks. Did she need to settle for the contest without getting to know Zack better?
As the crowd began to buzz louder, she looked out at the back of the crowd and saw Xavier with a group of at least a half dozen men striding towards them. Xavier mounted the platform and approached Crandall, a wicked little gleam in his eyes. His black hair was slicked back, as always, so, despite the cut of the obviously custom-made suit, he looked like the punk he truly was. Say hello to this decade’s Danny Zuko, but she wasn’t his Sandy.
“Hello, darlin’,” he told her, before turning toward the microphone and waving at the crowd. “Hello, all you good people of Happy. My name’s Xavier Washington, and soon-to-be rightfully proclaimed half-owner of Prezelicious.” Flashes began to blink. “I just wanted to set the record straight. This little lady behind me, although laying claim to full rights to control this company, is doing so fraudulently.” He turned and shook his head at her. “It’s not nice to fool people, sweetheart.”
She surged forward, bumping into the table and then skirting it on her way to slap the damned worm when Zack grabbed her. “Let me handle this.”
As her mouth gaped open, he approached Xavier. Close to the guy, Zack towered at least four inches or more above him. He tapped Xavier on the shoulder. “If you don’t mind.” He grabbed the microphone. “People, listen up. This man is making a play for that woman’s company, and I don’t just mean her companionship, but seizing her business. The rest is left open for interpretation. I suggest you let the facts play out as they should because this man is interested only in propaganda to sweeten his side of the story.”
At Xavier’s scowl and the paparazzi taking more pictures, Crandall decided Zack looked even better than he had before.
****
That night back at the party house, Crandall slapped another piece of pizza on her paper plate. “I can’t believe that worm had the gall to make a public statement in the middle of the competition.”
Zack shrugged. “Cheating little bastards do everything they can to get their way. Sorry you lost today.” He took an ample bite off the end of a slice.
“Wait a minute.” Doubt crept into Crandall’s mind as Zack nonchalantly chewed on his food. “You didn’t, by any chance, put him up to that, did you?”
He dropped the pizza on his plate. “Where did that come from? I don’t play with grease balls.”
“But his display of over-the top drama did give you the platform to woo the crowd with your gallantry.”
“Holy shit, do you honestly think I’d shine doubt on your integrity for a contract?”
She shook her head. “I guess not, but it definitely had a bearing in the outcome of the voting.”
“Maybe the quality of the product is what did it.” He pushed his plate of pizza away from him on the air mattress.
Crandall took a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry I accused you, but the whole Washington Enterprises thing has my skin crawling.”
“What does his company do?” he asked.
“It’s like a broker really. The man seizes publicly-controlled companies that have sagging profits and either breaks them up and sells the parts or reinvents them in his disgusting money-gobbling image.”
He turned around to face her head-on. “You’re telling me Prezelicious has sagging profits?”
She shrugged. “Our marketing stinks. But I’m working on it. For once I’m going to take my ad manager’s advice.”
He raised both eyebrows. “I see. I bet I know what you wanted. Respectable down-home, cutesy, maybe a cartoon character appealing to the kids?”
Suddenly defensive, Crandall put down her plate. “Well, yeah. What’s wrong with working the under-thirteen demographic?”
He chuckled. “Because you’re making a sophisticated product. It doesn’t have simple cherry gelatin taste. It’s a cherry choco sea-salt pretzel.”
She gasped. “You’ve been checking out my company.”
His eyes widened. “Oh my God, you’re surprised? News flash, sweetheart. This is a competition. You check out your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses.”
“But not their products by name.” She crossed her arms. “Okay, tell me why my pretzels wouldn’t appeal to kids.”
“Because, the flavor is sophisticated, a person develops his taste buds so he can distinguish nuances of flavor after puberty. Kids just want sweet and the sweeter the better.”
“Oh.” She sat there in silence. Why hadn’t Gretta ever explained it to her that way? Probably because she didn’t let her manager get in a word edge-wise. Sitting there, she realized she always thought she’d had the best answer. “What do you think of this slogan, then? A little sass, a lot of salt, your tongue will ask for more.”
He threw his hands up. “Brilliant. There you go. Sexy. That slogan will spike you back to the top.”
She opened her arms and felt like she’d just won the million-dollar-question. “I just thought it was too sexy.”
“Nope,” he said, scooting closer to her. “Not too sexy at all.” He scooted again, even closer than before.
She pushed back a few inches. “And you’re getting close because…”
His eyes softened, closing halfway. “Because my tongue is asking for more.”
“There’s plenty of pizza. I saw a salt shaker in the kitchen.”
“Oh, I want to lick it off the skin.” He slid forward a few more inches. “Taste the woman, taste it all.”
“Zack, what if there are paparazzi just outside the door? We could be…”
“Fodder for the tabloids?” He grinned. “I’ve already been their centerfold. Besides, even if it isn’t true, they’d make it up. So who’s to know what’s real and what isn’t?” He tenderly clutched her arm. “Except us.”
She weakened and leaned forward, giving him a tentative kiss, but as their lips met, the same fire she always felt burst into an open flame. As unable to control her actions as she could control her breathing, she became the aggressor, sliding her tongue in his mouth to play in tandem with his tongue.
Before she even knew, he’d unbuttoned her shirt and was reaching behind to unclasp her bra. She didn’t care anymore. Crandall shed her top, her bra falling over her arms. Sliding out of it, she resumed the exploration of his mouth as his hands ran back over her breasts, thrilling her with his talented fingers. As he swirled around her nipples, she let out a low moan while still kissing him, and then found herself back down on the mattress as he unzipped her jeans and then did the same with his own.
She lifted her butt, shimmying out of the jeans and underwear in one fell swoop and stared at Zack, his magnificent washboard stomach coming closer and expectant penis definitely taking notice of her. As he lay on top of her kissing her tenderly, his fingers entered the folds of her labia, playing with her, flicking across her clitoris and making her body once again beg for him to join her.
Just as he fished in his discarded jeans pocket for a condom, someone knocked on the door.
Zack exhaled sharply. “I swear on my father’s grave if this is that little grease ball and those damned lying eavesdroppers, someone’s going to lose some teeth.”
“No, not now,” she whimpered. “I have to…”
“I know, sweetheart. Better get dressed if you don’t want to be a centerfold too.” He bounced up on his feet, shoving his legs in his jeans and tossing on his shirt. Making sure she was dressed first, he winked. “Hopefully this is a short interlude.” As he slowly opened the door, someone pushed from the other side.
“Hello, my little vending machine goldmines, just
wanted to pop in and tell you the plans.” Brooks stood there with his three bodyguards.
“After ten at night?” Zack asked, a noticeable groan in his voice.
Brooks chuckled. “Well, me and the boys thought it was only fair you know the next game plan so you can plan accordingly for contests three and four.” He rubbed his palms together.
Crandall frowned. The guy was so money-hungry it wasn’t funny, and they were his marketing sideshow. All she could think was his timing was as lousy as Xavier’s.
“Go ahead while you’re here,” Zack said. “We’re still eating.”
“Oh really?” The man slapped Zack on the back.
“Eating.” Zack growled.
“Yes, well, as I was saying, you’ll be happy to know the two of you will have an easier and a harder time with the next two challenges, depending on whose turn it is. We’re going to your hometowns.”
“We’re going to San Francisco and Charlotte?” Crandall asked. “Those are both large cities. They don’t seem to meet the same criteria as your first two.”
He shook his head. “No, Crandall. You’re not paying attention. I said hometowns, as in where you grew up. We’ll go to Sierra Landing, California first and then finish in Zack’s hometown. Briny Bay.”
****
After Brooks left, both he and Crandall had fallen into a blue funk. Crandall had gone as far as to get up and slam-dunk her pizza in the garbage disposal. Zack turned to one side on his air mattress. He had, of course, acted his normal, calm and unaffected self by kicking his plate across the floor and calling Brooks every name he had in his vocabulary. Crandall pointed out he’d come up with some she’d never heard.
One thing was for sure, Brooks had killed that loving feeling. At least he had at ten-thirty. As Zack laid there in the dark, he started to get an erection just thinking of feeling her tits in his hands. Jeez, the woman turned him on. If the divine universe, whoever or whatever controlled this world, was having a big joke with two people, then they could pose as poster children. Their chemistry was combustible, like a match to gasoline.
He wondered if his mind was strolling down the same path as hers. “Crandall?”
“Mmm-hmm?”
“You know how we were before Brooks got here?”
“Oh yeah, Zack, but I don’t think it’s a good thing to go back to that train of thought. The shear idea I’m going to have to compete in a place where I went to school with Xavier gives me cold chills.”
“Don’t you have any family still there?’
“Nope.” She sighed. “My father was the last of the clan, only child. I’m afraid I’m the only Drake in a pond full of mallard hens.”
He snickered. “It sounds like you’ve said that before.”
“I have. Daddy thought it was funny joke. He told me I had to have some ducklings.”
“Well okay, Daisy, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Forget it, Zack. I’m so scared, I couldn’t even French kiss right now. And I’m good at it.”
“Oh we’re agreed on that one. You know, we don’t have to do anything at all, but I sure would like to fall asleep next to you and feel you breathing. I think it would calm me down.”
“Zack…”
“No, Crandall. I’m serious. No moves.” And he was. She sounded so vulnerable, like a china doll in danger of breaking. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d take advantage of her when she felt like this.
“If you promise,” she said. “I haven’t been held like that, well, ever.”
He sat up and scooted over next to her on the next mattress. As he cupped around her, she stirred.
“Um, there’s part of you that didn’t seem to get the message.”
“I’m sending it an express mail right now, but it’s not picking it up. That whole situation should be history in a few minutes, hopefully.” He cleared his throat and concentrated on simply making her feel safe. “Don’t worry, I’ll be asleep in fifteen minutes, and if I am, so will it.”
As he held her in his arms, her smooth skin touching his, he wished they could do more tonight. Still, knowing he brought her relief from the storm waging inside her was enough. He was at peace. Funny, but his own private war wasn’t bothering him either right now.
Chapter Eleven
“This time, the picture of you or the front of The Inquisitor is more flattering than before, but the reporters didn’t give you credit for your knight in shining armor routine.” Mike, holding his coffee in one hand, threw the tabloid down on Zack’s desk.
Zack stared at a picture of him next to Xavier with the microphone. The headline read, “Jealous Lover Sees Red as Competition Shows Up.”
“They can certainly turn the truth into scandal, can’t they?”
Mike laughed. “They get paid good money to do just that. You have to admit the competition part was correct, just not competition for the girl. I agree jealous isn’t really that appropriate. But the lover part, well, that’s already proven to be at least partially true.”
Zack slowly raised his eyes to his cousin’s. “We haven’t had sex in the strictest of terms. At least not during the trials.” Okay, so they hadn’t gone all the way, but they would have if they hadn’t been interrupted.
Mike spit coffee all over the desk and set his cup down, grabbing a tissue to clean it up. “Sorry, but can we say guilty as charged? So, you didn’t have intercourse in Tinytown and Happy. You did fool around, and I’m thinking that’s happened more than once.”
“Keep your thoughts to yourself.”
“Not yet.” Mike stepped closer. “I’m not sure you didn’t do more on the island. You came back with that satisfied Tomcat look on your face. As for the love in lover, I’m beginning to wonder. It seems you’re trying to give this competition away to Crandall.”
“Never.” Zack shook his head with gusto. “But, I’m walking a tightrope here. Meredyth can’t be dragged into this, and I have to think of her best long term interests. And in the process, think like a CEO and make sure I do what’s best for the company. In the best of all scenarios, I keep the paparazzi away from my daughter, make her happy by my seeing her more often while we’re there, and win the contest.”
“But, Zack,” Mike said, “What are you going to do long term about making both Meredyth and Crandall happy?”
“I can help Crandall keep her company.” He frowned. “Beyond that, I don’t know. As for my daughter, I’m at a complete loss.”
Patting him on the back, Mike sat on the side of his desk. “You don’t even know to what extent her company’s in danger.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s where you come in. Do some research.”
Mike let out an exasperated breath. Zack smiled to himself. The man was high maintenance. “I can’t promise Crandall anything else. Make it good.”
“And Meredyth?”
“I just have to make sure she knows she’s loved and I’m planning to spend more time with her.”
“I see.” Mike crossed his arms. “Then I guess you and Crandall will be back just like you were before, each running a company twenty four/seven with no personal life and you’ll be back making promises to your daughter you can’t keep. Of course, Scrumbles will be better off financially. Is that what you want out of life?”
Zack glared at him. “Why did you ask me that? I’ve busted my hump making sure Scrumbles got out of the ditch over that whole tobacco division. I’m not going to let it slide.”
“I guess you answered my question.” Mike shook his head and got up, making his way to the door.
Had he really? Zack glanced down and wondered if he hadn’t, instead, initiated a sentence for a lifetime of misery.
****
Zack paused in front of the door at Washington Enterprises before opening it. He had left Mike to check on Pretzelicious while he tried to figure out Xavier Washington’s motivation and weaknesses. One thing he knew for sure. He had to have a superior all business persona when he entered. Walking into the cage
of a man-eating lunatic wasn’t for the weak of heart. As the door swung back, he glanced toward the massive desk sitting just perpendicular to a long set of glass-windows overlooking the Sierras in the background.
“Well, well,” Washington said, “when my assistant told me who was out there, I wondered, why would a man fly all the way across the country to see me when he has a business I, more or less, have left alone and he’s never met me except on two short occasions involving one Crandall Drake. By the way, nice robe you were wearing in Tinytown.”
“Cut the crap, Washington. You know that robe wasn’t mine.” He strode closer to the desk. “As for why I’m here, unless I underestimate you, you’ve already gotten on the horn to someone here to check on all your holdings and make sure they haven’t been perused by any potentially-interested corporate whales. Am I right?” Zack sat down in an over-sized armchair and stared intently into the man’s beady, little brown eyes.
Shrugging, Washington chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I have, but not right before you got here. I try to be more proactive. Standard CEO protocol. Have to be prepared, you know. I don’t know much more about you except what I read from time-to-time in Forbes or Industry Today Online. I do remember your father, ran across him from place to place. But you surprise me. As for now, I don’t have any indication you’ve been snooping.”
For a split second, Zack was taken aback by the remark about his father. Then there was the opening remark about more or less. That had to incubate. He had to keep at his game and figure the rest out later. Leaning forward, Zack grinned.
“If I did, no one would ever find my trail. Try me sometime. Those who have are left with discovering they’re sorry. But, it doesn’t matter. I believe you have other interests in this whole flamboyant charade you’ve been performing. I’m not one to pick up the phone and ask. I prefer to look the person in the eyes. See his operation for myself.” He focused intently on Washington. “I’m good at spotting malicious intent. It has a way of coloring everything a person does, even the way he speaks and gestures.”
Washington leaned back and put his arms behind him. “Okay Mr. Graham, so if you came here to find out something, why don’t you just ask me? I’m not one for playing Charades.”